Black Bean Beef Chili Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best meat to bean ratio for chili? ›

For each pound of meat, you will need about one 28-ounce can of tomato (diced or pureed), two 15-ounce cans of beans, 1 to 2 cups of minced onion, and 1½ to 2 tablespoons of chile powder. But this isn't a hard and fast formula — I frequently change proportions depending on my mood.

The best beans for chili are pinto, kidney, and black beans, like in this easy and tasty recipe. This 3-bean chili freezes great for meals later in the week. If you prefer thinner chili, add an extra can of tomato sauce. The green chiles are not hot and add a wonderful flavor, so don't be afraid to use them.

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. Open your cans of beans using a can opener. There may be sharp edges from opening the can.

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.

The best ground beef for chili has some fat, so 85% lean is ideal. Don't be tempted to use extra-lean beef or drain off the fat after browning the meat. The fat bastes the meat during cooking, which adds richness to the sauce and keeps the meat moist.

Spices: While cumin, chile powder, and cayenne pepper tend to be common additions to many chili recipes, there's a broad world of flavor out there to experiment with. Try a little fenugreek, turmeric, garam masala, or sumac to layer in more complex flavors.

Most Common Chili Spices. Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.

Professional chefs shared their favorite ways to turn a can of chili into a tastier option. Cocoa, beer, and cinnamon are ingredients that'll boost the flavor of your dish. Fresh toppings are an easy way to add new flavor and texture to the premade meal.

Diced Tomatoes: I prefer to use “petite diced tomatoes” because the chunks are smaller and I find that they incorporate into the final dish much better than the much larger chunks that you find in regular diced tomatoes.

Many chili aficionados add a little sweetness to their chili with some brown sugar or even maple syrup to complement the earthy peppers and balance out some of the spice. But adding corn cobs to your chili is the secret to bringing natural sweetness without adding sugar.

When to add canned beans to chili? ›

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.

Cooking Instructions

DO NOT DRAIN CHILI BEANS. (That's what thickens it up, I don't use tomato paste) add juice and all! Do Not drain Stewed tomatoes,diced tomatoes,or tomatoes with green chiles. Add all ingredients, and seasoning, mix.

"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.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato juice, ketchup, beans, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic salt, pepper, paprika, cumin and cayenne. Simmer: Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, then reduce the heat and simmer over medium-low heat for at least one hour, or up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

The best meat for chili depends on the type you're making, but professionals generally use a combination of ground chuck, brisket, short ribs, or diced tri-tip sirloin mixed with bacon and sausage to layer multiple textures and flavors.

Ratio is 5:1 water to beans. Optimum soak time is 6 hours. Go much longer and some of those beans may start to break. Afterward soaking, rinse and start again with fresh, filtered water, ratio 3:1 for cooking.

Ground chuck or beef that is 80% meat and 20% fat gives the best overall flavor. Ground sirloin which is a 90/10 blend gives a drier and heartier texture. You can use a combination of both to get a balanced lean-to-fat ratio from the chuck and the hearty, beefy leanness from the sirloin.

There's a bit of personal preference involved here. I recommend you start at 2 Tablespoons per pound of meat. However, I personally prefer a very heavily seasoning chili, and use about ¼ cup per 1 pound of meat.