Get ready to taste the best vegan chili of your life! This Beyond Meat Chili packs layers of deep umami flavor, and is incredibly rich, velvety, and meaty! It's so good that you'd want to lick your plate clean.
If I was to serve one dish to a vegan skeptic, it would be this. It's unlike any other vegan chili you've ever tried. And while I do love my all-bean vegetarian chili which is light and wholesome, this one is in a league of its own.
The first time I tried Beyond meat products was when I made my air fryer beyond burger. I was immediately blown away by how similar it tasted to meat, which is when this recipe idea came to my mind.
I can proudly say that this Beyond meat chili tastes very similar, if not even better, to a classic chili. Your friends and family won't even recognize it's vegan!
Perfect to serve with dairy-free cornbread, homemade pita chips, and guacamole without cilantro on the side.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's smoky and has a meaty texture, and packs 19g of plant-based protein per serving.
- It tastes very similar to a classic chili made with ground beef, and not like some bean stew or soup.
- It's thick and velvety, thanks to simmering everything for a bit longer.
- This Beyond meat chili is perfect for meal prep and tastes even better the next day!
- Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beyond meat: You'll need ½ a packet of beyond beef (or any other plant-based meat) for this recipe. Make sure to let it thaw completely if you bought it frozen.
- Beans: You can use any beans you like including red kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, and navy beans. Usually, I like to use a combination of two types of beans (like pinto and navy), but today I am using only red kidney beans.
- Whole peeled tomatoes: It's important to use whole tomatoes and crush them by hand instead of using diced tomatoes. They're less processed and pack more umami and tomato-y flavor.
- Tomato paste: For adding more rich umami flavor.
- Onion and garlic: You'll need a yellow onion and at least 6 cloves of garlic. These are essential aromatics that will add a TON of flavor.
- Spices: You'll need ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- Sugar: I add brown sugar to balance out the spiciness and the tang from the tomatoes, but you can also use maple syrup or even molasses.
- Jalapeños: I think that using chili powder only doesn't add enough flavor, so I like to add 1-2 jalapeño peppers for some fruitiness and an extra kick. Remove the seeds if you're sensitive to heat!
- Soy sauce or tamari: I've found that adding soy sauce flavors the chili in a way that simply adding more salt doesn't.
- Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce: This is one of my favorite ingredients to add, but if you don't like spicy food you can omit it or use only half of what the recipe says.
- Red wine: For deglazing the pan and adding another layer of richness and flavor.
- Cocoa powder: This is another ingredient that adds richness and depth, so don't skip it! And no, this Beyond meat chili doesn't taste like dessert in the end.
- Vegetable broth: Homemade vegetable broth is best, but you can also use a store-bought one or dilute a bouillon cube in the same amount of water.
- Lime juice: For finishing the chili by adding some tanginess which mellows down the spiciness.
- Cilantro: For me, adding a bunch of cilantro is a must, it brightens the hearty chili so much!
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
How to Make Beyond Meat Chili
The steps for this recipe are very similar to my Beyond meat bolognese sauce.
- Brown the Beyond meat. Heat a large Dutch oven and add a little bit of oil. Add the beyond meat and break it into little pieces with a spatula or a wooden spoon. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, or until it's golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Saute the aromatics. To the same pot, add more oil and saute the onion for 8-10 minutes over medium heat, or until it's golden brown. It's important to take your time here so that the onion can start to caramelize and release its natural sugars.
3. Add the minced garlic, jalapeños, and tomato paste and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomato paste has darkened in color and is caramelized.
Toast the spices. Add the spices and cook for 30 more seconds to toast them, stirring constantly. Add the wine to deglaze the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the alcohol evaporates.
4. Add the vegetable broth, beans, bay leaves, soy sauce, sugar, chipotle peppers, cocoa powder, and the cooked Beyond meat from before. Crush the whole tomatoes by hand and add them in as well.
5. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour and up to 90 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes to prevent burning, until thick.
6. Finally, when the chili is ready, remove it from the heat and stir the lime juice and chopped cilantro. Serve right away!
Expert Tips
- Saute the aromatics and caramelize the tomato paste. I know it's easier to just dump everything into a pot without sauteeing first, but this makes a such BIG difference! It builds so much flavor in the dish that you can't get from anything else later.
- Toast the spices. Toasting the spices in the oil before adding any liquid draws out their flavor and activates them. It takes only 30 seconds, so make sure to stir vigorously to not let them burn!
- Simmering the chili slowly is KEY! It helps develop the flavors and gives it a thick and velvety texture, so don't try to rush the process!
- Try to not skip any of the ingredients! Every ingredient here brings something of its own and is what makes this Beyond meat chili truly the best. Small things like adding cocoa powder, and red wine, take a mediocre bowl of chili to the best experience of your life!
FAQ
This Beyond meat chili is medium/moderately spicy if you make it following exactly the recipe as written in the recipe card.
If you want to increase the spiciness, I suggest you use a stronger chili powder (or cayenne pepper) and double the amount.
If you're sensitive to heat, make sure to remove the membranes and the seeds from the jalapenos, and use a mild chili powder. You could also omit the chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce.
I haven't tried this method, but I think it may work. Make sure to brown the meat and saute the aromatics as mentioned in steps 1 to 3 using the sautee function. Then, add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and put on the lid. Cook on the chili/beans function for 20 minutes, then allow for natural pressure release.
