Ground elk and ground beef go into a 6-quart slow cooker with diced tomatoes, pinto beans, tomato paste, carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, and a generous measure of chili powder and cumin. Everything cooks on low for 8 to 9 hours. The recipe serves 6 to 8 with prep taking about 35 minutes.

The onion, celery, and garlic go into a hot pan before the elk or beef does. Sautéing the aromatics first draws out their sweetness and removes the raw bite that would otherwise survive 8 hours of low heat. Skipping this step is what produces a flat chili that tastes only of canned tomatoes.

The elk and beef brown separately in the same pan after the aromatics transfer to the cooker. Ground elk is extremely lean and releases almost no fat when it cooks. Browning it in the same pan as the sautéed aromatics layers in one more round of developed flavor before the long cook begins.

Slow Cooker Elk Chili

Recipe by Shili MohamedCourse: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

35

minutes

Cooking time

8

hours 

30

minutes

Calories

365

kcal

Slow Cooker Elk Chili with ground elk and beef, diced tomatoes, pinto beans, carrots, bell pepper, and zucchini. Cook on low 8 to 9 hours. Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• Aromatics

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 large onion, diced

• 3 large celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch slices

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• Meat

• 1 pound ground elk (or ground bison, venison, yak, or ostrich)

• 1 pound ground beef

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Slow Cooker

• ¼ cup medium chili powder (use a chili powder that contains salt)

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (optional — omit for less spice)

• 2 cans petite diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

• 1 can pinto beans, drained

• 6 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced into ¼-inch pieces

• 1 large green or red bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced into ½-inch pieces

• 1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into ½-inch pieces
• To Serve (optional)

• Sour cream, shredded cheese, diced avocado, diced green onion, sliced jalapeño, sliced black olives, diced fresh tomato

Directions

• Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, the onion, and the celery. Sauté for about 8 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, stir, and cook 1 more minute until fragrant. Transfer to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.v
• Return the pan to medium heat and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the ground elk and ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and break into crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 8 minutes until mostly cooked through. Transfer to the slow cooker.
• Add the diced tomatoes, pinto beans, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, chipotle chili powder (if using), carrots, bell pepper, and zucchini. Stir well to combine.
• Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.
• Serve with your choice of toppings.

FAQs

Does the chili need to be stirred during the 8 to 9 hours of cooking?

The chili does not need to be stirred during the long cook unless the cooker runs particularly hot on the low setting. Lifting the lid repeatedly releases heat and steam, which extends the cooking time and can prevent the carrots and zucchini from softening on schedule. Leave the lid on and let the temperature hold steady throughout.

Can the vegetables be simplified if zucchini or carrots are not on hand?

The zucchini can be left out without affecting the chili’s structure. Carrots add both texture and a subtle sweetness that softens the heat from the chili powder, so omitting them shifts the spice balance slightly. Both can be replaced with diced sweet potato or an extra bell pepper at the same rough quantity.

How does this chili store and reheat after the initial cook?

Elk chili keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and improves after a night in the fridge as the spices develop further. Reheat on the stove over low heat with a splash of beef broth to loosen what the beans have thickened overnight. For longer storage, freeze in portions for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

What other slow cooker wild game recipe uses the same long-cook method?

Venison and elk are closely related in flavor and fat content, and both respond well to the same long, low heat. A venison slow cooker stew on this site builds a thick bowl with venison, potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic over 8 to 9 hours. The two recipes cover the wild game slow cooker format in a chili style and a classic stew style.

What slow cooker beef stew uses a richer, darker broth than this chili?

A stout-based beef stew produces a dark, malt-edged broth that sits at the opposite end of the flavor spectrum from a tomato-forward chili. A slow cooker Irish stout stew on this site builds that broth with beef and root vegetables over several hours on low. Together they give the same slow cooker schedule two completely different flavor outcomes.