Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 6 hrs 30 mins
Total: 6 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Black beans, beef, sausage, veggies, and spices make this Mexican-inspired chili a beautiful option for a family dinner or potluck gathering on a cold winter day. Heat up with the chili powder, grill seasoning, and cumin and get a hearty and healthy protein-filled serving thanks to the beef and sausage.
Make this recipe your own and adjust it to your preferences by replacing the canned black beans with Pinto beans, small red beans, or kidney beans—even garbanzos will work great thanks to their firm bite. Add extra jalapeno peppers for a hotter version or use a milder chile, like poblano, banana wax, or Anaheim peppers, if you don’t like or can’t handle spicy food.
Serve this chili with freshly baked cornbread, biscuits, or crusty rolls. Or heat up yellow corn tortillas and serve it with pico de gallo and sliced avocado.
Ingredients
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1 1/2 pounds ground beef (85% lean)
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1 cup chopped onion
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8 ounces smoked sausage (andouille, chicken sausage, or chorizo)
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1 red bell pepper, chopped
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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1 (4-ounce) can mild green chile peppers
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2 to 3 tablespoons diced jalapeño peppers
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2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, or fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
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1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
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1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
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1 teaspoon grill seasoning or seasoned salt
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2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
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1/2 teaspoon cumin
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
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Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a large non-stick skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, brown ground beef with chopped onion until meat is no longer pink. Stir frequently.
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Dice smoked sausage and add it to browned ground beef along with garlic and bell pepper. Continue cooking for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
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Transfer meat and vegetable mixture to slow cooker.
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Add mild chile peppers, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, and seasonings. Mix well.
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Cover slow cooker and cook on low for about 6 to 8 hours. Or cook the chili on high for about 3 hours.
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Garnish each bowl with fresh cilantro, if using.
Tips
- Top it off with sour cream or shredded cheese.
- Leftover chili is a great topping for hot dogs, baked potatoes, or french fries.
Chili All Year Round
Chili freezes beautifully; here are some tips on how to freeze it for best results:
- Make a double batch and freeze one for a future meal using one-portion containers or freezer bags. If you're sure you're going to use all the servings at once, use a sturdy freezer bag, reseal, and flatten the bag so it freezes horizontally using less space. Once frozen you can place the bag standing up.
- Make sure to label the chili with the date on which it was made and a "best by" date of six months later.
Variations and Substitutions
This beef chili is very forgiving and can be altered to your liking. Here are our suggested variations:
- If you want to use less beef, omit 1/3 of it and add another can of beans (drained and rinsed).
- Replace the smoked sausage with fresh chorizo, Italian sausage, or another spicy fresh sausage blend. Brown the sausage in the skillet along with the ground beef.
- Serrano peppers may replace the jalapeno peppers, but omitting the spicy chilis altogether won't alter a flavorful end product.
- Omit all beans, and make this a beef chili. Serve over tortilla chips, top with shredded cheese, sour cream, cubed avocado, and fresh salsa, and serve it like nachos. Or serve over brown rice with a side salad.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 8 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 435 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 23g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat 8g | 41% |
| Cholesterol 91mg | 30% |
| Sodium 1161mg | 50% |
| Total Carbohydrate 25g | 9% |
| Dietary Fiber 9g | 32% |
| Total Sugars 7g | |
| Protein 33g | |
| Vitamin C 78mg | 391% |
| Calcium 106mg | 8% |
| Iron 6mg | 31% |
| Potassium 1114mg | 24% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
