This slow cooker black bean chili is the perfect bowl of cozy comfort for busy days! It's easy to make with simple ingredients and a perfect way to ring in soup season.

Best of all? It's packed with fiber and protein.

Nothing on this planet is cozier than a warm bowl of chili on a cold night. Picture this: you're curled up in your pajamas, slippers on, candle lit, and dinner is waiting for you in the Crock Pot. Pure bliss if you ask me!

This black bean chili recipe is hearty, flavorful, and satisfying. It makes enough for leftovers (which taste even better the next day), and freezes wonderfully.

Filled with satisfying protein and fiber, it's a healthy meal that the whole family will enjoy!

Why You'll Love It:

A hearty one-pot meal. Chili is a universal favorite, and is it any wonder? It's a budget-friendly, filling meal that has protein, veggies, AND fiber. That's a win in my books!
Great for game day. Make a chili bar with various toppings and ways to serve it (baked potatoes, nachos, chili cheese fries, etc.) for the best football food layout in history. One warning: you'll be hosting from now until eternity.
Easy dietary swaps. This recipe is already gluten-free and is easy to make dairy-free, vegetarian, etc. You can make it work for every family!

Ingredients

Black beans: You will need 3 cans (15 ounces each) of black beans. For this recipe, we use the liquid in the cans, but if you prefer to drain and rinse your beans, you can do so - just add 1-2 cups of beef broth instead.
Ground beef: This makes for such a hearty chili! But if you prefer a meatless chili, you can use vegan crumbles OR cubed sweet potatoes (the combo of black beans and sweet potatoes is delicious!).
Rotel tomatoes (aka tomatoes and green chiles): These are a combination of diced tomatoes and green chiles (poblano peppers - a very mild type) and can be found in most grocery stores. If you don't have any on hand, you can combine regular diced tomatoes with half of a can of green chiles (try my Rotel substitute)
Seasonings: Chili powder, cumin, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.

You will also need:

Tomato sauce
Onion
Garlic
Worcestershire sauce
Tomato paste
Favorite toppings (cheese, sour cream, green onion, tortilla chips, etc.)

How to Make Crock Pot Black Bean Chili

Browning ground beef and adding it to a slow cooker with beans, tomatoes, etc. to make chili.

Add the ground beef and diced onion to a large skillet, breaking up any large chunks with the bottom of a wooden spoon.
Continue cooking (and crumbling) the beef until it's fully browned with no pink spots remaining. Drain off any excess fat and grease.
Add 3 cans of black beans, a can of Rotel (green chiles and tomatoes), 1 cup of tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, and all of the seasonings to a large slow cooker.
Mix everything until well combined.
Add the browned ground beef and onion and stir it in gently until the beef is evenly distributed in the chili.
Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 hours. Then taste, adjust salt as needed, and ladle into bowls. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions (or the toppings of your choice).

A spoon taking a portion of black bean chili from a large pot.

Topping Ideas

Sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
Shredded cheese
Crushed tortilla chips

Chopped scallions (AKA green onion)
Fresh cilantro
Sliced avocado

Can I Make it in an Instant Pot?

Yes! While we prefer the flavor that chili has when cooked low and slow in a Crock Pot, you can use an Instant Pot if you're in a hurry (and it tastes great!).

Using the saute function, brown the ground beef and onion until no pink remains. Drain off any excess grease.
Add the black beans, Rotel, tomato sauce, tomato paste, seasonings, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to the Instant Pot.
Cook on manual pressure for 15 minutes; once the cooking time is up, allow the pot to do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then switch the valve to venting to release the remaining pressure.
Once all of the pressure has been released, the pin should drop on your pot (check the manual for specific instructions). Carefully remove the lid, away from your face.
Stir well, taste the chili, and adjust salt, pepper, and other seasonings to your preference.

A bowl of hearty chili topped with sour cream, cheese, and green onion.

Variations

With more veggies: The base for this black bean chili recipe is very minimal, but feel free to add as many veggies as you like for extra flavor and texture (just be sure to add some extra salt). I think some red bell pepper (or colored bell peppers of your choice), celery, and diced carrot would be delicious! Feel free to swap the sweet onion for red onions if desired.

Different types of beans: My standard slow cooker chili recipe uses a mix of black beans, pinto beans, and red kidney beans. You can swap the black beans for whichever hearty bean you like best, but remember that will change both the flavor and texture.

Stove top: If you want to make this slow cooker recipe on the stovetop instead, you can definitely do so!

Add the ground beef to a 7-quart (or larger) Dutch Oven or stockpot, and brown until no pink remains. Drain off all excess grease, then add the onion and garlic and cook until slightly translucent (4-5 minutes).
Add in all of the remaining ingredients, plus 2 cups of beef broth (or veggie broth) to account for evaporation.
Bring to a high simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low heat and cook for 1-2 hours (the longer the better). If too much liquid evaporates, add a lid (and a little more broth). Especially with stovetop chili, we find the flavor is even better the next day!

Substitutions

Ground turkey (or ground chicken): This recipe can be made with the ground poultry of your choice, but with a few caveats. One is that you must add 1 tablespoon of oil (or butter) during the browning process, and another is that you should increase the seasonings. In my experience, ground turkey and chicken soak up the seasoning a bit more and need extra.

Vegan or vegetarian: Swap the ground beef for vegan crumbles OR 2-3 cups of cubed sweet potatoes. Add a little extra salt, and garnish with crushed tortilla chips, vegan sour "cream", and dairy-free cheese (if desired). Use vegetable broth to thin the consistency if needed.

Dairy-free: The base of the soup is completely dairy-free as written! The only dairy in the recipe is used in topping the soup, so you can use your favorite dairy-free options instead (dairy-free sour cream, vegan cheese, etc.).

A spoon taking a bit of hearty chili from a bowl.

If you loved this recipe for black bean chili in the slow cooker, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.

More Slow Cooker Dinner Recipes:

If you loved this recipe for Crock Pot black bean chili, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.

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