Salsa Black Bean Chili

Comforting Salsa Black Bean Chili with beef is easy to make and has simple ingredients. Full of protein and flavor, enjoy each bowl topped with tangy cilantro crema and shredded cheese. Crockpot, Instant Pot, and stovetop instructions included.

Warm and rich bowls of Salsa Black Bean Chili are the cure for the long winter ahead. All you need to do is sit back and let the slow cooker do all the work! With a little spice and a lot of protein, you’ll be left full and happy after each bowl.

This is an easy chili recipe you can enjoy for weeknight dinners, for lunches throughout the week, or freeze a batch and heat it when you don’t feel like cooking. Made with stew beef, black beans, and chunky salsa, each bite has tons of texture and depth.

Most chili recipes are flexible, but this one leaves room for plenty of modifications. It can easily be cooked in a crockpot, Instant Pot, or on the stove. As a bonus, it’s naturally gluten-free and easy to make vegan or vegetarian!

Enjoy a pot of this healthy and nourishing chili with my homemade cornbread and some crispy bacon on top.

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe uses beef stew meat instead of ground beef because we want the richest flavor possible. Stew meat is chunky, tender, and beefy. Perfect for a hearty chili! To make this recipe even easier, mixing in a storebought chunky salsa to the chili adds tons of flavor, reduces prep work, and allows you to regulate the heat level. As a finishing touch, top each bowl with a homemade cilantro crema. This easy sour cream alternative adds a bit of acidity to the rich chili and makes each bite feel a little fancier and gourmet.

How to make black bean chili in a slow cooker

Letting the chili cook low and slow for a few hours in a crockpot is the best way to make this recipe. It really doesn’t get much easier than this:

Step 1:

Place the beef, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salsa into the slow cooker and stir. Cover with a lid and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours so all the flavors can get to know each other.

Step 2:

Add the bell pepper and black beans to the slow cooker and season with salt. Continue to cook on LOW for 2 more hours.

Step 3:

Make the cilantro-lime crema by mixing the sour cream, cilantro, and lime juice together in a small bowl.

Step 4:

Serve the finished chili with crema, tortilla chips, cheese, and avocado on top.

Note: You can also make black bean chili in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop. Head to the recipe card for detailed instructions.

Heather's Tips for Recipe Success

1. Use a “thick and chunky” salsa: This type of salsa adds some body to the chili and holds its shape better than thinner varieties.
2. Use more beef stew meat for a meatier chili: 1 pound of beef is enough to add a few big pieces in every bowl but doesn’t make the batch super meaty. Feel free to add another half pound if you like!
3. Let it simmer longer for better flavors: The longer you let the chili simmer in the crockpot, the better the flavor will be! Alternatively, store the batch of chili in the fridge overnight and eat it the next day or bigger and bolder flavors.
4. If you like a thick chili: Masa harina, or cornflour, is an excellent thickener. Sprinkle a tablespoon or 2 over the finished chili and stir. Simmer in the crockpot for about 10 minutes. The masa harina will absorb some of the extra liquid and make your chili thicker. The crockpot version of the chili is pretty thick made as is, but you may want it if you're cooking it in the Instant Pot or on the Stovetop.

Recipe variations

Chili is the perfect meal to make your own. Load up on veggies, add more meat or adjust the spiciness. There’s plenty of variations available:

• Switch up the meat and make the chili with ground turkey, chicken, or pork instead. 
• If you don’t want to use stew meat, use ground beef instead.
• Add as many veggies as you want. Chili is delicious with corn (frozen or fresh), butternut squash, sweet potatoes, lentils, or anything you like!
• To give this chili some kick, add some cayenne pepper or use finely chopped spicy green chilis.
• Make it vegetarian or vegan by swapping the beef for a plant-based ground beef alternative.
• Mix up the toppings! Try shredded cheese, crema, sliced jalapenos, plain sour cream, crispy bacon, cilantro, avocado, red or green onions, and freshly cracked pepper on top. 
• Don’t forget the cornbread and tortilla chips on the side!

