These chili beans are more mild and less fatty than most, especially if you use ground turkey instead of ground beef. Yet they are very flavorful, hearty, and filling. My mom learned this method of preparing chili beans years ago, when she was still teaching school, from a fellow teacher from Louisiana.
What Are Chili Beans?
Chili beans are beans cooked with a ground meat chili sauce. Chili beans are usually made with pinto beans, though you can also use kidney beans or black beans. The chili sauce uses ground beef or turkey. We make our chili beans with pinto beans and serve them over rice, but you could serve them with cornbread, in a burrito, or over quinoa.
How to Make Chili Beans
Start with cooking the beans. You can use canned beans if you’re in a rush, but if you have time, it’s worth making your own beans for their superior flavor and texture. Here are two great methods for making beans:
How to Cook Beans on the Stove Top How to Cook Beans in the Pressure Cooker
While the beans are cooking, cook the rice. Once the beans are cooked, the chili beans are easily finished on the stovetop. Cook the onions, then brown the meat. Add tomatoes, jalapeños, the beans, and seasonings, and let everything simmer for about 10 minutes. Simmering will help bring all the flavors of the dish together. Serve over the rice.
Want Spicier Chili Beans?
As is, this recipe makes a fairly mild batch of chili beans. If you’d like more heat, just add more chili powder to taste, or a little cayenne pepper. You can also add Tabasco or Crystal hot sauce, either to the pot or to each individual bowl.
How to Store and Freeze Chili Beans
These chili beans will keep for about a week in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave or over low heat on the stovetop. Add a splash of water or broth if the beans seem dry when reheating. To freeze, transfer the cooled chili beans to freezer containers or bags and remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or reheat from frozen. Reheat in the microwave or over low heat on the stove top.
Looking for More Chili Recipes?
Cincinnati Chili Black Bean Turkey Chili Pumpkin Chili Chili Con Carne White Chicken Chili
The cooking time will vary depending on the batch of beans you have. The beans are done when they are soft and the skin is just beginning to break open. Pressure Cooker Method: Put beans into a 4-quart or larger pressure cooker . Fill the pressure cooker with water up to the line that indicates the capacity for the pot (about 2/3 of the way). Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, until the beans are soft and the skins are barely breaking open. Allow the pressure cooker to cool completely before opening. If there is resistance when attempting to open the cooker, do not open it, allow it to cool further. Follow the directions for your brand of pressure cooker. (See How to Make Fast No Soak Beans in a Pressure Cooker.) Strain the beans from the cooking water. Remove from heat, keep covered, and let steam for 10 minutes. Remove the onions to a bowl. Add the tomatoes, the sliced jalapeno pepper, the chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of sugar to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes. Stir to combine. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, tasting and adding more salt if needed to taste.
