Chili is seriously one of my favorite parts of the fall-winter season. It’s super easy to make, the leftovers are amazing, and it’s incredibly cozy and hearty. It’s basically all I want to eat from September to March. 😅 Our classic chili recipe is great, but I also love this simple black bean chili because it has a slightly lighter, brighter flavor, and I just have a soft spot for black beans. Gimme all the black beans all of the time! So if you’re looking for something to meal prep for the week or just something to keep you warm as the air outside gets colder, give this black bean chili a try!
What’s in Black Bean Chili
Rather than just substituting all black beans in my classic chili recipe, I also changed the flavor profile of this chili slightly. I used tangy diced tomatoes with green chiles, which gives the chili a nice brightness. I paired that with a little more cumin than usual for a slightly earthy base, and then added some smoked paprika because that smoky flavor pairs really well with the black beans. I also wanted the black beans to be the star of this show, so I actually used half the amount of ground meat as my classic chili, which helps keep it very budget-friendly as well!
Ingredients for Black Bean Chili
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious and hearty pot of black bean chili:
- Onion and Garlic: Any pot of chili is going to start with plenty of onion and garlic to get those savory base flavors in place!
- Ground Beef: I used only a half pound of ground beef for this recipe, but you can increase it to one pound if you prefer a more meaty chili. You can also substitute with ground turkey if preferred.
- Tomatoes: I used a combination of diced tomatoes with green chiles and tomato paste for this chili. The diced tomatoes add texture and a zingy flavor (thanks to the green chiles) and the tomato paste adds richness and helps thicken the chili.
- Herbs and spices: The spice mix for this chili starts with a hefty dose of chili powder, then we add some extra cumin for earthiness, a little smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Feel free to add a little cayenne if you like your chili spicy!
Toppings for Chili
One of the reasons I love chili the most is all of the fun toppings you can add to your bowl. It’s a great opportunity to use up leftovers in your fridge or pantry, and it can just add tons of flavor, color, and texture to the meal! Here are some of my favorite toppings for black bean chili:
- Fresh or pickled jalapeños
- Diced red onion
- Avocado
- Sliced green onion
- Cilantro
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Sour cream
- Cheddar cheese
- Fresh lime juice
- Diced avocado
- Pico de gallo
Serve with a side of Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread!
Black Bean Chili
Servings 6 (about 1.3 cups each)Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.11)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.36)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 1/2 lb. ground beef ($3.50)
- 3 15oz. cans black beans, drained ($2.37)
- 1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles* ($1.00)
- 1 6oz. can tomato paste ($0.99)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.30)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- ½ tsp salt ($0.04)
- 2 cups water ($0.00)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a large pot with the olive oil and cook over medium heat just until the onions are softened (2-3 minutes).
- Add the ground beef to the pot and continue to sauté until the beef is cooked through (5-7 minutes).
- Add the drained black beans, diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and water. Stir everything to combine.
- Place a lid on the chili and allow it to come up to a simmer. Let the chili simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let the flavors blend and help the liquid thicken slightly.
- Taste the chili and add salt as needed (this will depend on the salt content of your canned goods. I added about ½ tsp). Serve with your favorite chili toppings and enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Black Bean Chili – Step by Step Photos
Begin by dicing one yellow onion and mincing four cloves of garlic. Sauté the onions and garlic with 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat until softened (2-3 minutes).
Add ½ pound ground beef (or turkey) and continue to sauté until the meat is cooked through.
Add three 15oz. cans of black beans (drained), one 10oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chiles (with the juices), one 6oz. can of tomato paste, 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp salt, and 2 cups of water.
Stir all of the ingredients together until evenly combined. Turn the heat up to medium-high, place a lid on the pot, and allow the chili to come up to a boil. Once it comes up to a boil, give the chili a stir, replace the lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Let the chili simmer over medium-low heat for about fifteen minutes, which will help blend the flavors and thicken the sauce. Give it a taste and add salt if needed. I added about ½ tsp. And that’s it! You’re DONE making dinner!
Add your favorite toppings and go to town! Or divide it up into single-serving portions and refrigerate for really easy ready-to-heat meals for the rest of the week.
I also made this last night and it was great! I did substitute one can of kidney beans for black beans. I may not buy canned chili again!
