Easy Black Bean Chili

This easy black bean chili is a one pot hearty chili packed with flavor and made with creamy black beans. Perfect for a cold night in.

I confess, in our house, I am the crazy lady who does not normally buy snack foods or any sort of premade packaged food. You can imagine the adjustment anyone has to make when they stay here for long periods of time. Not to mention the hope my daughter has on grocery day that I will finally say yes to a prepackaged request. And don’t reach for a paper towel when your over because you won’t find one of those here either. Sigh…

However, I do still buy the occasional canned bean and other pantry staples like canned tomatoes, or dried pasta. If I had a fast food to fall back on, this would be it. So in this recipe I am sharing one of my pantry staple based meals that is quick, fresh and still homemade enough for my standards.

This Easy Black Bean Chili Is…

• A delicious chili perfect for a weeknight meal, game day or when wanting comfort food.
• A stovetop version made with simple ingredients.
• Great for topping a baked potato, or French fries.
• A beef chili to serve with your favorite toppings.

Ingredients

Beans- using canned beans makes for less prep time however, you can use dried beans for this if you prefer to presoak, and cook them beforehand. 

Ground Beef- I use lean ground chuck beef but you can use a higher fat content if you prefer. You can also use make this more lean by using ground chicken or ground turkey.

Seasoning- a blend of Italian seasoning, ground cumin, chili powder, sea salt and cracked black pepper give a nice mild flavor to the chili. If you prefer a touch of heat, add a dash or so of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.

Garlic- use large garlic cloves.

Tomatoes- I like canned diced tomatoes for this but you can also use fresh tomatoes if you like. Cherry tomatoes work especially well. You will need slightly more then the recipe calls for as the tomatoes will cook down. 

Bell Peppers- you can opt to use multiple colored bell peppers or just plain green bell peppers for this recipe. I like to use mix of green bell pepper, and red bell peppers for color. 

Onion- you can use white or yellow onion . Red onion will also work. 

Vinegar- you can use either red vinegar or balsamic vinegar. This helps make a more robust chili flavor.

Olive Oli- I like to add a little extra virgin olive oil to the pot since I use a 90% lean ground beef. If you use a higher fat content ground beef you might not need to add extra oil. 

Directions

Heat a large pot or a Dutch oven with olive oil and begin browning the ground meat over medium heat. Dice the onions and bell peppers. Add them to the browning ground beef. Add the cumin, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Grate the garlic in or mince it well before adding. Add in the tomatoes and beans then finally the vinegar.

Cover and allow the mixture to simmer on low for about 30 minutes or until the flavors are well combined.

Serve alone or with fun toppings like shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream and fresh avocado chunks. 

Cooking Notes

• You can sub out the canned beans for dried. Be sure to soak your black beans prior to using them and cook them according to package directions.
• This recipe will also work with red kidney beans or pinto beans.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro, green onion, avocado, sour cream or cheese.

Canned Beans Vs. Dried

Normally for me, there is no debate. However, I do find having both in my pantry has its pluses and minuses. Dried beans as you might already know are much more cost-effective than canned. Boiling them yourself you can control their softness and add any seasonings as you like. Whereas canned they have added sodium and some have claimed to have a metallic taste to them. Something, I have not found myself.

Dried beans are healthier due to their no sodium content of them as they are a whole food in its basic form. Depending on the quality of canned beans you choose there might be preservatives and other ingredients added to the beans that you might like having in your food. Using canned is obviously the simpler route and is a great way to make a quick meal.

For me, they are somewhat of a “fast food” option for days I don’t have much time. If using canned I try finding brands that use good quality beans and have high standards for canning. Although I do realize that using dried is always best health-wise, it is not always the most convenient.

How To Store

Store the leftover pot of chili in the fridge or transfer the chili to an airtight container. The chili will last up to 4 days when store correctly. 

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no cost to you).

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Cast iron Dutch oven

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If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate you coming back to give it 5 stars!