Slow Cooker Chili with Beef, Italian Sausage and Bacon

A good pot of chili should taste like it took all day, even if most of that time was hands-off. This slow cooker chili is rich, thick, smoky, and built for feeding a hungry crowd. It gets its depth from three hearty meats: ground beef chuck, Italian sausage, and crisp hardwood smoked bacon.

This recipe is made for a 6-quart slow cooker and serves 10 to 12 large portions. If your slow cooker is smaller, cut the recipe in half to prevent overflow. A slow cooker liner also helps with cleanup and gives a little extra protection against spillovers, especially once the chili starts bubbling around the edges.

The method is simple. Cook the bacon first, sauté the vegetables in the bacon drippings, brown the beef and sausage, then let everything simmer low and slow with beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and a packet of Tampa Bay Spice Company Chili Seasoning.

This hearty chili is built for a 6-quart slow cooker.

Know what this chili delivers

This is not a light, brothy chili. It is a thick, meaty, crowd-style chili with layers of smoky, savory flavor.

The bacon brings salt and smoke. The Italian sausage adds seasoning and richness. Ground chuck gives the chili a classic beefy base. The beans go in undrained, which helps build body and flavor without needing extra stock.

The jalapeños bring a gentle kick, but the heat level depends on how many you use and whether you include the seeds. One small jalapeño keeps the chili mild to medium. Two jalapeños, especially with seeds, make it bolder.

Here is the quick overview before you start.

Detail	Amount
Slow cooker size	6 quarts
Prep and stovetop time	About 30 minutes
Slow cooker time	6 to 8 hours on low
Total time	Up to 8 hours
Servings	10 to 12 large servings

Gather the ingredients

Set everything out before you turn on the stove. This recipe moves easily once the bacon starts cooking, and having the vegetables chopped ahead keeps the process calm.

Use these meats

• 5 slices hardwood smoked bacon, chopped

• 2 pounds ground beef chuck

• 1 pound Italian sausage

  
  

Ground beef chuck works well because it has enough fat for flavor, but you will still drain the cooked meat before adding it to the slow cooker. Use mild or hot Italian sausage depending on how spicy you want the final chili.

Chop these vegetables

• 1 red bell pepper, rough chopped

• 1 green bell pepper, rough chopped

• 1/2 cup celery, rough chopped

• 1 cup yellow onion, rough chopped

• 1 to 2 small jalapeño peppers, diced

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

  
  

Rough chopping is fine here. The vegetables soften during the long cook and settle into the chili. Dice the jalapeños smaller so the heat spreads evenly.

Add these beans and tomatoes

• 30 ounces chili pinto beans in medium sauce

• 15 ounces chili pinto or kidney beans in mild sauce

• 56 ounces petite diced tomatoes, undrained

• 6 ounces tomato paste

  
  

Do not drain or rinse the chili beans. The sauce in the cans adds seasoning and helps thicken the chili. The petite diced tomatoes also go in with their juices.

Finish with these seasonings

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 packet Tampa Bay Spice Company Chili Seasoning

The seasoning packet carries the main chili spice blend, so there is no need to measure out separate chili powder, cumin, paprika, or other spices unless you want to adjust at the end.

Prepping the ingredients first makes the stovetop steps much easier.

Prepare the slow cooker

Before cooking, place a liner inside the 6-quart slow cooker if you are using one. Press it gently against the bottom and sides so it fits smoothly. This chili is thick and generous, so the liner makes cleanup much easier.

If you skip the liner, lightly coat the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray. It helps reduce sticking around the edges, especially during the last hour.

Keep the slow cooker turned off while you cook the bacon, vegetables, and meat on the stove. Adding hot ingredients to the slow cooker all at once helps the chili come up to temperature more efficiently.

Follow the steps

1. Cook the bacon until crisp

Place the chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Cook it until the pieces turn crisp and the fat has rendered.

Use a slotted spoon to move the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Dab off the excess grease and set the bacon aside.

Do not wipe out the skillet. The bacon grease is going to flavor the vegetables.

Why this matters

Cooking the bacon first gives you crisp bacon pieces and seasoned drippings. If you add raw bacon straight to the slow cooker, it will soften without developing the same smoky, browned flavor.

2. Sauté the vegetables in the bacon grease

Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, celery, onion, garlic, and jalapeños to the skillet with the reserved bacon grease.

Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender and fragrant. Stir often so the garlic does not burn.

Once softened, transfer the vegetables to the slow cooker.

This step builds a better base than adding raw vegetables directly to the pot. The onion mellows, the peppers soften, and the garlic becomes savory instead of sharp.

