American
Black Bean Chili Pot
Black beans, corn, onion, and chili powder simmer into a vegetarian chili. It is thick enough for a bowl and cheap enough for a weeknight.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Beans are the protein.
- The spice is measured.
- Corn keeps it from being one note.
- It is a pot, not a topping.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Rough grocery estimate for the full recipe: about $7–10 at a typical US supermarket. Prices vary by store, region, and season.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Cook the onion in the oil over medium until soft, about 4 minutes.
- 2
Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Stir 30 seconds.
- 3
Add the beans, tomatoes, corn, broth, and salt.
- 4
Simmer 20 minutes, uncovered, until thick.
- 5
Mash a cup of beans against the side of the pot if you want it thicker.
- 6
Stir in the lime juice and serve.
Pro tips
- Chili powder turns bitter if it fries too long. Get the tomatoes in.
- Taste the salt at the end. Canned tomatoes vary.
- Lime is not optional if you want it to taste finished.
Easy substitutions
- Corn
- A diced bell pepper
- Lime juice
- 1 tsp vinegar
- Vegetable broth
- Water
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days.
Reheating
Simmer until hot. It thickens as it sits.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 250
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fiber
- 12 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop, One Pan · Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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