Are you ever not sure what kind of beans make the best chili? This guide will show you the 10 best beans for chili, so you can enjoy your choice!
Check out the answer at the end of this post. Can you guess how many kinds of beans there are?
Chili is a hearty, comforting dish that is customizable to suit any taste. While ground meat and spicy peppers typically take center stage, the beans used are key to providing texture and flavor contrast. But with so many bean varieties available, how do you choose?
When it comes to chili, beans play an important role. Their creamy, starchy quality helps thicken the chili and make it more substantial Beans also provide plenty of fiber, protein and nutrients.
While kidney beans may be the most iconic, there are many bean options that work wonderfully in chili recipes. Consider these 12 delicious beans that are sure to make your chili even better.
1. Pinto Beans
Pinto beans are a popular choice for chili. Their pinkish-brown speckled skin has a wonderful earthy flavor that pairs well with spices. When cooked, pinto beans become very soft, almost melting into the chili. Be sure not to overcook them, as they can quickly turn mushy. Their smooth, creamy texture makes a nice contrast to chunks of meat and vegetables.
2. Black Beans
Black beans have a velvety texture and sweet, almost nutty flavor. They hold their shape well when cooked, creating nice bean morsels throughout the chili. The small size allows them to soak up all the delicious flavors in the broth. Black beans have a high protein content and make a great vegetarian option. Overall an extremely versatile bean for chili.
3. Kidney Beans
No chili is complete without kidney beans! Their large size and firm texture make them ideal for soaking up liquid and creating a hearty dish. Kidney beans have a pleasantly mild taste that absorbs surrounding flavors. They retain their shape with cooking, creating nice bean pieces in each bite. Kidney beans provide lots of fiber to make this dish extra filling.
4. Garbanzo Beans
Garbanzo beans, also called chickpeas, work surprisingly well in chili. They hold up to prolonged cooking without getting mushy. Their distinctive rounded shape and firm texture provides nice bites of bean throughout. Garbanzo beans have a delicious nutty taste that pairs perfectly with warm spices. Try them in a vegetarian chili for extra plant-based protein.
5. Cannellini Beans
Cannellini beans are a white kidney bean variety with a smooth, creamy texture similar to pinto and navy beans. Their large size allows them to absorb flavors readily while remaining intact. Their mild taste lets the spices and other ingredients shine. The velvety soft cooked beans create a rich, comforting base for the chili.
6. Great Northern Beans
Great northern beans have a large, kidney-shaped appearance but creamy white color. They maintain their shape well during cooking. Their starchy quality helps thicken and enrich the chili base. Great northern beans work well in chili because of their mild delicate flavor that won’t compete with bolder seasonings. They soak up the flavors of the broth nicely.
7. Navy Beans
Navy beans are small oval shaped white beans with a particularly velvety texture. They break down easily when cooked helping to create a thick, creamy base. The soft flesh soaks up chili flavors nicely. Try navy beans in your next batch of chili for a smooth, rich addition. They work well with both meat and vegetarian recipes.
8. Lima Beans
Unlike most beans, lima beans have a slightly sweet, buttery taste. Their firm texture and hearty flavor make them perfect for soaking up chili flavors. Lima beans provide a unique taste and visual contrast sprinkled throughout. For a more interesting chili, substitute some kidney beans with limas. Just be sure not to overcook them into mush.
9. Anasazi Beans
Anasazi beans are a multicolored speckled bean indigenous to the Southwestern United States. They have a wonderful earthy yet sweet flavor. When cooked, they become extremely creamy and tender but still hold their shape well. The visual appeal and complex taste make them a fun alternative to plain pinto beans.
10. Adzuki Beans
Adzuki beans are small, dark red beans popular in Asian cuisine. They have a distinct sweet, nutty flavor and smooth texture when cooked. Their small size allows them to absorb flavors of the broth. Adzuki beans contain higher protein than other beans. Try them in chili for a visually striking, nutrition packed addition.
11. Black-Eyed Peas
Black-eyed peas are not true beans, but actually cowpeas in the legume family. Their creamy texture and mild, earthy flavor work well in chili. They hold their shape with cooking but become deliciously tender. The small size allows them to soak up plenty of chili flavor. Try black-eyed peas for a Southern inspired chili twist.
12. Soybeans
Soybeans have more protein than any other bean. They have a delicious, buttery taste that enhances richness of the chili. Soybeans hold up well to cooking without losing their pleasant bean-like texture. The high protein content makes them perfect for vegetarian chilis. Just be sure to cook them fully, as raw soybeans contain compounds that can cause gastric distress.
Other Great Options:
While the beans above are best suited for chili, you can experiment with all sorts of bean varieties. Some other types that work include:
- Cranberry beans
- Fava beans
- Flageolet beans
- Mung beans
- Pink beans
- Pigeon peas
- Lentils (especially red)
The most important factor is making sure the beans become tender but still retain some of their shape and texture. Let personal preference guide you to create a chili you love.
Tips for Cooking Beans in Chili:
To maximize the delicious bean flavor in your chili, follow these helpful tips:
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Soak beans overnight – This allows them to cook faster while remaining intact. Discard soaking water which can cause gas.
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Flavor soaking liquid – Add garlic, onion, chili powder or other seasoning to infuse more flavor.
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Cook beans separately – Parboil beans until just shy of done before adding to chili. This prevents overcooking.