We decided to make this tonight. I had no ground turkey, so I subbed some shredded pork. I used black beans that I’d just cooked this weekend that didn’t have much liquid with them, so I added some water. I couldn’t find a 15oz can of tomatoes and chiles, so I used two 10oz cans. Then I realized that there was way more pork than there would have been turkey and added…
At about this point I realized I was meandering away from the recipe far enough I stopped checking the website. I’m sure ~your~ chili recipe is delicious, but my strange pork-chili-stew concoction remains to be tried in a few minutes.
Ah, the joys of cooking. Thanks for the starter idea!
Hahaha I love hearing the deviations from my recipes! It’s so much fun. :)
I made this tonight and it was really tasty! Great weeknight easy meal. I used a full pound of ground beef and 2 cans of kidney beans because that is what I had and it was a hit.
New reader here. I tried this recipe last night. Delicious! This one will definitely be one of my regular go-to recipes.
Thank you for the recipe and blog. I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Thanks for this awesome recipe, Beth! Made this for dinner tonight and added in some extra veggies– bell peppers, jalapeno, corn, zucchini, and squash. Served it with cornbread. Loved it! I will be making this again.
Thanks for this recipe Beth! I made this last night and served it over rice & it was AMAZING! I normally stay away from chilis bc they can be too acidic for my liking but this was so “mellow” in terms of that. My family gobbled this up and I still have left overs. This will defiantly be added to my weekly rotation
I’m in Dallas too, and this recipe came at JUST the right time! I just whipped it up using what I had on hand so I didn’t have to go out in the cold, which meant cubed turkey cutlets instead of ground, and I’m impressed! I never make chili because it’s a bigger chore than I have time for, so recipe is a keeper!
I went to the spice rack and discovered I was out of chili powder, so I found a quick recipe online and just used a pinch of cayenne in place of the mild chili pepper. I also had to use powdered garlic because I was out of fresh, but it did the trick. 30 degrees outside, delicious chili inside!
Oh my goodness, Beth, this is fantastic! I made it with a can of kidney beans instead of the third can of black beans, because it’s what I had on hand, along with some soy crumbles instead of turkey to keep it veg. So, so good! And so easy! Thank you for this great recipe!
I cooked up a pot of this for dinner last night and will have the left overs tonight. Thanks for the post. This was DELISH!!!
I was quite stunned at how delicious this was, for so little effort! A++++ will cook again!
if i use fresh diced tomatoes over canned, does that make a big difference?
Not a huge difference. You may find that you need a little extra salt at the end, but that’s purely dependent on your taste buds. :)
Hi Beth,
I made the black bean chili last night. We loved it! So easy and delicious. I used a pound of the ground turkey and 2 10 oz cans of Rotel tomatoes. I also added to your spices 1/2 tsp of chipotle chili powder. I served it with sour cream and Fritos:) The best part besides the ease and wonderful flavor is there was a lot left so tonight we are going to add some corn, rice, salsa and cheese and make burritos! Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes:)
I notice you use chili powder a lot. I’m a bit of a purist and like to start from scratch when I can. I also see you have a DIY chili seasoning recipe. Could you put together a recipe for the actual chili powder part of that too? That would be great! I found a recipe online but not sure if it matches well.
Unfortunately I don’t have a recipe for that spice mix, but only because I can’t get plain mild chile powder on its own. The only kind available in stores around here are cayenne or ancho chile powders, which are far too spicy to use in a mix like this. :(
This looks delicious! I may substitute ground venison for the turkey; organic, humanely killed (I should know), super lean, and it’s already in the freezer. Love all the beans for that extra comfort-food filling feeling.
As a hunter too, I plan on doing the exact same thing, use venison as well. Totally agree on humanely killed bit, I actually get really mad at hunters who don’t follow the rules and do it right. And the venison is organic, free range meat, can’t beat it. I think too, I could probably double this recipe and freeze it? Seems like that would work.
My chili usually takes two days to make, but the kids were in especially difficult moods since they couldn’t play outside in this frozen weather. About 30 minutes in the kitchen was all my house could take! My husband said he liked yours just as much as mine… No more days standing at the stove for me! Thank you for sharing this delicious, easy recipe. We loved it!