Smoked Honey Slow Cooker Chili

This Smoked Honey Slow Cooker Chili recipe is the perfect combination of spicy, and smokey sweet. My favorite times to make this is, fall weekends at the cottage and early spring weekends at home when spending a lot of time outside in brisk temperatures while getting the garden ready or planting fall bulbs. It’s exactly what you want in your bowl after spending an afternoon outside, plus you will LOVE how your home smells while the chili is simmering away in the slow cooker. 

If you can’t find smoked honey, don’t worry, it still tastes amazing with raw local wildflower honey. The one thing I will say though, is that it can be tempting to skip the browning phase, and the chili will still taste good, but by skipping it you’ll be missing out on the caramelized, savory flavor that gives this chili its depth. 

Tips For Making The Best Smoked Honey Slow Cooker Chili:

Choose your meat wisely:

For the best flavor and texture, opt for a combination of ground beef and ground pork. The beef adds richness, while the pork adds a touch of sweetness.

Brown the meat:

As mentioned earlier, don’t skip the browning phase. Browning the meat in a skillet before adding it to the slow cooker helps to caramelize the meat and gives the chili a deeper, more complex flavor.

Don’t overdo the spices:

It can be tempting to go overboard with the spices when making chili, but a little goes a long way. Start with a small amount and taste as you go. Remember that the chili will continue to cook and the flavors will develop over time.

Use quality ingredients:

Use the best quality ingredients you can find, especially when it comes to the chili powder and smoked paprika. Freshly ground spices will make a big difference in the final dish.

Let it cook low and slow:

The beauty of using a slow cooker is that it allows the flavors to meld together over a longer period of time. Cook the chili on low for at least 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.

By following these tips, you’ll be able to create a rich, flavorful Smoked Honey Slow Cooker Chili that’s perfect for any occasion. Enjoy!

Want to try making it with micro-batch wildflower honey? I’ve got just the Ontario honey for you, made by my bees, in beautiful Loretto, ON!

Save 10% off of your Flights of Fancy honey for this recipe with discount code: HONEY10

Ordering outside of Canada? Visit my Etsy Shop

Smoked Honey Slow Cooker Chili

Does anything else warm you from the inside out quite like a hot bowl of chili on a cold day? This is the perfect meal for a crisp fall afternoon or a great winter weather pick-me-up. If you can't find smoked honey, raw wildflower honey tastes amazing as well.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 295 kcal

Equipment

• slow cooker
• cast iron skillet or a frying pan

Ingredients

  

• 2 lbs. Stewing beef cut to bite-sized pieces
• 3 tbsp Flour
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup Onion chopped
• 3/4 cup Green bell pepper chopped
• 1 cloves Garlic
• 2 tbsp Chili powder
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
• 28 oz Can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 15.5 oz Can red kidney beans, undrained
• 8 oz Can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup Smoked honey regular raw honey will still taste amazing if you can't get smoked
• 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar

Instructions

 

• Combine flour, garlic powder and salt & pepper to taste. Toss beef in flour mixture.
• Brown the beef and onions in olive oil, in small batches. Scrape up any brown bits and add to the slow cooker.
• Next, add the green pepper to the pan, and cook until vegetables are tender and begin to brown, then scrape the pan and add to the slow cooker.
• Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano, and crushed red pepper.
• Stir in diced tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce, honey, and vinegar.
• Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 8-9 hours until beef is tender.

Keyword chili, honey

If you love this recipe, you will enjoy the rest of our Soup, Stew & Chili recipes:

Curried Carrot & Smoked Honey Soup

The perfect fall harvest soup, it's thick, creamy, and has a great balance of sweet and savory. You can get creative with the vegetable combinations, using local in-season produce from farmers' markets or farm stands. The best part is that once everything is added to the slow cooker, it does all the work while you can enjoy your fall day, and when you're done there will be a warm bowl of delicious soup waiting for you. It also reheats very well!

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