Black Bean and Beef Chili (Stovetop or Slow Cooker)

I’m updating this family favorite Black Bean and Beef Chili to make it a bit lower in carbs and higher in protein! And Avocado Salsa is the perfect finishing touch for this chili recipe that you can make in the slow cooker or on the stove.

PIN the Black Bean and Beef Chili to try it later!

This recipe for Black Bean and Beef Chili is favorite chili recipe that you can make in the slow cooker or on the stove. This is a recipe I’ve made many times for Super Bowl parties, and it’s always been a hit. Of course chili with black beans does have some carbs. But recently I made this recipe for friends and realized I could make two easy changes that would make this favorite chili  recipe slightly lower in carbs and higher in protein!

So I decided to update the recipe, and even took some new photos so people would realize the recipe had been slightly changed. The new version cuts the black beans down from three cans to two, and increases the ground beef from one pound to two. (Only the ingredients are changed; the cooking method is the same.) And if anyone was a fan of the original recipe, just check the NOTES section of the full recipe; I will copy the original ingredients there.

I hope you try this updated recipe if it’s not too much of a carb splurge for you! I admit, it’s partly the black beans that make me love this chili so much. And the fresh-squeezed lime juice and chopped cilantro stirred into the chili at the end gets a big thumbs up from me. But what really puts this Chili into over-the-top status for me is the creamy avocado-cilantro-onion salsa, which I think might be the perfect topping for chili!

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• black beans
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• lean ground beef
• red onion
• Chili Powder (affiliate link)
• pinch ground Chipotle chile pepper (affiliate link) or one diced chile from a can of Chipotle Chiles in Adobo (optional)
• ground Ancho chile (affiliate link)
• ground Cumin (affiliate link)
• beef stock or canned beef broth (affiliate link)
• tomato paste (affiliate link)
• lime juice, I used my fresh-frozen lime juice
• diced tomatoes
• red onion
• cilantro
• avocados
• salt and black pepper

What is Chili?

The American stew called Chili has endless variations, and it’s a perfect cold weather dish. For anyone not familiar with the cuisine of the Southwestern United States, here’s some info about the dish called Chili:

• Yes, it does usually contain ground chiles (small red or green hot peppers) as well as chili powder (a seasoning blend). But there are lots of other things that define chili.
• Sometimes Chili has meat, and it could be beef, pork, chicken, or turkey, but Chili can also be a vegetarian dish.
• There are Chili recipes with or without beans, (and some purists say that true Chili should never have beans!)
• For recipes that do use beans, many types will work, including red beans, black beans, white beans, pinto beans, and more.
• Besides chile peppers, meat and possibly beans, most Chili recipes also include include tomatoes and onions.

When do I serve this Black Bean and Beef Chili?

Chili is a great party food, as well as something that’s nice to have in the freezer, and it’s especially good when the weather is cold! But in my family this Black Bean and Beef Chili is famous for being the ultimate game-day food, and it’s made an appearance at quite a few Super Bowl parties through the years!

How low in carbs is the updated Black Bean and Beef Chili?

The new version of this favorite chili recipe with fewer beans and more ground beef has 17 net carbs and 34 grams of protein. (The original recipe had 23 net carbs and 29 grams of protein.)

What if you prefer chili without beans?

Check out my round-up of Amazing Low-Carb and Keto Chili Recipes if you prefer a chili without beans.

What if you’re not a fan of cilantro?

Normally I recommend replacing cilantro with thinly sliced green onion. But this recipe already has finely chopped red onion in the chili and in the avocado salsa. So I would just omit the cilantro if you’re not a fan.

How to make Black Bean and Beef Chili:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Start by rinsing one can of black beans and letting them drain.  (These original photos are from a double batch of Chili I made for my family Super Bowl party, you won’t have that many beans.)
2. Puree the second can of black beans with the tomatoes in a food processor (affiliate link) or blender.
3. Heat most of the oil in heavy soup pot, brown the ground beef, then remove beef to a bowl.
4. Add a bit more oil if needed and saute half the onion until it’s starting to soften. Then add the chile powders (and ground chipotle chile pepper if using) and ground cumin and cook a minute or two until the spices are fragrant.
5. Add beef stock to the soup pot, then add browned ground beef, pureed bean mixture, drained beans, and tomato paste. Stir, and let the chili start to simmer on medium heat.
6. While chili simmer, dice avocados and toss it with 1/4 cup lime juice.
7. Then stir in half of the chopped onion and half the chopped cilantro. (Keep the salsa in the fridge if you’re simmering the chili a while like I did.)
8. The Chili can cook in about 30 minutes, but I like to turn the heat to very low and simmer it for a couple of hours when I have time. It will thicken a bit and cook down slightly.
9. Stir in the rest of the lime juice and chopped cilantro when the chili is as thick as you’d like it and cook a few minutes more.
10. Taste chili and season to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
11. Serve Black Bean and Beef Chili hot, with a generous scoop of avocado salsa on top.

