Chipotle Chili with Beef and Black Beans

Mmm, chili. I know it’s traditionally a cold-weather dish, but I love it year round – it’s just so hearty and filling. Plus, I appreciate any dish that can be made in one pot.

Seriously. I am not a fan of doing the dishes. I think about 90% of my recipes are centered around things in one pot, skillet, or the crockpot.

This chipotle chili recipe is my spin on a version of chili that I found on Budget Bytes (one of my favorite recipe blogs by the way – everything I’ve tried from her blog is awesome and the dishes are meant to be inexpensive). I’ve made several changes in my version including the type of meat and adding some chipotle peppers.

This has got some kick to it. You can easily adjust it to your liking by cutting back on the chipotles for a less spicy dish (as well as using tomatoes without chiles). Or you can spice it up even more by adding additional chipotles.

From a dietitian’s perspective, I like this dish because the lean ground beef adds some iron, tomatoes add lots of potassium, and black beans contribute healthy carbs and fiber. From a cook’s perspective, I like it because it’s quick to throw together and doesn’t require a ton of ingredients. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

{And from a photographer’s perspective, I realize it’s not one of the prettiest meals to photograph, haha – but it’s darn tasty.}

It’s been a while since I posted a good hearty dinner recipe, so I hope you enjoy this one!

Chipotle Chili with Beef and Black Beans

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (I recommend 90/10 or 93/7 for lean options – I used 90/10)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp black pepper
(2) 15 ounce cans of low sodium black beans (undrained)
14.5 ounce can of tomatoes with green chiles (undrained)
1 chipotle pepper, minced, + 1 tbsp adobo sauce (cut back to ½ a pepper and 1 tsp sauce if you don’t like heat)

Optional toppings:
Green onions, chopped
Cheddar cheese
Sour cream

Directions:

Add ground beef, onion, and garlic to pot. Cook until browned (I don’t put any oil or anything in the pot – I toss all three in at the beginning, and figure the fat from the meat will be used to help saute the onion and garlic).
Add all spices to the pot and stir.
Add black beans, tomatoes with chiles, and chipotle pepper + adobo sauce.
Cook for 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until chili has thickened a little bit. Garnish with optional toppings as desired. Enjoy!

Approximate nutrition analysis (assuming 4 larger servings with no cheese or sour cream):

425 calories, 12 g fat (5 g sat fat), 500 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 14 g fiber, 37 g protein
Vitamin C: 15%, Iron: 33%; Folate: 61%; Potassium: 30%

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.