Raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, and a hot bowl of chili…these are a few of my favorite things! But the chili situation at my house is a little weird because I am the only one who likes it. Chili of any kind isn’t even tolerated by any other member of my family. On the surface, this sounds like a negative thing, but if you dive deeper you’ll quickly reach the same conclusion I did, which is that this is the perfect situation to apply the old adage ‘More for me!’ It just breaks my heart.
So that’s the good news — when I make a pot of chili, I don’t have to share any of it. I eat it for lunch for a few days, freeze a couple of servings for later, and I get to make it exactly how I like it, which is thick and hearty, with plenty of spice but not a lot of heat. I want my chili to be flavorful without burning my mouth, and that’s exactly the combination I have in this recipe for Stovetop Four Bean Chili.
Don’t like chili, but still want winter comfort food? Check out this list of 28 Soups & Stews to Keep You Warm This Winter.
The other notable feature of this recipe is the ‘stovetop’ portion of the title. Since nobody else really eats chili around here, me making a pot generally stems from a last minute craving, which isn’t really conducive to hours of bean soaking or waiting on a crockpot. This recipe is ready in about an hour, so it’s perfect for spur of the moment chili meals. Most of the ingredients are items that I always have on hand anyway, so I just make sure to keep a few extra cans of beans for when the mood strikes and I’m set.
- 1 lb ground beef*
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes, with liquid
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 15.5 oz can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 15.5 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 15.5 oz can light kidney beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 15.5 oz can dark kidney beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
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In a large soup pot, brown ground beef with diced onion. Add in minced garlic and continue to cook for about 2 more minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until your chili has thickened up a bit. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
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Topping suggestions:
Shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, nacho chips, corn chips
*You can also use other kinds of ground meat, such as chicken, turkey, or venison. Just add two tablespoons of olive oil as you brown the meat and proceed with the recipe as written.
Amazing recipe, Jordan! I’m actually a huge fan of beans in chili.
Me too! I can’t believe my weirdo family members won’t even glance in the direction of a bean…
Perfect meal for a cold night. I love all the beans you chose to use.
Thanks! I think all the different kinds of beans make it more interesting 🙂
I love to make chili on a cold winter night but have never made one with more than one type of bean. Excited to try this and add it to my chili rotation.
That’s awesome, hope you like it!
yummm this looks so tasty!!! i love chili some of the best comfort food.
It for sure is!
This recipe sounds amazing. I love beans in chili as does my family so i’ll have to save this for a nice weekend meal! Thank you for sharing! xx
You’re welcome, hope you enjoy!