{"id":19600,"date":"2018-10-30T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-30T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thatrecipe.com\/blog\/?p=19600"},"modified":"2025-09-27T15:17:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T22:17:09","slug":"southwestern-black-bean-chili","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thatrecipe.com\/southwestern-black-bean-chili\/","title":{"rendered":"Flavorful and Hearty Southwestern Black Bean Chili"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Southwestern Black Bean Chili is an easy and hearty chili that will warm you up on a chilly day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I was craving chili one night, so I thought I'd make my favorite Chasen's Chili<\/a> recipe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, instead of kidney beans, or even pinto beans all I had was black beans... <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and what was that sitting next to it? a can of corn... <\/p>\n\n\n\n

oooo, and maybe some chocolate to amp up the earthy flavor...<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the next thing I knew I had a lovely Southwestern Chili.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chocolate in Chili<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What?! Chocolate in chili? Chocolate is for dessert not a savory dish! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not in Latin America where chocolate originated. Cacao is not naturally sweet, the sugar (and often milk) is added after processing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mole<\/a> (pronounced mo-lay) is a delightful savory dish of chicken in a rich chocolate sauce. Mexican Hot Chocolate<\/a> is chocolatey and spicy with just a hint of sweetness to balance the flavors, unlike our overly sugared drink. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can learn more about using chocolate beyond dessert in this Washington Post article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this recipe, the chocolate helps balance the spices and gives the chili a nice earthy undertone. You can opt for a lightly sweetened dark chocolate, or chose unsweetened cocoa powder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients for Southwestern Chili<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ingredients are all easy to find:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ground beef<\/strong> - or turkey or pork, I usually use 4-7% fat<\/p>\n\n\n\n

canned black beans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

corn<\/strong> - canned, frozen or even fresh if you have it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

canned diced tomatoes<\/strong> - or crushed or whole tomatoes broken up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

yellow onion<\/strong> - or white<\/p>\n\n\n\n

olive oil<\/strong> - or other cooking oil<\/p>\n\n\n\n

spices<\/strong>: garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt<\/p>\n\n\n\n

dark chocolate<\/strong> - sweetened or unsweetened chocolate or a tablespoon of cocoa powder<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Serve Southwestern Chili<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My favorite way to enjoy this is with some cornbread<\/a> and a salad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top it with sour cream, chopped onions, grated cheese, or black olives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serve it with saltine crackers, tortilla chips or corn chips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or scoop some on top of hot dogs or fries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Chili Recipes from #OurFamilyTable<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Chili is a classic American stew which, like most recipes, has hundreds of variations. Here are a few to try from some of my favorite bloggers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Chili Recipes<\/H3>\n