3. Brown the beef and sausage

Use the same skillet to cook the ground beef chuck and Italian sausage over medium-high heat. Break the meat apart as it cooks.

Cook until no pink remains. Drain off all the fat, then transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker.

Draining is key. There is already plenty of richness from the bacon, sausage, and chuck. Removing the excess fat keeps the chili hearty without turning greasy.

Browning the meat before slow cooking gives the chili a deeper flavor.

4. Add the beans, tomatoes, and tomato paste

Pour the chili beans into the slow cooker. Add them undrained and unrinsed.

Add the petite diced tomatoes with their juices. Spoon in the tomato paste.

Stir gently to combine the meat, vegetables, beans, tomatoes, and paste. The slow cooker will be quite full, so stir carefully to avoid splashing over the sides.

The tomato paste helps thicken the chili as it cooks. It also gives the tomatoes a richer, deeper flavor.

5. Stir in the seasoning and bacon

Add the Worcestershire sauce and the packet of Tampa Bay Spice Company Chili Seasoning.

Crumble or finely chop the crisp bacon into small pieces, then stir it into the slow cooker.

Give everything one more careful stir. Make sure the tomato paste and seasoning are distributed throughout the pot instead of sitting in one spot.

6. Cook the chili low and slow

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

The chili is ready when it is hot all the way through, thickened, and deeply fragrant. The vegetables should be soft, the meat should be tender, and the sauce should look rich rather than watery.

Avoid lifting the lid too often. Each peek releases heat and can slow down the cooking time. If you need to stir, do it once around the halfway point, then cover it again.

Adjust the chili before serving

Taste the chili near the end of cooking. Since the seasoning packet, bacon, sausage, and canned beans all contain salt, wait until this point before adding any extra.

If the chili tastes too thick, stir in a small splash of water or broth. Add just a little at a time.

If the chili tastes thinner than you like, remove the lid for the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking. This lets some moisture escape. Stir once or twice so the edges do not stick.

If you want more heat, add a pinch of cayenne, crushed red pepper, or a few dashes of hot sauce. If you want it milder, serve it with sour cream and cheese, which soften the spice.

Serve it with the best toppings

This chili is big and rich, so toppings make each bowl more fun. Set them out buffet-style and let everyone build their own.

Good toppings include:

• Fresh cilantro

• Sour cream

• Shredded cheddar cheese

• Sliced jalapeños

• Diced onion

• Hot sauce

• Fritos

  
  

And yes, do not forget the Fritos. They add salty crunch and turn a bowl of chili into a full comfort-food meal.

For sides, keep it simple. Cornbread, baked potatoes, hot dogs, or a green salad all work well. This chili is also excellent spooned over rice or tucked into a chili cheese nacho tray.

The right toppings add creaminess, crunch, and fresh flavor.

Store and reheat leftovers

This recipe makes a large batch, which is part of the appeal. Leftovers keep well and often taste even better the next day.

Let the chili cool slightly, then transfer it to airtight containers. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

For longer storage, freeze portions in freezer-safe containers or bags. Leave a little room at the top because chili expands as it freezes.

To reheat, warm the chili in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often. You can also microwave individual portions in a covered microwave-safe bowl, stirring halfway through. If the chili thickens too much in the fridge, add a splash of water or broth while reheating.

Make it work for your slow cooker

This recipe is written for a 6-quart slow cooker. It fills the cooker enough to make a large batch without leaving too little room for stirring.

If you have a smaller slow cooker, cut the recipe in half. A full slow cooker can bubble up as it cooks, and overfilling may lead to spills.

For a half batch, use:

• About 2 to 3 slices bacon

• 1 pound ground beef chuck

• 1/2 pound Italian sausage

• Half the vegetables

• Half the beans and tomatoes

• Half the tomato paste

• Half the seasoning packet, if you can divide it evenly

  
  

If dividing the seasoning packet feels tricky, use a little more than half and taste near the end. You can balance the flavor with a bit more tomato, beans, or sour cream when serving.

Know what success looks like

The finished chili should be thick enough to mound slightly on a spoon, but still saucy enough to scoop into a bowl. The bacon should melt into the background with smoky flavor. The sausage should add richness without overpowering the beef. The beans should stay tender, and the tomatoes should blend into a deep red sauce.

This is the kind of chili that works for game day, family gatherings, meal prep, and cold-weather weekends. Start it in the morning, let the slow cooker do the work, and serve it with plenty of cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and a loud handful of Fritos.