Storing and freezing tips

Make sure the chili has cooled down before storing the leftovers away. This will help it stay fresh. Once it’s cooled, transfer the leftovers to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. 

This black bean chili is also freezer-friendly. Keep the leftovers in a freezer-safe container or sealed bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat it, leave the frozen chili in the fridge overnight to thaw or reheat from frozen.

To reheat the leftover chili, heat it in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes (stirring in between each minute) or until heated through. Alternatively, heat it in a pot on the stove over medium heat until it’s hot.

More chili recipes to try

It doesn’t stop here! I have plenty of other slow cooker and Instant Pot chili recipes for you to try:

• Award-Winning Crockpot Chili
• Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Chili
• 30 Minute Chili
• Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken Chili

Salsa Black Bean Chili

A super simple chili with a ton of flavor thanks to some good ol' jarred salsa

By Heather Cheney

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Chili

• ▢ 1 pound boneless beef stew meat
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion diced
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 1, 24- ounce jar thick and chunky salsa at your desired heat level
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
• ▢ 2, 15- ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
• ▢ ½-1 teaspoon salt to taste

For the Cilantro Lime Crema

• ▢ ⅔ cup sour cream
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Instructions

For the Slow Cooker

• Put the meat, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salsa into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours.
• Add the bell pepper and black beans to the slow cooker and season to taste with salt. Continue to cook on LOW for an additional 2 hours.
• Combine the sour cream with the cilantro and lime juice in a small bowl and set aside.
• When the chili is done, serve topped with the crema, tortilla chips, cheese, and diced avocado.

For the Instant Pot

• Place the meat, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salsa and 1 cup beef broth in the Instant Pot. Lock the lid in place, making sure the venting valve is sealed.
• Set Instant Pot to cook on high for 35 minutes. When the cooking time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully turn the venting valve to release any remaining pressure. When the pressure pin drops, remove the lid.
• Set the Instant Pot on "Saute' mode and stir in the red pepper and black beans. Bring to a simmer and cook just until the peppers are tender to your liking.
• If a thicker chili is desired, stir 2 tablespoons of masa harina into the chili and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until thickened. Cancel "Saute" mode and serve topped with the cilantro crema.

For the Stove Top

• Place the meat, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salsa, and 1 cup beef broth in a large pot on the stove.
• Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. When simmering, cover and reduce the heat to low.
• Allow to simmer for 1.5-2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
• Stir the beans and peppers into the chili and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until the peppers are tender to your liking.
• If a thicker chili is desired, stir 2 tablespoons of masa harina into the chili and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove the chili from the heat and serve topped with the cilantro crema.

Chef's Notes:

1. Use a “thick and chunky” salsa: This type of salsa adds some body to the chili and holds its shape better than thinner varieties.
2. Use more beef stew meat for a meatier chili: 1 pound of beef is enough to add a few big pieces in every bowl but doesn’t make the batch super meaty. Feel free to add another half pound if you like!
3. Let it simmer longer for better flavors: The longer you let the chili simmer in the crockpot, the better the flavor will be! Alternatively, store the batch of chili in the fridge overnight and eat it the next day or bigger and bolder flavors.
4. If you like a thick chili: Masa harina, or corn flour, is an excellent thickener. Sprinkle a tablespoon or 2 over the finished chili and stir. Simmer in the crockpot for about 10 minutes. The masa harina will absorb some of the extra liquid and make your chili thicker. The crockpot version of the chili is pretty thick made as is, but you may want it if you're cooking it in the Instant Pot or on the Stovetop.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 285 kcal | Carbohydrates: 27 g | Protein: 25 g | Fat: 10 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Cholesterol: 60 mg | Sodium: 1229 mg | Potassium: 984 mg | Fiber: 9 g | Sugar: 7 g | Vitamin A: 1796 IU | Vitamin C: 33 mg | Calcium: 123 mg | Iron: 4 mg

Nutrition and Food Safety Disclosure

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