Easy 3 Bean Chili Recipe
Looking for a budget-friendly meal the whole family will love? Look no further than this hearty meatless 3 bean chili recipe. It’s loaded with protein and fibre thanks to the blend of kidney, pinto and black beans. The rich tomato base is perfectly spiced, and you can turn the heat up or down to your liking.
It will fill your kitchen with the most delicious, cozy aromas. I love making a big pot on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Add snow falling lightly outside the window and a fire crackling in the fireplace, and I couldn’t be more content!
Recipe Highlights
- budget friendly – pantry ingredients
- easy to customize – adjust spices to suit your family’s tastes, or use the beans you have on hand
- perfect for leftovers – tastes even better the second day
- one pot – all you need is one large pot
If you prefer a more traditional chili, you must try my mom’s Award Winning Chili Recipe. This recipe has a secret ingredient I now add to every chili recipe I make, including this one.
Gather You’re Ingredients
I always gather all my ingredients before beginning. It saves me from running back and forth to the pantry, or risk not having an essential recipe ingredient.
How to Make the best 3 Bean Chili
See the full printable recipe card below for full instructions and ingredient list
This recipe only requires a couple of simple steps, then it’s left to simmer on the stove top for an hour or so.
In a dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook just until softened stirring often. Add spices, and stir to coat the onion mixture.
Combine the remaining ingredients with the onion/spice mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for an hour. Remove from heat and serve.
Tips From the Red Cottage Kitchen
- Choose a heavy bottomed pot – an enamel coated cast iron dutch oven works perfectly for simmering chili evenly
- Take your time with the aromatics – don’t skip cooking the onions and celery, and adding the spices to coat. Stirring the spices into the vegetables helps distribute the flavour throughout the chili.
- Drain and rinse the beans – give the canned beans a thorough rinse before adding to the pot
- Allow time for the flavours to develop – simmer the chili for a minimum of an hour to allow the flavours to meld
- Stir regularly – stirring the chili every 10 to 15 minutes to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pot
What to Serve with Chili
This chili is filling and hearty all on its own, but a dollop of sour cream or yogurt on top creates a nice contrast of flavours. A slice of sour dough or multigrain bread is perfect for dunking.
Substitutions and Variations
It’s easy to make this recipe work for what you have in your pantry, and these are few of the substitutions that you can easily make without changing the flavour too much:
- any types of beans you have on hand would work well such as, cannellini, great northern beans, or even chick peas
- you can easily switch out canned crushed tomatoes in place of the tomato sauce
- this recipe is very mild, and slightly on the sweet side so feel free to add canned chopped green chiles, or additional chili powder for more heat
- add leftover shredded cooked chicken breast, or brown a pound of ground beef or turkey with the onions and celery
- you can substitute canned beans with dry beans that have been soaked 8-12 hours (overnight works well) and cooked – allow about 3/4 cups dried beans for each 15 ounce can
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
In my opinion chili is even better the next day! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen in airtight freezer bags or containers for up to a month for best flavour.
Reheat refrigerated chili in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. To reheat frozen chili, defrost in the refrigerator over night and reheat as above.
More Hearty Cold Weather Meals
3 Bean Chili Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large heavy bottomed pot such as a cast iron dutch oven
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 stock celery, sliced thin
- 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 16 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 15 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 ounce can black beans
- canned green chiles Optional
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottomed saucepan or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat, add onion an celery and cook over medium low until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add chili powder, cumin and cinnamon to the onions and celery, stir to thorough coat vegetables and cook for 1 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans and tomato paste (and chiles if using), bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
Notes
