Three Bean Chili

Easy three bean chili recipe combines a few pantry ingredients into one delicious pot of chili. This quick chili recipe can be spicy, mild, or vegetarian!

Three bean chili is a quick and easy recipe that makes a hearty meal in no time! This easy chili is ready in 40 minutes, and it only requires about 10 minutes of hands-on prep.

Below, you’ll find directions for customizing the chili to make it spicier, thinner, and there’s even a tasty vegetarian version. Three bean chili makes a great lunch or dinner, and it also works well for meal prep or as a freezer meal.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Onion: White onion also works well in this recipe. 
• Ground beef: Leaner ground beef works well in this recipe (85%, 88%, and 90%). Ground turkey and ground chicken can also be used. If using extra lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken, you may find that you need to add a teaspoon or so of oil when sautéing. 
• Sausage: The sausage adds a bit of extra fat and flavor to the chili. Mild, hot, and Italian sausage all work well. Feel free to substitute all ground beef in this recipe. However, if using all lean ground beef, add 1 tablespoon of oil when sautéing. 
• Beans: The amounts of each bean can be adjusted to taste. You’ll just need a total of 5 cans of beans for this chili. Black beans work well in this recipe and can be used in addition to or substituted for any of the other types of beans. 
• Chili seasoning: Hot or mild packets can be used. You can also use a homemade chili seasoning blend.
• Diced tomatoes: Other types of canned tomatoes that work well in this chili are Ro-Tel (tomatoes with diced green chilies) and fire roasted diced tomatoes. 
• Tomato paste

How to make three bean chili

Add ground beef, ground sausage, and onion to an 8-Quart Dutch oven or stockpot.

Sauté onion and meat until the onion is soft and translucent and the meats are no longer pink. If you are using lean meats or swapping out the sausage, you can add a tablespoon of olive or canola oil to help with the sautéing.

Add remaining ingredients: white beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, chili seasoning, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.

Stir and heat over medium until chili comes to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat.

Slow cooker directions

To make the chili in the slow cooker, sauté the onion, ground beef, and sausage in a skillet on the stove. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.

Add the ground beef mixture and the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker insert. Stir to combine.

Cover, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Variations

Spicy: To make the chili spicier, use hot ground sausage in place of the ground sausage, hot chili seasoning in place of the chili seasoning, and hot Ro-tel in place of the diced tomatoes.

To add even more kick, sauté fresh chopped jalapeños along with the onions.

Vegetarian: To make the chili vegetarian, omit the ground beef and ground sausage. Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of vegetable, olive, or canola oil.

Continue with the recipe as-written, adding in 2 additional 15-ounce cans of beans.

Thinner chili: For thinner chili, add 1-2 cups of water or chicken or beef broth.

Serving suggestions

Three bean chili is delicious as-is and is hearty enough to be a meal by itself. However, the toppings and side ideas below go well with the chili.

Toppings: Grated cheese, green onions, jalapeños, sour cream

Sides: Corn chips, tortilla chips, cornbread muffins, cinnamon rolls

Storage

The chili will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

To freeze: The chili freezes well. To freeze chili, let it come to room temperature after cooking. Place in freeze-safe containers.

To serve, let the chili thaw overnight in the fridge. Warm in the microwave or on the stove to desired temperature.

More chili recipes!

• Barbecue Chili Recipe
• Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Quinoa Chili
• Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Chili

If you’ve tried this three bean chili recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!

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