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Spicy, hearty, and comforting, Black Bean Chili is the perfect dinner for a cool fall weeknight. Made as a 30 minute one-pot meal, it’s ideal for a quick weeknight dinner or meal prep,. It offers a balance of protein, fiber, and a rich, smoky flavor. You won’t even miss the meat!
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients for Black Bean Chili
- Tips & FAQs
- Recipe:
- Check out these other great recipes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Just like any chili recipe, it’s an easy dinner option for any night. It’s smoky flavors combined with meat (or beans in this case!) are pleasing to even the pickiest of eaters. You can make it spicy or mild, depending on how well you can handle spice. My recipe for Black Bean Chili is completely vegan, but you can always add in ground meat if you wish, making this recipe completely versatile to each person. Not only is it a comforting meal, but it’s also nutritious with fiber and protein. I love using leftover chili for nachos, enchiladas, or even pouring over rice!
Ingredients for Black Bean Chili
- Black Beans: What’s a black bean chili recipe without the black beans? It’s a great option for protein and fiber. I generally use canned beans that are low in sodium. It’s just much easier to control the salt. You can swap the beans for pinto beans, but pinto are generally higher in carbs and fat.
- White Onion, Garlic, Red Bell Peppers, Lime, Chipotle in Adobo Sauce, Jalapenos: White onions are not as sweet as yellow onions, which offset the sweetness from the tomato base and black beans. Feel free to use yellow onions if that’s what you prefer or have on hand. Chipotles in adobo sauce are a great way to get some smoky flavor into the chili. I always add a little bit of the sauce into everything I make with it. You can swap jalapenos for serranos. You can also leave the seeds if you really love spicy foods.
- Cumin, Chili Powder, Salt, Pepper, Oregano: Aromatics for the chili.
- Tomato Paste, Fire-Roasted Crushed Tomatoes, Vegetable Broth: The tomato base of the chili. Fire-roasted tomatoes are a bit sweeter than regular crushed tomatoes, which balances with the aromatics of the chili. You can use regular crushed tomatoes if you can’t find fire-roasted. Tomato paste helps thicken the chili, where the vegetable broth thins it out a bit so it’s not too thick.
Tips & FAQs
- Storage: Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Chili always tastes better the next day!
- Freeze: This can be frozen for up to 3 months. You can freeze it in individual portions or a freezer safe container. Thaw overnight when you’re ready to make it.
- Variations:
- Brown ground meat in the first step with the other veggies for extra protein.
- Stick with vegetable broth to keep this vegan, or you can use chicken broth.
- Adjust the spice level by leaving the seeds in the jalapenos, adding more chipotle peppers, or adding cayenne pepper. On the milder side, you can omit the chipotle peppers and just use the adobo sauce from the can, use poblanos instead of jalapenos, or use no chilis at all.
- Serve by itself or with avocado, sour cream, and cheese.
- Use leftovers in enchiladas, to top nachos, over rice, or with cornbread.
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Recipe:
Black Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 jalapenos, seeded & diced 1/2-inch
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded & diced 1/2-inch
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 tbsp chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, depending on preference of spice
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 3-4 (15 oz) cans black beans, liquid of 2 cans reserved
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.
- Saute the onions, jalapenos, and bell peppers until the bell peppers are soft, 5-7 minutes. Add in the garlic, chipotle peppers, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the spices are fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste until thoroughly combined. Cook for 3 minutes until it starts to caramelize (turn a little brown), stirring occasionally.
- Add the black beans & liquid, crushed tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until the chili has thickened, stirring frequently. Add some more vegetable broth if it is too thick for your liking.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice and season with salt, if needed. Serve with chopped red onions, cilantro, sour cream, and avocado.
Notes
Black Beans: What’s a black bean chili recipe without the black beans? It’s a great option for protein and fiber. I generally use canned beans that are low in sodium. It’s just much easier to control the salt. You can swap the beans for pinto beans, but pinto are generally higher in carbs and fat.
Storage: Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Chili always tastes better the next day!
- Freeze: This can be frozen for up to 3 months. You can freeze it in individual portions or a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight when you’re ready to make it.
Variations:
- Brown ground meat in the first step with the other veggies for extra protein.
- Stick with vegetable broth to keep this vegan, or you can use chicken broth.
- Adjust the spice level by leaving the seeds in the jalapenos, adding more chipotle peppers, or adding cayenne pepper. On the milder side, you can omit the chipotle peppers and just use the adobo sauce from the can, use poblanos instead of jalapenos, or use no chilis at all.
- Serve by itself or with avocado, sour cream, and cheese.
- Use leftovers in enchiladas, to top nachos, over rice, or with cornbread.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
311Fat (grams)
8 gSat. Fat (grams)
1 gCarbs (grams)
54 gFiber (grams)
20 gSugar (grams)
9 gProtein (grams)
17 gSodium (milligrams)
1008 mgCholesterol (grams)
0 mgThe nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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