Vegan Chili (Slow Cooker)
This slow cooker vegan chili is packed with plant-based protein and is perfect for game day, parties, or just a cozy meal! The slow cooker makes this chili easy to make and allows the flavors to meld all day!
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Why make this recipe
Your friends and family won’t believe that this traditional tasting, hearty chili is both vegan and gluten-free! If you want a perfect, cozy meal that is sure to be a crowd pleaser, this is the recipe you have been looking for.
You can make this chili on the stovetop by simmering it for 1-2 hours, but it’s nice to be able to throw everything in the crockpot in the morning and not think about it until dinner time.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Vegan Beef Crumbles – You can use a bag of frozen vegan beef crumbles, a 12-oz package of Impossible meat, or use 4 vegan burgers and break them up in the pan while cooking. You can also use my vegan ground beef recipe, which is made from TVP.
- Olive Oil – for sauteing the onions and peppers. You can substitute this with any oil you prefer or use vegetable broth for an oil-free option.
- Onions and Garlic – for flavor. Use yellow onions, white onions, or red onions.
- Bell peppers – Any color of bell pepper tastes delicious. Green, yellow, red, or orange!
- Jalapeno peppers – The jalapenos add a lot of flavor to the chili, and the spice mellows out significantly after simmering the soup. However, you can adjust the amount for a mild chili or a spicier one. If you don’t have fresh jalapenos, you can use canned jalapenos instead.
- Tomato juice – You will need a large can of tomato juice. You can also use V8 juice as an alternative.
- Tomato Sauce – you will need a jar of pasta sauce (like the kind you would use for spaghetti). This adds a lot of flavor to the chili as well.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes – you can also use 1 1/2 cups of fresh diced tomatoes if you don’t have canned.
- Beans – I like the taste of kidney beans and pinto beans, but you can also use white beans, black beans, and even chickpeas.
- Corn – Frozen or canned corn works well. For more flavor, you can use roasted corn.
- Spices – Chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. I also love to add some Chipotle chili powder for some smokiness.
- Favorite toppings – Garnish with shredded vegan cheddar cheese, dairy-free sour cream, pickled onions, cilantro, lime wedges, chopped red onion, cilantro garlic sauce, or crushed corn chips.
Helpful tools
- A large frying pan – for cooking the onions, peppers, and faux meat before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Slow Cooker, also known as a Crock-Pot or Instant Pot, in slow cooker mode.
How to make vegan chili in the slow cooker
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 – In a large skillet, add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, garlic, parsley, and jalapeño peppers. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes).
Step 2 – Add the faux ground beef, break it up with a wooden spoon, and cook for an additional 5 minutes until it has cooked through.
Step 3 – Sprinkle the veggies and vegan meat with the spices (chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper). Stir until combined.
Step 4 – Transfer the vegan beef to a slow cooker. Then add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, and corn, and stir until well combined.
Step 5 – Cover the slow cooker with a lid and set it to high for 4 hours or to low for 7-8 hours.
Step 6 – Serve with vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, chopped jalapenos, and fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley. It’s also delicious served with my vegan cheese sauce, garlic cilantro sauce, and/or Mexican pickled red onions.
For a complete meal, make some vegan cornbread, vegan jalapeno cornbread, focaccia bread, or some vegan drop biscuits to serve with the plant-based chili.
Pro Tips
- For a soupier chili, add 1/2 cup of water to it along with the tomato juice.
- For a thicker chili, take the lid off the slow cooker for the last 1/2 hour of cooking.
- You can leave the sugar out of the recipe if you wish, but it helps mellow the acidity of the tomatoes and adds a lot of flavor.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate: Leftover vegan chili will keep well in the refrigerator for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
Freeze: The chili also freezes well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat a bowl of chili in the microwave for about 3 minutes or add a few tablespoons of water and reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop.
More southwest-style meals
Slow cooker vegan chili recipe
Slow Cooker Vegan Chili
Ingredients
- 1 (12 oz) package vegan beef crumbles, or 4 vegan burgers crumbled up
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/4 cup parsley , finely chopped
- 2 medium jalapeño peppers , finely chopped (optional)
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons vegan sugar
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (46 oz) can tomato juice
- 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 (15.5 oz) cans kidney beans , drained and rinsed
- 2 (15.5 oz) cans pinto beans , drained and rinsed
- 2 cups corn
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, garlic, parsley, and jalapeño peppers and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes).
- Add the faux ground beef, break it up with a wooden spoon, and cook for an additional 5 minutes until it has cooked through.
- Sprinkle the veggies and vegan meat with the spices (chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper). Stir until combined.
- Transfer the vegan beef to a slow cooker. Then add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, and corn, and stir until well combined.
- Cover with a lid and set the slow cooker to high for 4 hours or to low for 8 hours.
- Serve with vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, chopped jalapenos, and fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley. It's also delicious served with my vegan cheese sauce, garlic cilantro sauce, and/or Mexican pickled red onions.
Notes
- For a soupier chili, add 1/2 cup of water to it along with the tomato juice.
- For a thicker chili, take the lid off the slow cooker for the last 1/2 hour of cooking.
- You can leave the sugar out of the recipe if you wish, but it helps mellow the acidity of the tomatoes and adds a lot of flavor.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
This was the best vegan chili that I have ever made! Thank you for the recipe.
I’m so happy that you like the recipe, Mike!