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Add cooked beans at end – For canned beans, stir them in during last 15-30 minutes to prevent mushiness.
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Try a bean mixture – Use 2-3 kinds of beans for more interest. Popular combos are kidney + pinto or black + garbanzo.
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Season cooked beans – Prior to adding to the chili, toss beans with cumin, chili powder and other spices to boost flavor.
The Bottom Line:
One of the great aspects of chili is that you can customize it to match your tastes. Don’t limit yourself to just one or two bean varieties. With so many delicious options, try experimenting with new beans in your next pot. Let texture and flavor guide you to a chili you can’t wait to dig into. Those beans are an integral ingredient, so make sure you select ones with a taste and texture you love!
5 Beans Not as Often Used in Chili, But Ought to Be
Now it’s time to get creative! These beans don’t usually show up in chili recipes, but they should. They are absolute show stoppers when it comes to flavor and texture.
Adzuki beans are a small type of red bean that is popular in East Asia. They are used to make red bean paste. You can, however, substitute adzuki into just about any recipe calling for a red bean. They have a pleasant sweet taste and are nutritionally dense particularly in folate and manganese.
In what are now parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, the Anasazi Indians lived as early as 130 CE. You may be familiar with them for their renowned cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park. They might have been better known for their work in farming, and these beans were one of the things they gave the world. Beans stopped being grown until they were found in an old house about a hundred years ago and brought back into cultivation.
Anasazi beans are most often used in recipes with ham and several Mexican cuisines. They are a little sweeter than most beans, so if you want a chili recipe that is sweet, these could be a good choice.
Some sources say that one benefit of Anasazi beans is that they make you let out very little gas compared to other types of beans. We aren’t so certain about this claim. See our paragraph of intestinal gas further down in the post. Beans give you gas because they have a lot of fiber, and Anasazi beans have a little less fiber than pinto, black, or kidney beans.
The Cranberry bean is also known as the Borlotti bean or Roman bean. They are a white bean with red specks making a very unique appearance. You can use these instead of most other beans in chili if you want to make your chili look different.
5 Most Commonly Used Beans in Chili
While there are many types of beans that can be used in chili, we think these five are the best ones to start with. I’ve used them all in a variety of delicious (and award winning) vegetarian chili recipes!.
Kids’ beans, also called red beans, are loved all over the world and are used in more US chili recipes than any other bean. They are so commonly used in chili that they are often just called chili beans. They get their name from the shape of their kidneys, and there are both dark and light types.
They absorb other flavors easily and hold their shape and texture well in cooking, not getting mushy easily. They are great in any chili like our Award-Winning Taco Soup. Don’t be fooled by the “soup” label. This chili recipe came from a Live Eat Learn parent who won at least one chili cook-off with it.
Black beans come from South America and are very popular in Latin American, Cajun, and Creole cooking. In the US, they are often used in chili. They’re not as big as kidney beans, but they cook up the same way and keep their shape in the same way.
As a good source of protein, they are often used in vegetarian chili recipes. This is especially true for people who are vegetarian or vegan. A ½ cup serving has 8 grams of protein and a fair amount of vitamins and minerals.
Pinto Beans are probably the most popular bean in Mexico and the US Southwest. They are often mashed to make refried beans. You no doubt eat them routinely in burritos, tacos, or really most Mexican cuisine. Plus, they taste great in chili. Just remember to add them later in the cooking process than other beans because they break down faster.
Great Northern Beans are a white bean quite similar to cannellini. You can easily substitute these for any recipe calling for cannellini beans. If you want a great vegan white bean chili try our favorite Vegetarian White Bean Chili.
If you need white beans in your chili, great northern beans work great. They also stay good while they’re cooking. Their slightly nutty taste is great, but as your chili cooks, they take on the taste of other ingredients. As with most beans, they are very healthy. A quarter-cup serving has 8g of protein and 7g of fiber.
Cannellini Beans are sometimes called White Kidney Beans. They are a large ivory colored bean native to Italy. They can be used in any recipe that calls for white beans or navy beans. Our favorite use is in this White Bean Chili. They hold up well in heat, retaining their meaty texture and taste rather like kidney beans do.
These are the traditional chili bean choices, but there are other great recipes that use a lot of different kinds of beans. For more ideas on other possibilities check out 29 Types of Beans. Because hey “What kind of beans go best in Chili?” The ones you like best of course.
The SHOCKING SECRET to great chili
FAQ
What kind of beans are best for chili?
What kind of beans can I use in chili besides kidney beans?
Are chili beans and pinto beans the same?
Does Gordon Ramsay put beans in chili?
Which beans are suitable for making chili?
There are many types of beans that can be used for chili, such as pinto, fava, navy, and kidney beans. The best beans for chili are pinto, kidney, and black beans.
What type of beans should one eat?
The most healthy beans are chickpeas, lentils, peas, kidney beans, black beans, soybeans, pinto beans, and navy beans. They contain a lot of fiber and proteins.
What are the different types of beans in chili?
Pinto beans and kidney beans are amongst the most popular types of beans we see in a classic chili recipe, and these are of course fantastic choices. Beans can add texture, heartiness, and plenty of nutrients to your chili, and there’s no reason why you can’t deviate from the classics.
Can green beans be used in chili?
Many chili dishes use popular beans like pinto, kidney, and black beans. Others, such as green beans, can also be used in chili, although they are not as common.