This 3 bean chili is easy to make and huge on flavor with ground beef and spicy chorizo simmered with fire roasted tomatoes, spices, and lots of beans!
Three Bean Chili Recipe
Who's ready for a delicious bowl of 3 Bean Chili? I am! This is a soul warming bowl of comfort right here, my friends, and I think you're going to love it.
My easy three bean chili is loaded with layers of flavor. We start with a base of onions, jalapeno peppers, and garlic, then lots of aromatic spices.
We're using two types of ground meats here - ground beef and spicy Mexican chorizo - then simmering the whole pot in beef stock and fire roasted tomatoes for an experience you absolutely crave.
And don't forget the beans! It isn't a three bean chili without 3 types of beans! If you love beans in your chili, this is the dish for you.
Let's talk about how to make three bean chili, shall we?
Three Bean Chili Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Oil. For cooking
- Fresh Vegetables. Onion, jalapeno, garlic. Use bell peppers for milder.
- Meats. Ground beef, Mexican chorizo.
- Spices. Chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper.
- Tomato Paste.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes.
- Beef Broth. You can use vegetable broth or chicken broth.
- Beans. I'm using red kidney beans, black beans, and white beans (Great northern beans). Pinto beans are a great option.
- Hot Sauce.
- Toppings. Choose your favorites!
How to Make Three Bean Chili - the Recipe Method
Cook the onion, peppers, and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven until softened, then add the ground beef and chorizo.
Cook the meats down until mostly cooked through, then stir in the seasonings and tomato paste.
Cook for a minute or 2 to let the spices bloom, then stir in the beef broth, tomatoes, and three cans of beans, and hot sauce to taste.
Simmer the pot of chili, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle and develop, stirring occasionally. You can simmer longer if you’d like, up to 60 minutes.
Boom! Done! Your 3 bean chili is ready to serve. Add all your favorite toppings. I like a bit of shredded cheese, crema or sour cream, spicy chili flakes, jalapeno slices, and fresh cilantro.
But use your favorites! Great options are tortilla chips or fritos for crunch, extra hot sauce, shredded cheese, you name it!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Slow Cooker Version. To make this recipe in a slow cooker or crock pot, cook down the onion, peppers, garlic, and ground meats per the recipe, then add them to your slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours, then serve.
Storage & Leftovers
Leftover chili will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It's usually better the next day. Heat it up on the stove top to enjoy again.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months. Chili is great for freezing.
Heat Factor
Medium. You'll get some good spicy heat with this dish from the combination of chili powder, jalapeno peppers, Mexican chorizo, and hot sauce.
You can dial back the heat with a milder chili powder, and by using green bell peppers instead of jalapenos. You can also look for a milder chorizo brand, and skip the hot sauce.
To heat things up, use serrano peppers or hotter chilies, and your favorite ghost pepper hot sauce. Yes!
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my meaty 3 bean chili recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.
- The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Three Bean Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2-3 jalapeno peppers diced (use bell pepper for milder heat)
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound Mexican chorizo
- 3 tablespoons chili powder or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, for extra spicy
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 2 15 ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 ounce can black beans
- 1 15 ounce can white beans use great northern beans or cannellini beans
- hot sauce to taste
- Toppings. Choose your favorites!
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot to medium heat.
- Add the onion and peppers and cook 2-3 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the ground beef and chorizo and break apart with a wooden spoon. Brown the meat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the chili powder, ground cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper to taste, and tomato paste. Cook 1-2 minutes to let the spices bloom.
- Stir in the beef broth, tomatoes, and three cans of beans, and hot sauce to taste.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle and develop. You can simmer longer if you’d like, up to 60 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite chili toppings, like shredded cheddar cheese, spicy chili flakes, sour cream, chopped green onion, chopped cilantro or parsley, fritos or tortilla chips, or others.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Glen Thomas says
This is a great, savory recipe. I added corn as a personal preference and kept the heat mild for the Mrs., but added some some Arizona Gunslinger Chipotle Habanero hot sauce once I made bowl of it. A little garden grown green onions plus some avocado for garnish, along with a handful of Frito's did the trick. It's still pretty warm outside but I am happy to prematurely begin chili season!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! An early start to chili season! Reason enough to make a bowl. Thank you, Glen. Very happy you enjoyed it.
