Herbie Creative Recipes

Slow Cooker Christian's Chili

Name: Slow Cooker Christian's Chili: Slow Cooker Cocoa Lime Chili
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 25 min
Yield: About 8-10 servings
Ingredients: 1 onion, sautéed; 1 cup finely diced carrots, sautéed (optional: peppers, celery, or other vegetables; roasted bell peppers from the air fryer can go in later); 1½ lbs ground beef or meat of choice; ¼ cup water or orange juice; Pinch garlic powder; 1 Tbsp ground cumin; 1 tsp paprika; Tiny pinch of cinnamon (less than you think; it can overpower); Pinch ground cardamom; Pinch ground coriander; 1 tsp thyme (preferably fresh); 1 tsp oregano (Mexican dried oregano or fresh oregano preferred); 2 to 3 tsp salt; Pinch chili powder; Pinch black pepper; Pinch celery salt; Sprinkle of nutmeg; 1 (14.5 oz) can vegetable broth; Juice of 2 whole limes; 8 oz diced roasted green chiles (canned, or fresh seeded and roasted); optional extra fresh diced peppers; 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced or petite diced tomatoes (Mexican style with green chiles or cilantro, if desired); 1 (14.5 oz) can pinto beans, undrained; 1 (14.5 oz) can kidney beans, undrained; 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, undrained; 8 to 16 oz white sweet corn (as much as you like; fresh, frozen, or canned drained); 2 Tbsp brown sugar, honey, agave, or a combination; 2 Tbsp cocoa powder; ¼ cup crema Mexicana or heavy cream (or ¼ cup sour cream for a tangier chili); Tiny pinch of cinnamon (again, less than you think); 1 tsp oregano (Mexican dried or fresh)

Slow Cooker Cocoa Lime Chili

Christian's cocoa and lime chili for the slow cooker: browned spiced beef with three beans, sweet corn, roasted green chiles, and a creamy finish.

Cooking method

Stovetop Slow cooker

Same dish, two methods

Mains Soups Slow Cooker American Mexican Tex-Mex Latin Clara's favorite About 8-10 servings Prep 25 min Cook 4 hrs Total 4 hrs 25 min

5.0 (1 review)

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Ingredients

Meat preparation

1 onion, sautéed
1 cup finely diced carrots, sautéed (optional: peppers, celery, or other vegetables; roasted bell peppers from the air fryer can go in later)
1½ lbs ground beef or meat of choice
¼ cup water or orange juice
Pinch garlic powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
Tiny pinch of cinnamon (less than you think; it can overpower)
Pinch ground cardamom
Pinch ground coriander
1 tsp thyme (preferably fresh)
1 tsp oregano (Mexican dried oregano or fresh oregano preferred)
2 to 3 tsp salt
Pinch chili powder
Pinch black pepper
Pinch celery salt
Sprinkle of nutmeg

Chili pot

1 (14.5 oz) can vegetable broth
Juice of 2 whole limes
8 oz diced roasted green chiles (canned, or fresh seeded and roasted); optional extra fresh diced peppers
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced or petite diced tomatoes (Mexican style with green chiles or cilantro, if desired)
1 (14.5 oz) can pinto beans, undrained
1 (14.5 oz) can kidney beans, undrained
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, undrained
8 to 16 oz white sweet corn (as much as you like; fresh, frozen, or canned drained)
2 Tbsp brown sugar, honey, agave, or a combination
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
¼ cup crema Mexicana or heavy cream (or ¼ cup sour cream for a tangier chili)
Tiny pinch of cinnamon (again, less than you think)
1 tsp oregano (Mexican dried or fresh)
1 tsp ground cumin
Pinch ground cardamom
Pinch ground coriander
1 tsp fresh thyme (or more if desired, optional)
½ cup or more chopped cilantro, optional

Instructions

Cook the meat on the stove with the meat-preparation ingredients: sauté the onion and finely diced carrots (plus any other vegetables you want), then brown the ground beef with the water or orange juice and all meat spices until cooked through and fragrant.
Transfer the cooked meat mixture to a slow cooker (crock pot).

Prep
Add the chili-pot ingredients to the slow cooker: vegetable broth, lime juice, roasted green chiles, tomatoes, all three undrained beans, corn, brown sugar/honey/agave, cocoa powder, the second tiny pinch of cinnamon, oregano, cumin, cardamom, coriander, optional thyme, and optional cilantro. Hold the crema (or sour cream/heavy cream) for near the end so it stays smooth.
Optional: lightly caramelize the corn on the stove with a little honey or a pinch of brown sugar before adding it to the slow cooker.

Cooking
Slow cook on low for a few hours until the flavors meld and it is ready to eat (about 4 to 6 hours on low is typical).
Near the end of cooking (or off heat just before serving), stir in the crema Mexicana, heavy cream, or sour cream. Taste and adjust salt, lime, or a tiny pinch more cinnamon if needed.
Serve with fresh cilantro, sour cream, salsa, and tortilla chips as desired.

Notes

Credit: Christian. Cocoa Lime Chili is the descriptive name; Christian's Chili is the house nickname. This is the usual house method.
Browning the meat and aromatics on the stove first builds flavor before the long slow cook.
Fresh, frozen, or drained canned white sweet corn all work. Do not thaw frozen corn first if you are caramelizing it.
Crema (or sour cream/heavy cream) is best stirred in near the end so it does not separate. Extra lime juice or a little lime zest at the table brightens bowls without cooking the citrus to bitterness.
Optional garden herbs (not required): a small rosemary sprig early then remove, dried oregano at the start, fresh herbs late. Keep cinnamon tiny throughout.

Reviews

5.0

1 review

5 stars 1
4 stars 0
3 stars 0
2 stars 0
1 star 0

Anonymous 2026-08-12

Same cocoa-lime soul, slow cooker pace. House smelled amazing all afternoon.