More Chili Recipes You Might Like:

• Pumpkin Chili with Ground Beef (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot)
• Amy’s Amazing White Chicken Chili (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
• Beef Chili with Sausage, Mushrooms, and Olives (Stovetop)

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe for Black Bean and Beef Chili has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

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Yield: 8 servings

Black Bean and Beef Chili

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes

I've updated this recipe for Black Bean and Beef Chili so it's slightly lower in carbs and higher in protein! And I think the avocado salsa really puts this chili over the top in flavor! There are instructions for making this on the stove or in the slow cooker, whichever you prefer.

Ingredients

• two 14 ounce cans black beans
• 1 T olive oil (or more, depending on your pan)
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• one 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 cup very finely diced red onion (divided)
• 1 T or more regular chile powder (preferably New Mexico chile powder)
• 1 T or more ground Ancho chile pepper (Ancho chile powder adds great flavor, but can use more regular chile powder)
• about 1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle chile pepper (ground chipotle is hot so use sparingly.)
• 2 tsp. ground cumin (or more)
• 2 cups homemade beef stock or 1 can beef broth
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice, divided (I used my fresh-frozen lime juice)
• 1 bunch chopped cilantro (divided)
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I didn’t use any salt)

Salsa Ingredients:

• half of the red onion (from above)
• half of the fresh lime juice (from above)
• half of the chopped cilantro (from above)
• 2 avocados, finely diced

Instructions

1. Drain 1 can black beans into colander and rinse well, until no more foam appears.
2. Let beans drain while you use a food processor (affiliate link) to puree the other can of undrained beans and the can of diced tomatoes and liquid. Process the beans and tomatoes about 2 minutes, until they are fairly smooth.
3. In bottom of heavy soup pot, heat 1-2 tsp. olive oil and brown the beef, using the back of the turner to break it into small pieces.
4. Remove beef to bowl, then add a bit more olive oil and 1/2 cup chopped red onion to the pan.
5. Lower heat a little and cook onions until they are softened but not starting to brown. Then add all the chile powders and cumin (affiliate link) and saute about 30 seconds.
6. Add beef stock to pan; then add browned ground beef, pureed bean mixture, drained beans from colander and tomato paste and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or longer.
7. (I like to simmer my Chili at very low heat for nearly two hours, if you have time for that. Halfway through the cooking time, you could taste to see if you want additional chile powder. I think chile powder is something you need quite a bit of in a dish like this.)
8. While Chili simmers, dice avocados and place in plastic bowl with 1/4 cup fresh lime juice.
9. Rinse and finely chop the cilantro.
10. Mix 1/2 cup red onion and half the chopped cilantro into the avocado-lime juice mixture. (This can be kept in the refrigerator while the Chili cooks, but be sure to mix the lime juice with the avocado as soon as you cut it to keep the avocado from turning brown.)
11. When chili has thickened to your liking, stir in the other half of the chopped cilantro and 1/4 cup lime juice into the pot and cook chili about 5 minutes more.
12. Taste chili and season with salt and black pepper if desired.
13. Serve Black Bean and Beef Chili hot, with a generous scoop of avocado salsa on top of each serving.

To Adapt for the Crockpot:

1. Reduce the beef stock to 1 or 1 1/2 cups (depending on how thick you want the chili.)
2. Use an extra tsp. of regular and ancho chile powder. (I wouldn’t increase the chipotle chile powder; you can add hot sauce at the table if you want more heat.)
3. Prepare all the chili ingredients as above, except adding to the slow cooker instead of to a soup pot.
4. Then cook 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low (depending on how hot your Crockpot cooks.) Turn to low when you add the lime juice and cilantro and cook about 15 minutes.
5. Serve with salsa as above.

Notes

Ingredients for Original Version with more Beans and less Beef

(I am copying this as it appeared in the original recipe. Nowdays I am a bit better at listing ingredients in the order they are used, so I made a few changes in the new-and-improved recipe above to reflect that!)

• three 14 ounce cans black beans
• one 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (to thicken)
• 1 T olive oil (or more, depending on your pan)
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup very finely diced red onion
• 1 T or more regular chile powder (preferably New Mexico chile powder )
• 1 T or more ground Ancho chile pepper (Ancho chile powder adds great flavor, but can use more regular chile powder)
• about 1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle chile pepper (see notes)
• 2 tsp. ground cumin (or more)
• 2 cups homemade beef stock or 1 can beef broth
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice (I used my fresh-frozen lime juice)
• 1 can black beans (to thicken)

Salsa Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion (or less)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (I used my fresh-frozen lime juice)
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 2 avocados, finely diced
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I didn’t use any salt)

This recipe was adapted slightly from Fine Cooking Annual 2008.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 388Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 70mgSodium 804mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 13gSugar 5gProtein 34g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
When it’s made with low-fat ground beef, this Black Bean and Beef Chili would be a great main dish for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. This updated recipe a lower-carb chili, but it would still be a slight splurge for low-carb eaters and to high for Keto. Check out Amazing Low-Carb Chili Recipes for no-bean chili recipes that are delicious and low in carbs.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup & Stew Recipes to find more recipes like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This chili recipe with beef and black beans was first posted in 2008, and I’ve probably made this at least 50 times since then! The recipe was updated to a version with fewer beans and more ground Beef in 2026.