Easy Black Bean Chili

This Black Bean Chili recipe is easy to make and full of big flavor! It’s cozy and hearty, the ideal vegetarian dinner idea.

Can you have too many chili recipes? We think not. Introducing our new favorite easy spin…this Black Bean Chili recipe! It’s beyond simple to make, and the flavor is outstanding. (We hope you’ll agree.) It’s got a hint of smokiness to highlight the tangy tomatoes and savory black beans. Top it with your favorite toppings, and it’s so hearty and savory, you’ll forget it’s healthy, too.

Ingredients in this black bean chili recipe

This vegetarian black bean chili recipe was inspired by open fire cooking. In fact, we first made it around our firepit during a kitchen reno! We adapted our healthy chili recipe to be even simpler so it was easy enough to cook on a fire. This is the stovetop version of it, and it’s got lots of great ingredients to bring massive flavor with little effort:

Onion
Garlic
Olive oil and butter
Quinoa
Black beans
Canned tomatoes
Corn
Mustard, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce
Chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt

The flavor secrets here? The butter adds the richness you need in a vegetarian chili. The mustard, ketchup and Worcestershire add tangy and savory notes. The kicker at the end? Adding a bit of smoked paprika, which helps to emulate that smokiness of the campfire chili we were inspired by.

Chili toppings: dress it up!

This vegetarian black bean chili is simple and elegant. In fact, you only really need to dice an onion and garlic, and let your stove do the rest of the work for you! Once it’s done, dress it up with the toppings of your choice. Here are our top choices, and then a few more creative ideas:

Sour cream and cheese: Just a little goes a long way! We think these are required. For vegan, use Cashew Cream or Vegan Queso.
Green onion: Thinly sliced green onion is the best fresh accessory.
Cilantro: Fresh cilantro leaves are a great addition.
Hot sauce: Naturally! A favorite is a Mexican hot sauce like Cholula.
Roasted salted pepitas: This unique option adds a salty crunch.
Pickled jalapenos or onions: Pickled jalapeños add a kick! If you think ahead, pickled onions are a favorite of ours: they add bright color and tangy flavor.

Leftover storage

This black bean chili recipe stores well and is great for leftovers! Here are a few notes on leftover storage:

Refrigerate for up to 3 days. It can become very thick, so you may need to add a splash of water when reheating.
Freeze for up to 3 months. This recipe works well frozen in a freezer-safe container.

Make it a meal: ways to serve black bean chili

There are so many ways to serve this black bean chili recipe — straight up in a bowl, or with more creative options! Here are a few ways to accessorize it:

Cornbread or corn muffins: Try Classic Cornbread Muffins, Homemade Cornbread or Easy Vegan Cornbread
Salad: Try Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula, Brussels Sprout Salad or BEST Kale Salad
Over baked potatoes: Try Chili Baked Potatoes
Over sweet potato wedges: Use it as a topping for Easy Sweet Potato Wedges
Over fries: Make them into Chili Cheese Fries!

Variation: cook it on an open fire

Sure, you probably won’t do this every day! But this black bean chili recipe is an ideal campfire chili, too. We first made this one over an open fire when our kitchen was undergoing a renovation, and it worked wonderfully! The fire infuses an incredible smokiness to the flavor. Here are a few notes:

Use a hardwood for the fire, like oak or cherry. These woods have the best flavor for cooking food.
Follow the recipe but omit the smoked paprika. You don’t need it since the fire infuses smoky flavor.
Advanced prep for camping: If you’re taking it camping, prep the minced onion and garlic and place in a sealed container. Place the ingredients from water through kosher salt in another large sealed container (keep out the dry quinoa and add when cooking).

Let us know if you try it in the comments below! It’s a fun variation, though we typically make this one on the stovetop.

More chili recipes

This black bean chili is our new favorite, but we’ve got lots of other chili recipes for the season! Here are a few to try:

This Quick Chili Recipe takes just 25 minutes and can be vegetarian or meat-filled
Try Ultimate Vegan Chili: it’s full of flavor!
Got a pressure cooker? Go for Best Ever Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
Opt for 3-Bean Healthy Chili Recipe
Add a sweet element with Best Sweet Potato Chili or Mango Black Bean Chili

Quick Chili Recipe

Ultimate Vegan Chili

Best Vegetarian Chili

3-Bean Healthy Chili Recipe

This black bean chili recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, replace the butter as noted in the recipe below.