Linda says
Fabulous chili!! It is still too warm for winter food, but the description and picture was too enticing, I made a put today. Have to admit, I used quite less spices than recipe called for (my husband can not have spicy food), but with all that the result wad really good. Will definitely keep on rotation!!
Mike H. says
Thank you, Linda - I am happy to hear it! =)
Scott Parkinson says
This is an outstanding chili and one of the best I have ever made. It is my wife and daughter's favorite chili! I like it because I love the taste and can add hot sauce to heat it up. I made this last week, and they want me to make it again!
Mike Hultquist says
Huge praise, Scott! VERY happy you and your family enjoyed it! I hope you can make it again soon. Have a GREAT day!
Jaree Hall says
Loved this recipe! It was a little different from a regular chili, but really delicious. The chorizo was wonderful and so were the three kinds of beans. I used “fooled you” jalapeños instead of regular ones. (These have the jalapeño taste without the heat.) I added another tablespoon of chili powder and another teaspoon of cumin, but otherwise the same. We like our chili with cheese and fritoes or cornbread. This one will definitely go in the recipe box for a repeat.
Mike H. says
Happy to hear it, Jaree. Enjoy the chili!
Nicole says
I made this for football Sunday yesterday and it was a huge hit! We had a lot of kids eating it so I used bell peppers instead of jalapenos as suggested and it was perfect - still super flavorful!
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding!! Glad everyone enjoyed it, Nicole!! I appreciate it!
Amanda Carroll says
This was delicious! A great way to use up a lot of beans. The chorizo added a nice flavor. I tamed the heat so my kids would eat it (and they did). I only used 1 jalapeno, skipped the cayenne, and stirred hot sauce into my individual portion instead of the whole pot. Garnished with sour cream, avocado, Fritos, and green onion. Keeping this recipe since the whole family liked it.
Mike Hultquist says
Thank you, Amanda! I love it! Great way to adapt the heat for everyone. I appreciate your comments!
Jane Landrum says
This Three Bean Chili is so good,my whole family loved it. I didn't change a thing,made it according to directions with all the toppings. I will be making it for the Chili cook off at church this year.
Mike Hultquist says
Wonderful! Thanks so much, Jane! I hope you win! Another person who just made this won their chili cookoff recently! Let me know how you do!
Jeffrey Baker says
What great chili recipe, combining the flavors of two meats and three beans!! You hit a home run here, Mike! I cooked min in a crockpot for 6 hours, as I wanted to use dried heirloom beans, (Calypso, Pinto and Chiopas black). I only added in a tablespoon of chipotle chile powder to increase the smoky flavor without the heat. The cooking filled the house with a delightful aroma, setting off the hunger of the family for dinner. Crockpot cooking lets you walk away from the cooking and create a sumptuous culinary delight!
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding! Thanks for sharing this, Jeffrey. I agree, you get so much freedom with the crock pot! Glad you enjoyed it!
Ann Aikens says
This recipe is so easy and absolutely delicious!! I used fresh jalapeños from my garden. Wouldn’t change a thing!!
Mike H. says
Love hearing it, Ann. Thank you!
Perry says
Mike I finally got around to making this chili and it is delicious! Made it on Friday then put in the fridge overnight. On Saturday I cooked it again adding the beans and adjusting the seasonings. We ate it last night with some jalapeno cornbread, WOW. I give it a 2-3 on the Alarm scale but a 5 on the Ratings scale. The spices and flavors are excellent!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes! Thanks, Perry! Awesome! Glad you like it!
Allan Richts says
Made this Friday night, had it for breakfast Saturday and supper again🫣then this morning for breakfast again🤦🏼♂️😂😂absolutely delicious 👏🏻👏🏻, thanks for the recipe🙏🏻🫡.
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! Another winner! Thanks, Allan!
Sean E. says
Made this for the second time (first time last year). Only changes were bell peppper instead of jalapenos - I cook for some lightweights, lol. Since my wife doesn't eat pork, I used beef chorizo - which I didn't know existed until I looked it up! So flavorful and delicious. Next time will probably make a double batch and freeze some for later!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Thanks, Sean! Yes, still good with bells, and it does freeze very nicely!
Jeremy Hilliker says
Tried making this chili the first time as my entry to a chili competition…it won! I did add a little bit of dark chocolate and put the pot in the smoker for a little bit to add some smoky flavor, but other than that, followed this recipe to a T. I highly recommend this chili recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! This is great to hear! I love a bit of smoke on my chili, too. Love it! Thanks for sharing this, Jeremy!