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Slow Cooker V8 Chili has plenty of vegetables in it because of the V8 juice in the sauce! This recipe makes a big batch of chili, enough to freeze or share.
If you love making big batches of bean recipes, also try my 15 bean chili and my crockpot red beans and rice recipes.
Table of Contents
Featured Comment
I am a horrible cook and this is the easiest and most delicious recipe for chili ever!! I Would give 100 stars if I could.
- CJ
Why this Recipe is a Keeper
- The recipe was given to my husband by his best friend's mom, Janet. She gave him a handwritten recipe card, and we had it taped on the inside of a cabinet for years at our old house (we make it that often!) Her recipe is made on the stovetop, but I adapted mine for the slow cooker.
- It makes a filling dinner, and we love having the leftovers for lunch throughout the week.
- Feeds a large crowd (think game-day!), and the leftovers freeze well.
What is V8 juice?
V8 juice has eight different vegetables. I mostly taste tomato, but it also has carrots, beets, celery, parsley, spinach, watercress, and lettuce. I love using V8 juice in chili because it adds great tomato flavor along with a variety of vegetables. You can make other recipes with V8 juice such as bloody mary's, goulash, or even spicy braised pork.
The Ingredients
Ground beef - Brown the meat before adding it to your slow cooker.
Stewed tomatoes - These aren’t as common in chili recipes nowadays (most people use diced tomatoes), but we love the texture and flavor they add. Give them a rough chop before adding them to the slow cooker.
V8 Juice Original - The base and star of the recipe.
Kidney beans - Use canned kidney beans for this recipe. Don't use dried kidney beans directly in the slow cooker because they need to be properly boiled first.
Onion and Seasonings: Diced white onion, garlic powder, pepper, and chili seasoning packets add plenty of flavor.
How to Make V8 Chili
- Brown and drain the ground beef.
- Add the beef, V8 juice, tomatoes, beans, onion, and seasonings to the slow cooker.
- Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
Can I use ground turkey?
Yes! Ground turkey is so good in chili. I love how much flavor turkey gives the broth of soups and chili. Brown the ground turkey the same way as the beef in this recipe for great results.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes! Try one or more of these options to make this V8 chili vegetarian.
- Use soy crumbles instead of beef.
- Add more beans such as pinto or chickpeas.
- Add extra vegetables such as bell peppers, celery, corn, or sweet potatoes.
What to serve with this
This is one of the very few chili recipes that I can eat without toppings but I know it's fun to have an array of choices. Here is what I set my table up with alongside the crockpot of V8 Chili.
- Saltine crackers, mini saltinies, or oyster crackers
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Diced sweet onion
- Sour cream
- Cornbread (I love Krusteaz Honey Cornbread or Southern Style)
More Crockpot Chili Recipes
Creamy and mild, white chicken chili pairs perfectly with the bold, slightly sweet flavor of crockpot pumpkin chili in your fall rotation.
For a meaty, satisfying option, venison chili and crockpot hot dog chili both deliver big flavor—great in a bowl or over fries and buns.
With its familiar taste, Wendy’s copycat chili is a cozy favorite, while Crockpot Cincinnati chili brings a spiced twist served over spaghetti.
If you tried this V8 Chili Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Happy Slow Cooking!
How to Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground beef,
- 30 oz. stewed tomatoes, (2 cans) not drained
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2.50 oz. chili seasoning packets, (2 packets)
- 30 oz. kidney beans, (2 cans) drained and rinsed
- 46 oz. V8 juice original, (this is about 6 cups)
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet on the stove-top add the ground beef. Brown and drain.
- Add the stewed tomatoes to the slow cooker. I like to cut them in quarters right in the slow cooker with a butter knife. If you are skilled with a paring knife you can cut them up by hand.
- Add the ground beef to the slow cooker along with the onion, garlic powder, pepper, chili seasoning packets, drained kidney beans and V8 juice.
- Stir and add the lid. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Sarah's Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Could I use Spicy V8?
Yes! That would work great.
This is pretty much what is called Flatlander Chili where I live. We’ve always added peppers, but we also use crushed tomatoes, so I’m sure the stewed tomatoes would add more flavor without having to chop peppers. You can also use just tomato juice instead of V8, but the V8 is more flavorful. So it is versatile, use what you have on hand or prefer. My dad considered it soup, but it’s my favorite version of chili.
I hope you try it!
So easy to prep and absolutely delish! It’s not too spicy, so you could pep it up with some chili sauce. I added mushrooms because…well, life without mushrooms is no life at all! I served with saffron coconut rice and I will have the leftovers with a baked potato. Another triumph from Sarah!
Hi I have been making a version of this for over 30 years but he is a twist. I add in chopped celery and garlic. I also use different types of chili beans. Pinto beans black beans dark and light kidney beans and I also add little bitty tiny pasta!!! I grew up in Wisconsin and my mom made chili like this although she used Campbell tomato soup and water but she always added broken pieces of spaghetti we needed to fill are bellies and this was the perfect way.. But y’all have to get some saltines and butter them. They won’t be so dry take a bite of the buttered saltine and a bite of the chili you can’t imaging how good that will be!!! Going to make chili’s today!! Have a blessed day!!! And enjoy this chili on a cold day!