I don't recommend adding raw meat to a crockpot for three reasons. 1. There are some safety concerns when cooking raw meat. If the meat is not brought up to the proper temperature quickly enough there is the potential for bacterial growth. 2. Browning meat in a skillet helps to develop flavor. Browning meat creates a delicious caramelization known as the Maillard reaction, which happens as the heat caramelizes the sugars in the meat. 3. I prefer to drain some of the excess fat after cooking the ground beef. The chili would be too greasy if the raw ground beef was cooked along with the other ingredients.