Cooking up a batch of this smoky black bean chili recipe on the weekend ensures a warm and comforting meal at your fingertips throughout the week.
Using Pantry Ingredients
I love this recipe for weekly meal planning. It comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients, and is very versatile. You can use dry or canned black beans, and meat is an optional addition to the dish. If you have frozen corn on hand, it makes a great addition. Add smoked paprika (or another smoked dried chili powder) for incredible flavor, balance it with a spice mixture of sweet paprika, ground coriander, and earthy cumin. Adding cayenne pepper to your taste makes it as mild or as spicy as is desired. Gather your favorite chili toppings, and cozy up to a bowl of smoky black bean chili for an easy weeknight meal.
Smoky and sweet, satisfying and delicious, this Smoky Black Bean Chili makes a great weeknight dinner. It can also be made in the slow cooker. It freezes well.
Soak black beans overnight, covered with water. Drain.
If using ground beef, heat a soup pot over medium-high heat, and add olive oil when hot. Add ground beef, and cook, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Once beef is no longer pink, turn down heat to medium and add onion, bell pepper, garlic, spices, and another 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add soaked and drained black beans, water, and another 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, turn heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 50-60 minutes, until black beans are soft. If chili starts to stick, add a little bit more water.
When beans are soft, add tomatoes and corn, if using, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Serve and garnish with your favorite toppings.
Notes
*Canned black beans may be used in place of dry, use 2 15-oz. cans.**If not using meat, substitute 1-2 cups frozen or fresh corn, or more beans.
Quick, easy and delicious! Made mine w/ ground turkey and added some black olives as well. We will take this with us camping in about a week for some good eating at the beach!
Another delicious and easy recipe! I made mine vegetarian and also sped it up by using canned black beans. I added an extra bell pepper and some corn, since I did not use meat. It was colorful and tasty.
I make a lot of slow cooked soups, stews and chilis – and this recipe is a keeper! It is so flavorful AND healthy. It also freezes beautifully, so I suggest doubling the recipe!
I added ground beef this time around, which but would be glad to try it next time meatless. I used canned beans, because I kept forgetting to soak the dried beans. It was easy and fun to put it together and our family enjoyed the flavors and ate the whole batch in one night..
Quick, easy and delicious! Made mine w/ ground turkey and added some black olives as well. We will take this with us camping in about a week for some good eating at the beach!
I love the addition of black olives Rich! What a great idea for camping, enjoy!
Another delicious and easy recipe! I made mine vegetarian and also sped it up by using canned black beans. I added an extra bell pepper and some corn, since I did not use meat. It was colorful and tasty.
So delicious and satisfying!
This was amazing! Love love love.. will definitely be adding this into my rotation of go to one meals ?
I make a lot of slow cooked soups, stews and chilis – and this recipe is a keeper! It is so flavorful AND healthy. It also freezes beautifully, so I suggest doubling the recipe!
So glad it stood out against the pack of other soups and stews. Thanks Anne!
I added ground beef this time around, which but would be glad to try it next time meatless. I used canned beans, because I kept forgetting to soak the dried beans. It was easy and fun to put it together and our family enjoyed the flavors and ate the whole batch in one night..
I LOVE this chili. I have tried cooking many vegetarian chilis, and this is one is my favorite.
So good! I’m really glad you enjoyed it Madelaine, thank you for giving it a try.