Chipotle Beef and Bean Chili is smoky, spicy with layers of flavor and soon to become your go-to chili recipe! Best of all, it makes plenty so it’s perfect for a casual get-together or to freeze some for later!
Hey, friends! Chili is always something I get excited about and I HAVE to make a big pot every fall. This chili is also award-winning! No big international or regional chili cooking contest, but a church chili cook-off where everyone agreed it was the BEST chili of the cook-off! I’m so happy to finally share it with you!
Chipotle Beef and Bean Chili has layers and layers of spicy flavor in various forms starting with fresh Poblanos, chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chili powder and canned diced tomatoes with green chiles.
What are chipotle peppers?
Chipotle (pronounced chip-OT-lee) peppers are smoked and dried jalapeno peppers, generally red jalapeno peppers which is why they’re very hot! Dried or canned in adobo sauce are the two most common forms that are readily available in most grocery stores.
Beans or no beans?
If you’re from Texas, no. True Texas chili doesn’t even have tomatoes.
If you’re from anywhere else, do as you please.
I like beans in chili because I prefer the added texture and find eating straight meat chili a little monotonous (but don’t tell Texas that).
How to make Chipotle Beef and Bean Chili:
- Gather up all the ingredients:
- Onion
- Celery
- Red bell pepper
- Poblano peppers
- Garlic…
- The meat:
- I prefer ground chuck because it’s always tender and flavorful. You could use ground sirloin or even ground turkey for something leaner.
- The spices:
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Mexican oregano
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- The wet ingredients:
- Beef broth
- Crushed tomatoes
- Tomato puree
- Diced tomatoes with green chiles
- Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- The beans:
- Pinto beans
- Black beans
- Or any type of bean you like.
- Cook the onions, celery, peppers and garlic in oil until soft and melty.
- Brown the beef and season it with salt and black pepper.
- I prefer to brown the beef separately in a large skillet. If you brown the beef in something with high sides like a Dutch oven, the meat “steams” rather than browns. Also, all the flavor from the vegetables stay in the chili rather than getting drained away with the fat from the beef.
- Drain off all the excess grease from the beef and transfer it to the Dutch oven.
- Sprinkle the spices over the beef and stir well.
- Add the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 1 hour. At this point, you could combine everything in a slow cooker and let it cook away.
That’s it!
Then, pile on the garnishes and accompaniments!
- Cheese
- Tortilla chips
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Avocado
- Onion
- A squeeze of lime
Delish!
Chipotle Beef and Bean Chili reheats beautifully and is freezer-friendly! We also love to make a taco salad with leftovers!
Let’s eat!
Be sure to check out my other chili recipes:
- Skillet Turkey Pinto Bean Chili with Pepper Jack Biscuit Topping
- Turkey, Black Bean and Quinoa Chili
- Slow Cooker Colorado Green Chili
- Beef and Chorizo Chili with Black Beans
- Chipotle Chicken and White Bean Chili
Chipotle Beef and Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 large onions - chopped
- 2 stalks celery - chopped
- 4 large Poblano peppers - seeded and chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper - seeded and chopped
- 10 cloves garlic - chopped
- 4 pounds ground chuck
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chili powder - hot or mild
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 can (29-ounce) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (10.75-ounce) tomato puree - 10.75-ounce tomato puree
- 1 can (10-ounce) diced tomatoes with green chiles - undrained
- 1 cup water - for rinsing out the cans of tomatoes
- 3-4 chipotle chiles canned in adobo sauce - plus 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce, chopped
- 2 cans (15-ounce each) pinto beans - drained and rinsed
- 2 cans (15-ounce each) black beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon sugar - if needed or to taste
- Cheese
- Tortilla chips
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Avocado
- Onion
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5-7 minutes or until beginning to soften.
- Add the celery, Poblanos and red bell pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chuck, season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Brown well, breaking up the meat as you go until no longer pink. Drain off all excess fat.
- Transfer the browned meat to the Dutch oven. Sprinkle the spices over the meat and stir well.
- Add the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, diced tomatoes with green chiles.
- Measure out approximately 1 cup water and rinse out the cans of tomatoes and add the liquid to the Dutch oven.
- Add the chopped chipotle chiles, the adobo sauce and the beans.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 hour.
- Let stand for 15-20 minutes. Season to taste with salt, black pepper and a pinch of sugar if needed.
- Serve with garnishes of choice: Cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeno, avocado, onion/scallion and lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Joe @ Joe's Healthy Meals says
This looks like the real deal chili recipe Carol. Can’t wait to gather the ingredients and make this one of these cold nights. Thanks for sharing.
Carol says
Hi, Joe, Thanks so very much and great to hear from you! Hope you enjoy!