Black Bean Chili

A homemade black bean chili slowly simmered for a smoky flavor. Easy chili recipe for a weeknight meal or to make for a crowd!

This recipe came from my mom but I changed it a bit to fit my likes and dislikes!  I basically just added ingredients that I like, and removed ingredients I didn’t like. 

I am not a huge fan of kidney beans and my husband LOVES black beans, so I just switched them out! I also don’t like to overload it with the beans, so I just add one can of the black beans, but you could add two cans if you prefer.

To make this black bean chili have a smoky flavor, I first cook my onions and red bell pepper together with the garlic and all the spices with a little bit of olive oil.  Doing that before adding any tomatoes give it that nice smoky flavor!

The best way to make this is to slowly simmer it on the stovetop for about two hours to let all the flavors come together. I like to use a dutch oven to cook this! I have the Lodge Dutch Oven and absolutely love it, I cook all my soups and stews in it!

Be sure to check out some of my other soups and stews!

Minestrone Soup: Easy and hearty minestrone soup recipe. This soup is full of fresh veggies and beans that are flavorful and healthy.  

Pasta Fagioli: A hearty Pasta Fagioli soup that is loaded with beans, veggies, and ground turkey.  A perfect comfort soup for those chilly days! 

Mac and Cheese Soup: Homemade creamy mac and cheese soup. Bacon, garlic, and onions are cooked in for a savory comfort food dish.

Zuppa Tosacana Soup: A creamy soup with sausage, potatoes, and kale. A healthy and hearty soup for those cold weather days!

Butternut Squash Soup: Butternut squash soup full of fresh onions, potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, and celery. Added spices of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, makes this a perfect autumn soup!

Chicken Tortilla Soup: Chicken tortilla soup made with shredded chicken, loads of veggies, crispy tortilla strips and a savory broth. Made in the slow cooker for a deliciously easy weeknight meal. 

Crockpot Beef Stew: Deliciously slow cooked beef made with potatoes, carrots, and peas in a savory stew sauce. Easy weeknight meal that is kid friendly!

Ingredients for Black Bean Chili

• Olive Oil: Added to cook the onion and bell pepper before adding the tomatoes and meat.
• Onions: Chopped finely, then cooked a bit with the bell pepper and spices before adding the rest of the chili ingredients.
• Red bell pepper: Stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½ inch size pieces. Cooked a bit with the onions.
• Garlic cloves: Minced and added with the onions and bell pepper while they cook.
• Chili powder, Cumin, Red Pepper Flakes, Oregano, and Salt: Added in with the onions and bell peppers to get a smoky flavor before adding the tomatoes and meat.
• Ground Italian sausage and Ground Turkey (or Ground Beef): Two meat combo cooked before adding the tomatoes. The mixture of the two meats give the chili lots of flavor.
• Black beans: Drained and rinsed and added in when the tomatoes get added. Add another can of black beans or kidney beans if you like a lot of beans in your chili.
• Diced Tomatoes: Added after the meat is cooked, these add nice tomato pieces into the chili.
• Crushed Tomatoes: Added after the meat is cooked. This acts as a nice base sauce the chili can cook in.
• Corn (optional): Added in the last 30 minutes of cooking. You can leave this ingredient out if you prefer.

How To Make Black Bean Chili

In a large dutch oven heat two tablespoons of olive oil over high heat.

Add the two onions that have been finely chopped and let cook a minute or so.

Add the chopped up red bell pepper along with the garlic and all the spices.

Let those cook over high heat for five minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Push the veggies to one side of the pan and add the pound of ground Italian sausage and the pound of ground turkey/beef to the empty side and cook until no longer pink, breaking up into little pieces. 

Add in the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, black beans, and salt.

Bring to a boil and then simmer covered for an hour, stirring frequently.

After an hour, take the lid off and simmer for another 30 minutes uncovered, stirring frequently.

I threw some corn in towards the end just to mix it up a bit. I don’t usually add corn but I had some in the freezer and thought it would be fun to add it today!

You can serve this with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. Or have you ever mixed in mac and cheese with chili?? It is sooo good! Adds the cheese and makes it creamy! Another favorite around my house is adding goldfish crackers to the chili! So add your favorites and enjoy!

Check out some of these desserts!

Bakery Peanut Butter Cookies: Bakery style peanut butter cookies that are soft and moist with a chewy center. Easy, fast to make, and turn out perfect every time.

Monkey Bread: Monkey bread made with frozen rolls, brown sugar, pudding mix, and butter. Just layer it all in a bundt pan for an easy breakfast treat!

Pumpkin Muffins: Light and fluffy, easy pumpkin muffins. A streusel topping makes these taste like they are straight from the bakery. 

Scotcharoos: A Rice Krispie like treat but made with peanut butter and topped with a chocolate butterscotch mix. With only 6 ingredients these are super easy to make!

Blueberry Coffee Cake: Soft and moist blueberry coffee cake drizzled with vanilla icing. Delicious breakfast or dessert treat that everyone will love!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels: Chocolate covered pretzels can be decorated to match any holiday. With only 3 ingredients these are done in minutes!

Puppy Chow: Easy and addicting puppy chow recipe.  A fast and delicious snack made with Crispix cereal, peanut butter, milk chocolate, and powdered sugar. 

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls: Perfectly soft and chewy homemade cinnamon rolls.  A breakfast treat filled with cinnamon swirl and topped with cream cheese frosting. 

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