We Finally Cracked The Code On How To Thicken Slow Cooker Chili And It Only Takes One Extra Step

There's nothing like sitting down to a steaming bowl of savory, homemade chili after a long, taxing day. Especially if you prepare spicy slow cooker beef chili in the morning, dinnertime should be a relaxing, enjoyable affair. Though if, when the time comes, you take your first bite of this one-pot meal and realize it's too runny for your liking, there's one ingredient you can add to thicken its consistency in minutes: tortilla chips.

Most tortilla chips are made from corn masa flour, vegetable oil, and salt. That being said, their starchy, porous makeup is what makes these snacks the perfect thickener for chili. When added to slow cooker chili, tortilla chips become soft and soak up excess moisture. Not to mention, tortilla chips are salty and flavorful which make them a tasty last minute addition to your dinner. More importantly, they can also thicken your next batch of slow cooker chili in more ways than one.

To thicken this meal from the start, brown your beef and onions and then, as you add all the necessary ingredients to your slow cooker, add in a few handfuls of whole tortilla chips. The chips will naturally break down during cooking and give your chili a smooth, thick consistency. Alternatively, if you want your chili to have more texture, feel free to stir in crushed tortilla chips 10 to 15 minutes before mealtime. The crumbs will thicken your chili in a flash yet retain some of their gritty texture.

For starters, there are many reasons tortilla chips surpass the slurry mixture that instantly thickens runny chili. Unlike cornstarch and water, tortilla chips are tasty stand-alone snacks. However, with this in mind, it's important to consider the type of chips you use to thicken your go-to chili recipe. For example, if you know you'll be upgrading your chili with salted tortilla chips, you may want to tone down the amount of salt you use to season your beef and crushed tomatoes.

Fortunately, crushed tortilla chips are easy to find at most supermarkets and come in many varieties, including unsalted. Although, once you adjust the seasonings of your recipe and feel comfortable adding plain tortilla chips to your slow cooker chili, you may want to try using flavored tortilla chips for an unexpected twist. For example, try lime-flavored chips for an extra tangy bite or Tostitos Salsa Verde chips seasoned with paprika and garlic powder.

Seasonings aside, tortilla chips are versatile to use and work quickly as a thickener. If you don't want to add chips directly to your slow cooker, add a large bowl of whole or crushed chips to the table at mealtime for everyone to use at their own discretion. While cornbread can thicken watery chili in seconds, tortilla chips add bold flavor and can be incorporated into slow cooker chili in several ways to better suit everyone's tastebuds.