This chili recipe is dedicated to all of my friends and family who have icicles on their cars. Consider this my warm gift to you!

As I sat down to start writing this post, I took a quick glance at my weather situation:

This is what Los Angelenos call Winter. Sometimes it even gets as “cold” as 65 degrees. Brrr, right?

Despite the heat outside, I still love eating comfort food. And nothing says “comfort” like a hearty bowl of warm chili in your tummy.

My three bean chili is made with black beans, red kidney beans, and cannellini beans. We usually add Italian chicken sausage, but you can add another type of meat (shredded chicken, ground beef, ground turkey) or make it vegetarian.

The secret ingredient that makes our chili extra-rich is refried black beans! One day I bought a can of refried black beans by accident and my husband convinced me to use them anyway. I was skeptical, but our chili came out so thick and scrumptious!

The other key to our three bean chili is the seasoning. I tend to use a light hand when I cook other dishes, but I always use more seasoning when I make chili. I love all of the savory flavors mixed up!

We just toss everything in our dutch oven, stir it up, and heat it all together for about 30 minutes. Grab a box of cornbread mix and bake it up for the perfect side.

Try my super simple (and super yummy) three bean chili recipe today! Perfect anytime you want a cozy meal!

If you love comfort food, try my recipes for meatball subs and vegetable soup!

Talk to you soon!

Print Recipe

3 Bean Chili Recipe

Servings

hearty bowls

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 1 lb ground Italian chicken sausage
• 2 15oz cans black beans drained
• 1 15oz can red kidney beans drained
• 1 15oz can cannellini beans drained
• 1 16oz can refried black beans
• 2 14.5oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1.5 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp onion powder
• 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Servings hearty bowls Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion chopped 1 green bell pepper chopped 1 lb ground Italian chicken sausage 2 15oz cans black beans drained 1 15oz can red kidney beans drained 1 15oz can cannellini beans drained 1 16oz can refried black beans 2 14.5oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp ground pepper 1 tsp oregano 1.5 tsp garlic powder 1.5 tsp onion powder 1.5 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp chili powder 1 tbsp cumin 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Heat oil in dutch oven on medium.
2. Start by cooking onions and peppers for 5 minutes. Once those soften just a little, add the sausage and cook all together.
3. Once your meat is completely cooked, add all of the remaining ingredients and stir well. Bring your pot to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more seasoning as desired. The longer you let the pot sit, the more flavorful your chili will be.
4. As your chili is cooking, prepare your cornbread according to the directions on the package.
5. Sprinkle your chili with cheese and serve hot with a side of cornbread.

Recipe Notes

Add some red pepper flakes or hot sauce to spice up your chili!

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