Easy Black Bean Chili Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you use black beans instead of kidney beans in chili? ›

Best Kidney Bean Substitutes by Common Use

Black beans, garbanzo beans, and cannellini beans will work best in chili and soups where you want the firm texture of a bean. If you do not mind the beans breaking down a bit, pinto beans will also work well.

According to Taste of Home, you should typically drain canned beans before adding them to your pot of chili. All that liquid can seriously water the chili down, diluting all its flavors.

You know the saying, “save the best for last?” To keep your beans nice and plump, add them about 20 minutes before you finish cooking. This will give them plenty of time to impart that perfectly seasoned chili flavor to your recipe without overcooking.

Kidney Beans

They are the most popular bean for chili and, in some circles, are often called 'chili beans. ' They add a hearty, rich texture to your chili.

Black beans are earthy andflavorful, kidney beans are mild and absorb flavor from seasonings,and garbanzo beans add a nutty taste.

Unless the recipe tells you to keep the canned beans in their liquid, you should drain your can and give the beans a good rinse before using. This will improve the flavor and texture of your finished dish.

Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed." If that sounds a bit uptight, the ICS's Homestyle Chili competition defines chili as: "any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients.

Chili cooks low and slow, so you need enough liquid to tenderize the meat and keep everything from drying out. That liquid should also add flavor to the chili, so use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or beer.

"If you rinse your beans thoroughly, you will have a consistently flavored product, but if you do not rinse them, different amounts of salt will remain in the dish each time you cook it, and it will be hard to cook consistently," he says.

Tomato paste is a great way to add bonus tomato flavor, and thickness, to a chili recipe. To get the best flavor it needs to be browned. Add a couple tablespoons (or a whole can if you want a thicker soup base) directly to the pan after cooking the meat and onions.

What is the secret to making good chili? ›

Do You Need To Rinse Canned Beans? According to The Bean Institute, you can reduce up to 41 percent of the sodium in canned beans by rinsing them. "It's fine to add the bean liquid to many recipes, but if you want to reduce the amount of sodium, it's best to drain and rinse canned beans," the website states.

Pinto beans are one of the most common types of beans and considered to be one of the most popular for northwestern Mexico and the United States. In fact, its scientific name, Phaseolus vulgaris, literally means “common bean.”

Sweet onions are great for caramelizing due to their higher sugar content. You can cook them into your chili, serve them raw over top, or even elevate your chili with a sophisticated caramelized onion topping! Some of my favorite sweet onions are Walla, Walla, Maui, and Vidalia Onions.

Chili with beans could be called chili frijoles or chili con carne con frijoles. I've not seen any other name than “chili with beans.”

Substitute beans with up to 1 cup cooked gluten-free grains – Grits, polenta or corn. Including up to 1 cup cooked legumes is a great gluten free option – Chickpeas (aka, garbanzo beans), lima beans or black-eyed peas. Add up to 1 cup cooked lentils to add a nice texture – Brown, green or red lentils.

What type of beans does a traditional chili recipe use? Just as there are several variations of what is considered "real chili," this dish uses several bean varieties. Some popular options include kidney, black, pinto, cannellini, or canned beans.

You can substitute “Chili Beans” for any bean (Pinto, kidney, black, white, red, etc) in any chili recipe, but you will need to reduce/eliminate the spices. The type of bean and the spices in canned “Chili Beans” will vary by manufacturer, but typically includes chili powered, cumin garlic, onion, paprika, etc.

We've added a Southern twist by using black-eyed peas instead of traditional kidney beans. Black-eyed peas are a nutritional powerhouse packed with fiber, protein, and vitamins and they bring a creamy earthy flavor to your chili.