Homemade chili beans are so quick and easy to make! Perfect for a cold winter’s day, a family Sunday meal, or potluck.
You can use minimal ingredients as far as spice and flavorings go, using just plain salt and pepper, also omitting the jalapeño if desired, and still come out with a flavorful dish.
I enjoy a lot of spice so I add it all. In fact adding any type of your favorite BBQ sauce is an excellent way to achieve that.
My new found favorite ingredient that really adds so much to this recipe is mushroom ketchup. Yes, that’s right, mushroom ketchup! You can watch the video about it below, including how to make it, and visit Townsends for a bottle to try for yourself. So delicious!
Chili Beans
A nice hot and hearty, tasty dish, perfect for a cold day.
This recipe is easy to make on stovetop, Instant Pot, or in a crockpot.
If making it in a crockpot, you can add all the ingredients together and cook at once until meat is done through, or you can brown it in a pan separately along with onion and garlic for more flavor depth, then add the remaining ingredients and cook together until heated through and beans become tender.
If you are short some of the spices or want to change it up a bit, you can add 1/4-1/2 cup BBQ sauce, any style prefer.
Credit: ericarobbin.com
Chili Beans
- 1/4 pound ground hamburger meat
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 onion, any variety, diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, diced
- 2 tablespoons Geo Watkins mushroom ketchup
- 2-3 teaspoons of ground chile powder of choice
- 1 can, 12.5 oz (411 grams) whole peeled tomatoes, drained (set aside juice to use if needed) roughly sliced
- 1 can, 16 oz (1 lb/454 grams) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese, can use mild cheddar or longhorn, for topping
- Sour cream, dollops, for topping
Chili Beans
- On medium-high heat, brown the ground hamburger meat, stir in pepper and garlic salt.
- Add onion and garlic until just browning and turning translucent.
- Turn heat down to low and add remaining ingredients. The tomatoes will help to bring up the browned bits on bottom of pan.
- Simmer on low with lid on for about 15 minutes, until heated through and cooked down a bit while beans begin to turn tender, stirring occasionally. You may add any additional juice from the tomatoes as for desired texture if needed, if it starts to look dry, though typically the juice from the tomatoes will naturally cook down to add the perfect moisture.
- Once plated, top with shredded cheese and sour cream.
- Serve alone, with saltine crackers, or chips.
