Beef and Bean Chili

An image of the finished chili in a white bowl garnished with sour cream, cheese and green onions. The bowl is set with an aqua colored linen with corn chips and lime in the background.

Beef and bean chili made with ground beef, red and black beans, tomatoes, and simple spices. It’s a hearty, satisfying meal that's full of flavor.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword bean soups, beef recipes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 45

Total Time 2 5

Servings

Calories 468kcal

Author Elizabeth Rodriguez

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Olive Oil or oil of your choice
1 Large Onion finely diced
5-6 Garlic Cloves minced
2 tablespoons Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper or to taste
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional – leave it out if you do not like spicy
1½ pounds Ground Beef
3 (14.5 ounce) Cans Diced Tomatoes (we use petite dice)
4 cups Beef Broth
1-2 Bay Leaves
1-2 Dried Whole Chile Peppers we used dried Chili de Arbol, optional
2 (15 ounce) Cans Black Beans drained and rinsed
2 (15 ounce) Cans Red Beans drained and rinsed

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pot (at least 6 quarts) over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for approximately 5 minutes until they start to soften, stir frequently.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and stir to combine with the onion-garlic mixture. Arrange the meat in one layer and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir, while breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon and cook another 3-5 minutes until the ground beef is browned. Stir occasionally. If there is too much oil in the pot after browning the beef, drain some (or all) of it. See Notes.
Lower the heat to medium and add the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper, and stir well until combined with the ground beef.
Add the diced tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaf and dried chili peppers (if using) and stir. Raise the heat to high, bring the liquid to a boil (will take about 5-6 minutes).
Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes to let the flavors develop and come together, stirring occasionally.
Raise the heat to medium. Add the red and black beans to the pot and stir. Cook the chili, half-covered, until it starts to simmer. Then, uncover the pot and cook for 45-55 minutes (longer if needed) until it thickens.
Stir occasionally at first. As the chili thickens and reduces, stir more often to prevent sticking on the bottom. Keep it at a simmer, lowering the heat to medium-low (or further) if it starts boiling too vigorously.
Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ¼ teaspoon to ours.
Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Notes

Go easy on the salt at first since the canned ingredients can contain a good amount of sodium already. Taste the chili at the end and add more salt if needed.
If you're sensitive to salt, use reduced-sodium beans, tomatoes, and beef broth if desired.
To remove excess fat after browning the beef, take the pot off the heat and push the beef mixture to one side. Tilt the pot slightly so the fat pools on the other side, then use a large spoon or ladle to remove as much as desired. Return the pot to medium heat and continue with the recipe.
For a milder chili, reduce or leave out the cayenne pepper and dried chile de árbol.

Nutrition