For most standard beef-and-bean chili recipes, the sweet spot in a crock pot is:

  • On LOW: 6–8 hours, with many cooks preferring the full 8 hours for deeper flavor and more tender beans and meat.
  • On HIGH: 4–6 hours if you’re in more of a hurry.

That timing assumes:

  • Your meat is browned first in a skillet.
  • You’re using canned beans and tomatoes (already safe to eat).
    In that case, the long cook is mostly to marry flavors and thicken the chili rather than to make ingredients safe.

Simple rule of thumb

  • If you have all day: set to LOW for 8 hours for the best flavor and texture.
  • If you’re short on time: set to HIGH for about 4–5 hours , checking thickness and seasoning in the last hour.

You can also crack the lid for the last 30–60 minutes to help the chili thicken if it seems a little soupy.