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Simple Slow Cooker Pork Chili

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This pork chili recipe is one of my all-time favorites. It’s so easy to prep, and you end up with leftovers for days. Who doesn’t love more food for less work? >Jump to recipe<


It’s also super-versatile. You can have it as a main, with no sides. You can serve it over rice or cauliflower rice. You can dish it up inside a few corn tortillas, or as nachos, all topped with fresh chopped greens, slaw, salsa, or cheese. Whatever makes you happy!

Over the last few years I’ve done some tweaking to the recipe, and figured out how to further simplify it for a quick-and-easy weekday morning prep. I mean, let’s face it: I can’t be the only one who forgets to prepare it the night before, and ends up scrambling to get everything in the slow cooker before it’s too late to have it for dinner, right?! #noshame


Some of those tweaks include using ground pork instead of a pork roast, using pre-sliced, frozen bell peppers instead of fresh (optional: add 1 to 2 cups of frozen, chopped spinach if you want even more veggie goodness!), changing up the liquid ratio of the dish to make it a little thicker and more versatile as leftovers, and incorporating a pre-mixed taco seasoning so I don’t have to measure out a ton of spices when I’m in a rush.


There are so many great options out there for clean ingredient taco seasonings, too! Lately I’ve been digging one from Trader Joe’s; sometimes I like to use the Taco & Fajita Blend from Balanced Bites Spices; and other times, it’s one I mix up myself, like this recipe from The Real Food Dietitians.


If I have some extra time, I’ll actualize caramelize the onions a bit while I’m prepping the other ingredients. If I start the onions first thing (on the lowest heat setting of our gas stove), I can cover them, add an ingredient to the slow cooker, stir the onions, add another ingredient, stir the onions. You get the idea! When I’ve got my last ingredient added to the slow cooker, I toss in the onions after that, and give everything a stir to combine. And for those of us that ain’t got time for that? Just throw those sliced onions in raw. NBD.


Ultimately, whatever we can do to make it quick and easy to get great food on the table – that’s the goal.


And, you know what? I’m good with that, especially when said-great food can put dinner, or lunch, or multiple lunches, on the table for several days in one slow-cooked swoop.

And to think – I used to be weird about leftovers. Oh, how far I’ve come!

 

Simple Slow Cooker Pork Chili

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground pork

  • 2 cups sliced, frozen bell peppers (approx. half of a 16 oz. bag)

  • 1-14 ounce can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes

  • 1-14 ounce can diced, no salt added tomatoes

  • 1 medium onion, sliced (raw or pre-cooked)

  • 1.5 tbsps taco seasoning

  • A few shakes each of sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, & onion powder

Method

  1. Add ground pork to the bottom of the slow cooker and break apart with a spatula.

  2. Sprinkle the pork with a few quick shakes of salt, pepper, garlic powder, & onion powder.

  3. Sprinkle about half of the taco seasoning over the meat.

  4. Top the meat with the bell pepper slices, two cans of tomatoes, and sliced onion.

  5. Sprinkle the remaining taco seasoning over the vegetables.

  6. Use the spatula to gently stir and combine the meat, veggies, and seasonings.

  7. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.

To Serve

  • Ladle into bowls.

  • Garnish with chopped cilantro, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and a squeeze of lime.

 

Originally published: October 4, 2015; first update: March 31, 2018


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