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Slow Cooker Bison Chili

With plenty of health benefits, ground bison is a delicious and nutritious replacement for ground beef. Perfect in this slow cooker chili that’s also easy to make!chili in a metal bowl topped with tortilla strips

Using bison in your chili adds unique flavor. It’s not gamey, but it does have a slightly sweeter taste than beef. The texture is a bit more coarse than beef which makes this chili more interesting to your taste buds.
Bison has health benefits that are lacking in other red meats. It’s leaner, has more protein, and less fat. It’s also packed with nutrients including iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamin B12.
Letting bison chili simmer all day in the slow cooker causes the flavors to meld. That’s a good thing! Throw it in the pot when you’re getting ready for the day and it will be ready by dinnertime.
You can make this chili even healthier by adding more veggies. The sky’s the limit!
bison chili ingredients being prepped

Ingredients You’ll Need:

ground bison

jalapeno pepper

poblano pepper

yellow onion

garlic cloves

fire roasted tomatoes

tomato sauce

beef broth

chili powder

ancho chili powder

cumin

oregano

salt

cilantro

bison chili in a slow cooker

How To Make Slow Cooker Bison Chili:

  1. Crumble and brown bison in a skillet (add a little olive oil if needed.. bison can be very lean)
  2. Add the cooked bison and all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker
  3. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours

bison chili in a bowl

Pro Tips…

Do you like your chili spicy? Leave a few seeds in the peppers… that’ll do the trick.
Meal prep prior to cook day. Brown the bison ahead of time then cool and refrigerate.
Leftover chili freezes well. Use individual containers or Souper cubes and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can use plain tomatoes if you prefer them. However, fire roasted tomatoes will give your chili a smoky flavor. They’re also healthier because they contain nutrients lost in the cooking process.
If you don’t care for the larger tomato chunks, go for crushed tomatoes instead.
Make it your own! Garnish your chili with crushed chips, sour cream, cheese, and/or avocado.
Slow Cooker Bison and Poblano Chili

Slow Cooker Bison Chili

Jennifer Draper
Slow Cooker Bison Chili is delicious and packed full of peppers and delicious spices!
5 from 2 votes
Save
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 324 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground bison
  • 1 Anaheim pepper diced (ribs and seeds removed)
  • 1 poblano pepper diced (ribs and seeds removed)
  • 1/2 yellow onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried cilantro

Instructions
 

  • Crumble and brown bison in skillet (add a little olive oil if needed, bison can be very lean)
  • Add the cooked bison and all the remaining ingredients to the crock
  • Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8

Notes

  • Leave a few seeds in from the peppers for a spicy chili.
  • Prep ahead: brown bison ahead of time, cool and refrigerate.
  • Stores in freezer for up to 3 months.
  • Use plain or fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • If you don’t care for the larger tomato chunks, go for crushed tomatoes instead
  • Garnishe with crushed chips, sour cream, cheese or avocado

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 25gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 1064mgPotassium: 951mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1380IUVitamin C: 40.8mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 6.2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @slowcookergourmet or tag #slowcookergourmet!
Important nutritional disclaimer

14 Comments

  1. A staple recipe in our home! It’s raining here in San Diego, so making it now! Doing in the instant pot! Just making sure it’s 12 minutes on high pressure? And natural release? I also add kidney and cannellini beans!! Our whole family loves this!!!!

  2. Just returned from Yellowstone so this sounded marvelous! I made some and WOW is it ever good!!! Thank you! I added grilled Bison ribeye and it really added good flavor and texture.

  3. Is this pretty spicy? 🌶 my husband is not too big of a fan of spicy. But if it’s like a mild heat. We will be ok? Just curious with the fresh peppers and different kinds. He hates jalapeños. But this looks amazing

  4. The fresh chiles intrigued me and we happened to have some ground Bison in the freezer. Oh my gosh. Definitely a winner. Berry yummy meal.

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