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This black bean chili gets its thick, spoon-coating body from a trick most chili recipes skip: you blend a cup and stir it back in. Smoky fire roasted tomatoes, sweet roasted red peppers, and three cans of undrained black beans simmer together on the stove for 15 minutes, so dinner is ready in about 30.
save this recipe!A lot of the chili recipes out there rely on ground beef or turkey for heft. Mine has no meat at all, so the body has to come from somewhere else. Spoiler: it’s already in the cans.
The usual problem with meatless chili is texture. Beans float in a thin, tomatoey broth that eats more like soup than chili. The fix is two small moves. Keep every drop of bean liquid in the pot, and blend a little of the chili before serving.
When I want a creamy, mild pot instead, I make my White Chickpea Chili.
The Testing
Blending One Cup of the Chili
Blending just 1 cup and stirring it back in adds a lot of body and gives the whole pot a thick, rich mouthfeel. No blender? Skip it and press a potato masher into the pot a few times instead. Breaking some beans open lets their starches out and thickens the chili the same way.
Keeping the Bean Liquid in the Pot
I don’t drain the beans for this one. The liquid from the cans takes the place of broth, saves you a colander, and its starches help thicken the chili as it simmers. If you’d rather drain them, you’ll need to add a different liquid, like vegetable broth, to make up for it.
Salting After the Simmer
Canned black beans vary a lot by brand. Some are saltier, and some are seasoned to give the beans more flavor. So I hold off on extra salt until the chili has simmered, then taste and adjust.
Grab these ingredients
You’ll just need 6 ingredients for this one. This is just an overview. Jump to the recipe card for the full quantities.
- Black Beans: Three cans, liquid and all. The beans are the bulk of the chili, and the liquid is both the cooking liquid and the thickener.
- Chili Seasoning: One packet carries all the spice in this recipe, so it’s the flavor engine of the whole pot. I like using my Homemade Chili Seasoning Mix so I control the heat and salt. Cooking it with the onion for a minute before the cans go in helps wake up the spices.
- Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes: These bring a smoky, charred flavor that makes a short simmer taste as if it went longer. Add the juices too. Regular diced tomatoes work with less smokiness, or make my Fire Roasted Tomatoes at home.
- Roasted Red Peppers: Jarred peppers add soft, sweet bites with zero extra cook time.
- White Onion: The only fresh produce you need to prep. Four minutes is enough to get it soft and slightly translucent, and it melts into the chili as it simmers.
Don’t drain those beans!
The element that sets this black bean recipe apart is that we’re not draining the beans! The juice in the cans adds flavor and thickens the chili as it cooks, while also eliminating the need for vegetable broth or water.
Customize It
This chili is incredibly customizable to whatever you have on hand or are craving!
- Different Beans: While we love black beans for this recipe, most types of beans work well (pinto and kidney beans are classics!).
- Add Veggies: You can also throw veggies into this chili, like cubed sweet potato or bell pepper!
- Make It Spicy: For spicy food lovers, add a pinch of cayenne or a sliced jalapeno to the onion at the same time!
My Favorite Black Bean Chili Toppings
Most nights it’s a bowl topped with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and a spoonful of sour cream or Greek yogurt. The crunch against that thick, smoky chili is the whole point.
Diced avocado, cilantro, and fresh or pickled jalapeños are all welcome. For a tangy, bright pop, add a pile of my Quick Pickled Red Onions.
What to Serve With Black Bean Chili
Beyond a bowl, I love this chili spooned over baked potatoes or piled onto overloaded nachos, where the thick body clings to every chip. For a cool, creamy side next to all that smoke, my Street Corn Pasta Salad Jars can be made ahead and pulled straight from the fridge.
Serving it to guests? Start the night with my Hot Honey Roasted Chickpeas With Whipped Feta while the chili simmers.
Meatless Black Bean Chili (Super Thick!)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp oil, 30 mL
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 1 1.25 oz packet chili seasoning, click for easy homemade recipe
- 3 15 or 16-oz cans black beans, do not drain
- 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, do not drain
- 1 12-oz jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
Instructions
- Flavor Base: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and a bit translucent, about 4 minutes. Add chili seasoning and cook for another 1 minute.
- Assemble: Add cans of black beans and fire roasted tomatoes (do not drain them – add it all). Drain and chop the roasted red peppers, then add them in. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes*.
- Blend (optional): For a rich texture, ladle 1 cup of the chili into a countertop blender. Do not fully close the lid (it can be very dangerous to blend hot liquids, steam must be able to escape). Blend until smooth, then add it back to the main pot of chili and stir well.
- Serve hot topped with your favorites, like avocado, cilantro, diced onion, and crushed corn chips!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist, and should be taken as an estimate. For the most accurate nutritional information, calculate it using the actual ingredients in your recipe.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Hi. I made this recipe today. I added soya mince for texture and more protein and lots of cayenne pepper. The chili turned out really well and is delicious. I’m going to serve it to guests this week. Thanks for the great recipe. Chili isn’t very common here in Normandy!
Thanks for the sweet review Linda, happy cooking!
I meant to leave you a wonderful 5 star 🌟 rating.