Crockpot Mexican Chili

One of my favorite soups is chicken posole. The broth is tasty but the real fun part is garnishing the soup with your favorite toppings. So, I stole that idea and applied it to this crockpot Mexican chili to bring the best of two worlds. This soup is incredibly easy to make (hello slow cooker!) and it delivers flavor and texture. This is the best way to end the day, especially on a cold night. Let's get cooking!

Recipe

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Crockpot Mexican Chili

Total Time8 hours hrs

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: vegetarian

Servings: 8

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup red onion diced
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 tablespoon jalapeno minced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 4 cups butternut squash peeled, seeded
• 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 14-ounce canned pinto beans
• 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• salt and pepper
• Toppings: tortilla strips, avocado, shredded Mexican cheese, cilantro, scallions

Instructions

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped red onion, green and red bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic. Saute until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables into a crockpot along with the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and slow cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 hours. Adjust seasoning as needed.
• Portion soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, sliced avocado, shredded cheddar, chopped cilantro, and scallions.

Notes

If you don't have a crockpot, you can prepare this soup on the stovetop. Saute the vegetables and add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes or until the butternut squash is tender. Adjust seasoning as needed and serve with toppings.

Watch how to make this:

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

What's great about this crockpot Mexican chili is that it's versatile. The original recipe is vegetarian but you can add ground beef, turkey, or even soy chorizo and it'll all work. I really wanted the soup to reflect the weather so butternut squash is a big player but if it's not in season, swap it with sweet potatoes or even just potatoes.

I used my instant pot for this recipe but if you have an actual crockpot, you will need to saute the vegetables on the stovetop before adding it to the crockpot. If you're using an instant pot, choose the "saute" setting and saute the vegetables right in the pot.

If you are adding meat, saute the meat before the vegetables. Once the red onion, green and red bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic have softened, add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine, and turn on the crockpot to cook on low for 8 hours or on high for about 6 hours or until the squash is tender.

It's literally just as easy as that. Once the soup is ready, taste for final seasoning adjustments. Prepare the toppings including tortilla strips, avocado, shredded Mexican cheese, cilantro, and scallions.

If you're feeling extra wild today, add a few more options like sliced radish, fresh chopped tomatoes, sour cream, or even chopped onion tossed in lime juice.

I made a huge batch of this crockpot Mexican chili and enjoyed it every night for a week. Did I get sick of it? Absolutely not. It was delicious every time, even better the next day!

For more soup inspiration check out this Spanish beef stew!