Hearty Black Bean Chili

Nothing beats a warm bowl of hearty chili when you want comfort food that actually loves you back! This protein-packed black bean chili is perfect for busy families who need a filling, nutritious meal that comes together in under an hour.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Prep Time: 25 minutes, Additional Time: 20 minutes, Total Time: 45 minutes, Serves: 8 people.

Nutrition Profile: Diabetes-Friendly, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Healthy Aging, Healthy Immunity, Low-Sodium, High Blood Pressure, High-Fiber, Heart-Healthy, Egg-Free, Low-Calorie.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 267 Calories, 6g Fat, 27g Carbs, 26g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ground beef: You’ll need 1½ pounds of 95% lean ground beef. This gives you tons of protein without too much fat, which keeps the chili hearty but not heavy.

Mixed vegetables: Get 3 cups total of chopped carrots, sliced celery, chopped onions, and chopped sweet peppers. Mix and match whatever you have on hand – they all add great flavor and nutrition!

Garlic: 4 cloves minced up fresh. Trust me, fresh garlic makes such a difference in flavor compared to the jarred stuff.

Neutral oil: 1 tablespoon of canola or avocado oil works perfectly for browning everything up.

Black beans: Two 15-ounce cans of no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained. Rinsing helps reduce the sodium and gets rid of that thick liquid.

Diced tomatoes: Two 14.5-ounce cans of no-salt-added diced tomatoes, but keep all that juicy liquid – don’t drain these!

Tomato sauce: One 15-ounce can adds richness and helps thicken everything up beautifully.

Beef broth: 1 cup of 50%-less-sodium beef broth gives you flavor without going overboard on salt.

Seasonings: 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano (crush it between your fingers), and ½ teaspoon black pepper or crushed red pepper for a little kick.

Toppings: Sliced green onions, chopped fresh onion, fresh parsley, cilantro, chopped tomato, and plain fat-free Greek yogurt. Plus extra chili powder or ground cumin for sprinkling on top.

How to Make Black Bean Chili

Step 1: Heat up your 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the oil. Add the ground beef, all those chopped vegetables, and minced garlic. Cook everything together, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat as it browns. You want the meat completely browned and the vegetables getting tender, about 8-10 minutes total. Drain off any extra fat that builds up.

Step 2: Now comes the fun part – add everything else! Stir in the black beans, diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, beef broth, 2 tablespoons chili powder, oregano, and your choice of black pepper or crushed red pepper. Mix it all together really well.

Step 3: Bring the whole pot to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down to low. Cover it up and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring it every once in a while so nothing sticks to the bottom.

Step 4: Ladle that beautiful chili into bowls and let everyone top it however they like! The green onions, fresh herbs, chopped tomatoes, and Greek yogurt all add amazing fresh flavors and textures.

Easy and Quick Black Bean Chili Version

Want to make this even faster? You can totally use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables instead of chopping fresh ones! Just use about 2½ cups of frozen veggie mix and they’ll cook up perfectly with the meat. Also, if you have leftover cooked ground beef in your freezer, just thaw it out and add it straight to the pot with the vegetables for the last few minutes of cooking. This cuts your prep time down to just 10 minutes!

Serving Ideas

This chili is honestly a complete meal all by itself, but it’s amazing with some warm cornbread or crusty sourdough bread for dipping. A simple green salad with lime vinaigrette makes a fresh, crisp side that balances all those rich, warm flavors perfectly.

Storage

Store your leftover chili in the fridge for up to 4 days in covered containers. To reheat, just warm it up on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally, or microwave individual portions for 1-2 minutes. You can also freeze this chili for up to 3 months – just thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Substitutions

No ground beef? Ground turkey or chicken work great too! You can swap the black beans for pinto beans or kidney beans if that’s what you have. Don’t have beef broth? Vegetable broth works perfectly fine. Missing some of the vegetables? Just use whatever you have – even frozen corn or diced bell peppers from a bag work wonderfully.

Pro Tips

• Make it ahead: This chili actually tastes even better the next day after all the flavors have time to meld together.
• Spice level: Start with less crushed red pepper and add more at the end if you want more heat – you can always add, but you can’t take it away!
• Thicker chili: If you like your chili really thick, simmer it uncovered for the last 10 minutes to let some liquid evaporate.
• Freeze portions: Make a double batch and freeze meal-sized portions in freezer bags for easy weeknight dinners later.

Amazing Variations to Try

Vegetarian Chili: Skip the meat completely and use three 15-ounce cans of mixed beans instead of just two cans of black beans. Add 1½ cups of sweet potato chunks with the beans and use vegetable broth instead of beef broth. So hearty and delicious!

White Chili: Use ground turkey instead of beef, white kidney beans instead of black beans, and swap the tomatoes for chicken broth and salsa verde. Add a can of diced green chiles for extra flavor!

Mexican-Style Chili: Use poblano peppers and add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for a smoky kick. Stir in fresh cilantro and lime juice right before serving – it’s absolutely amazing!

Pork Chili: Use chunks of pork shoulder instead of ground beef and add some barbecue sauce. You’ll need to simmer it longer (about 1½ hours), but the tender pork is so worth it!

FAQs

Can I make this chili in a slow cooker?

You bet! Brown the meat and vegetables on the stove first, then transfer everything to your slow cooker. Add all the other ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. The flavors develop beautifully with the slow cooking method.

Is this chili spicy?

Not really! This recipe is more on the mild side, perfect for families with kids. The chili powder adds flavor more than heat. If you want it spicier, add some cayenne pepper or use the crushed red pepper option instead of black pepper.

Can I double this recipe?

Sure! Just make sure you have a big enough pot – you’ll probably need an 8-quart Dutch oven or larger. The cooking time stays about the same, but you might need to brown the meat in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan.

What’s the best way to reheat frozen chili?

Thaw it overnight in the fridge first, then reheat it slowly on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of broth if it seems too thick. You can also reheat it straight from frozen – just use low heat and stir frequently as it thaws and warms up.

I’d love to hear how this chili turns out for you! Did you try any of the variations, or did you add your own special touch? Drop a comment and let me know – I always love hearing about your cooking adventures!