You'll need to brown the meat and saute the aromatics in a separate pan as mentioned in steps 1 to 3, then add everything into your slow cooker. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Yes! This chili is perfect for freezing! Transfer it into a freezer-safe container and it'll keep for up to 6 months. You can even double the recipe so you can have more servings.
Variations
- Add vegetables: Although I think that this Beyond meat chili tastes best without stuffing a ton of vegetable in it, sometimes I like to add kale in the last few minutes of cooking to steam it. Having said that, you can use other vegetables you like including red bell peppers, corn, or a cubed sweet potato. I would advise against adding vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower, I personally don't think they belong in chili.
- Add liquid smoke: If you want to add even more smoky flavor, consider adding a teaspoon of liquid smoke if you have it on hand.
- Use beer instead of wine: Beer is what is traditionally used in chili and while I prefer wine, I can say that both work well in this recipe.
- Use homemade chili powder: If you and to take this recipe up a notch, consider making your own chili powder at home.
- Use tofu crumbles: As an alternative to Beyond meat, you can use store-bought or homemade tofu ground beef.
The Best Chili Toppings
Adding your favorite toppings is essential for chili! They're can mellow down the spiciness and add more balance and freshness. Some of our favorites are:
- Vegan sour cream
- Cubed or sliced avocado
- Corn salsa
- Shredded vegan cheese
- Vegan queso
- Pico de Gallo
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Sliced green onions or chopped cilantro
- Pickled vegetables such as red onion or jalapenos
Serving Suggestions
When it comes to what to serve with chili, I think we can all agree that nothing compares with homemade cornbread. Its subtle sweetness contrast perfectly with the bold flavors of the Beyond meat chili.
It's also delicious when served with warmed vegan tortillas or a bowl of coconut rice on the side.
Storage
Let leftovers cool to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 5-6 days.
Similar Recipes
📖 Recipe
The Best Beyond Meat Chili
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided or another cooking oil of choice
- 300g Beyond meat mince
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, diced remove the seeds for less heat
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ cup dry red wine
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 800g canned whole peeled tomatoes 2 small cans or 1 big
- 850 g red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 2 cans
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce chopped, optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon vegan brown sugar or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, and more to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 lime, juiced
- Chopped cilantro, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or a soup pot over medium-high heat and add 1-2 teaspoon oil. Add the beyond meat and break it into little pieces with a spatula or a wooden spoon. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, or until it's golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.3 tablespoon olive oil, divided, 300g Beyond meat mince
- To the same pot, add more oil and saute the onion for 8-10 minutes over medium heat, or until it's golden brown. It's important to take your time here so that the onion can start to caramelize and release its natural sugars.1 large yellow onion, diced
- Add the minced garlic, jalapenos, and tomato paste and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomato paste has darkened in color and is caramelized. Add the spices and toast them for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the wine to deglaze the pot and stir to get any browned bits off the bottom. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the alcohol evaporates and you're left with a mixture that has a "jammy" texture.6 garlic cloves, minced, 2 jalapeño peppers, diced, 2 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoon dried oregano, ¾ cup dry red wine
- Add the vegetable broth, beans, bay leaves, soy sauce, sugar, chipotle peppers, cocoa powder, and the cooked Beyond meat from before. Crush the whole tomatoes by hand and add them in as well. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low.2 cups vegetable broth, 800g canned whole peeled tomatoes, 850 g red kidney beans, drained and rinsed, 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon vegan brown sugar, 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and more to taste, Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Simmer on low heat for 1 hour and up to 90 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes to prevent burning, until thick. When ready, taste and adjust the flavor if needed, adding more sugar, salt, and black pepper to taste.
- Finally, remove the pot from the heat and stir the lime juice and chopped cilantro. Serve right away with your favorite toppings!1 lime, juiced, Chopped cilantro, to taste
Notes
- Saute the aromatics and caramelize the tomato paste. I know it's easier to just dump everything into a pot without sauteeing first, but this makes a such BIG difference! It builds so much flavor in the dish that you can't get from anything else later.
- Toast the spices. Toasting the spices in the oil before adding any liquid draws out their flavor and activates them. It takes only 30 seconds, so make sure to stir vigorously to not let them burn!
- Simmering the chili slowly is KEY! It helps develop the flavors and gives it a thick and velvety texture, so don't try to rush the process!
- Try to not skip any of the ingredients! Every ingredient here brings something of its own and is what makes this Beyond meat chili truly the best. Small things like adding cocoa powder, and red wine, take a mediocre bowl of chili to the best experience of your life!
- Fridge: Let leftovers cool to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 5-6 days.
- Freezer: Transfer it into a freezer-safe container and it'll keep for up to 6 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Fleur says
This was absolutely delicious! Very easy to make, and the result is packed with deep, intense flavours. Thank you so much for sharing, Petra! We will definitely make this dish again 🙂
Petra says
So happy to hear you like the recipe, Fleur! Thank you for the review.
Jill Hersh says
I looked at many recipes for a Beyond Beef type chili and I chose this one because of the ingredients.It was easy to make and delicious. My husband and I made it as listed. Only substitutions were we used one can of Pink beans and one can of Black beans.Our red wine was probably not all that dry but worked fine.
Bothe the vegetarian and my meat eating husband and son loved it. We will definitely be making it again. I would even double it and make for entertaining.
Thanks so much!
Petranka says
So happy you and your family have enjoyed the recipe, Jill! Thanks for the review!