Pouring canned beans into a colander used to feel like an automatic step. Chili changed that. Now the kidney beans go into my Crock-Pot with the liquid from the can.
That liquid isn’t something I forgot to drain. I want it in the pot. The liquid contains starch from the beans, and it gives the chili another source of thickening while everything cooks for hours.
The Bean Liquid Goes Straight Into the Crock-Pot
Kidney beans work well here because both the beans and their liquid become part of the chili.
Once the ground beef is ready, I transfer it to the Crock-Pot and add the undrained kidney beans, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. There’s no rinse or drain between opening the beans and adding them to the pot.
Instead of replacing the canned liquid with water or broth, I let what’s already in the can become part of the base.
I Brown the Beef Before Adding It
Ground beef doesn’t go into the slow cooker raw.
I use 90% lean beef and brown it in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart as it cooks. Once no pink remains, the seasoning goes in.
Rosemary, thyme, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic, salt, nutmeg, and cloves season the beef before it reaches the Crock-Pot. Cloves can be left out if their flavor is too strong.
Higher-fat beef needs one extra step: drain the rendered fat before seasoning the meat and transferring it to the slow cooker.
Then the Crock-Pot Gets Time to Work
Once the beef, beans, tomatoes, and sauce are together, the chili doesn’t need much attention.
Cook it on low for six to eight hours or high for four to five hours. That time gives the seasonings a chance to move through the beans, beef, and tomato base.
Onion and green bell pepper can also cook with the ground beef before everything moves to the Crock-Pot.
If It’s Still Thin, I Reach for Cornmeal
Keeping the bean liquid doesn’t guarantee every batch will finish at the same thickness.
If the chili still has more liquid than I want, I add cornmeal one tablespoon at a time. Masa harina can do the same job.
That gives me two stages of control. The bean liquid stays because its starch can contribute to the body of the chili. Cornmeal comes in only if the finished pot needs more help.
Draining the Beans Isn’t Always the Default
I still drain canned beans for recipes where I don’t want the packing liquid. Chili gives me a reason not to do it out of habit.
Here, that liquid has somewhere useful to go. It joins the tomatoes and sauce, cooks with the beef for hours, and brings starch along with it.
One less trip to the colander also happens to give the chili something I wanted in the first place: a thicker pot without adding another liquid.
Do you drain canned beans before making chili, or pour the liquid into the pot too?
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