Slow Cooker Bison Chili
This hearty, slow cooker bison chili is the definition of comfort food and with a total prep time of 10 minutes, it also makes an excellent weeknight dinner or camping meal.
Servings: 4
Calories: 427kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chili
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pound ground bison meat
- 3 cups canned diced tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 cups canned red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- cheddar cheese shredded
- sour cream
- jalapeños sliced
- fresh cilantro chopped
- hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the onions and green pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano and sauté for 30 seconds. Add them to the slow cooker.1 large yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Return skillet to medium heat and brown the ground bison, crumbling it as it cooks. Add it to the slow cooker.1 pound ground bison meat
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth and kidney beans. Season with some salt and pepper.3 cups canned diced tomatoes, 1 cup vegetable broth, 2 cups canned red kidney beans
- Cover with the lid and cook on low heat for 4 to 6 hours. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
- Serve in bowls with the toppings.
Notes
- For a thicker chili: If you would like it to be thicker, you can add one small can of tomato paste. Or, blend the diced tomatoes before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Fridge storage: You may store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and reheat it to serve.
- Freezer storage: Chili freezes well in airtight containers and can be stored in the freezer for several months. Simply thaw it in the fridge overnight and then reheat it on the stove.
- Frozen bison: You can use frozen bison but be sure to thaw it in the fridge overnight on the bottom shelf of the fridge to avoid leakage onto other foods.
- Oil amount: If you are doubling the recipe, you do not need to double the oil. 1 tablespoon is enough to fry the vegetables.
- To make this recipe even easier and quicker:
- You can skip the extra steps of sautéing the vegetables and browning the ground bison (and no need for the olive oil if you skip these steps). Just keep in mind that the vegetables might not be as softened and flavorful as you like.
- Bison is fairly lean, so there is no need to drain the fat once its cooked. This makes it possible to add it straight to the slow cooker instead of browning first, if desired. You will still need to crumble it as it cooks in the slow cooker, however.
Nutrition
Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 863mg | Potassium: 1123mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1643IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 7mg
