This slow cooker bison chili is just so comforting. Best of all it can easily be made in your slow cooker!
This slow cooker bison chili recipe is something I always make when my husband requests “something different.” Does anyone else ever get that request from their family?
I find that using bison in my meals is a great way to mix things up. Plus, I love that bison is sustainable and very lean. Looking for more bison recipes? This bison stroganoff and bison bolgonese are two of my other favorites!
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💭 Why cook with bison?
I love making chili with ground bison. One reason why I love this recipe is because bison is considered to be a great healthy choice for lean meat since most bison are free range and grass fed. Although sometimes bison can taste kind of gamey, the flavors go really well together in the chili.
🫘 Ingredients needed
To make this crockpot bison chili, you will need:
- Olive oil: Or other neutral oil.
- Ground bison meat
- White onion
- Red bell pepper
- Canned kidney beans
- Canned white beans: I used Great Northern beans but any other white bean variety also works.
- Canned tomato sauce
- White sugar
- Garlic powder
- Cumin
- Onion powder
- Chili powder
- Water
- Apple cider vinegar: This will mellow out the chili.
- Salt and pepper
Chili is one of the best things you can make with ground bison meat. Now, I actually prefer to make chili with ground bison instead of ground beef. If I ever catch ground bison on sale, I always buy a few packs for my freezer.
🥣 How to make this recipe (step by step guide)
Begin by finely dicing your bell pepper and onion (image 1).
Next, brown the ground bison in a large frying pan (image 2). Drain any fat from the meat and then add the meat to your crockpot.
Drain the water from the cans of beans and rinse. Add the beans to your crockpot with the remaining ingredients (image 3).
Stir well (image 4).
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
⏲️ How long should I cook this recipe for?
This recipe should cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. If you need to leave it cooking past 8 hours, you can. Chili recipes do great in the crockpot on low for long periods of time, just add a little bit more liquid if you need to cook it longer than 8 hours.
🥄 What should I serve with this chili?
Sometimes when I make this slow cooker bison chili, I serve it with oyster crackers, shredded cheddar, and sour cream but corn bread, saltines, or a bread bowl would also make a great side. It is a great filling meal.
❔Recipe FAQs
Bison tastes a little like ground beef but more earthy. It is lighter than ground beef.
Ground beef, ground sirloin, or ground bison are all great in chili.
Bison is great in chili, soups, or as burgers.
Yes, I recommend that you brown the bison beforehand. Even though bison is very lean, it will have a weird texture if you don’t brown it prior to putting it in the crockpot.
Other bison recipes:
If you tried this Slow Cooker Bison Chili or any other recipe on my site, please leave a ⭐ rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I would love to hear from you!
Slow Cooker Bison Chili
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground bison meat
- 1 small white onion finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 can kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can white beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
- ½ teaspoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ cup water or more depending on what size slow cooker you are using
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional Garnishes
- sour cream
- chopped green onions
- shredded cheddar cheese
- oyster crackers or saltines
Instructions
- Begin by browning the ground bison in a large frying pan.
- Drain any fat from the meat and then add the meat to your crockpot.
- Drain the water from the cans of beans and rinse. Add the beans to your crockpot too.
- Add the remaining ingredients and then stir well.
- Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
Karen
Wow! This recipe was great. Really great balance of flavors and the entire family loved it. I served it with corn bread and a simple green salad. Will make again!