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Beef & Black Bean Chili with Chipotle & Avocado Recipe

Beef & Black Bean Chili with Chipotle & Avocado

The diced avocado topping makes a cool contrast to the thick, spicy chili. Serves four.

To learn more, read the article:
Quick and Delicious: One-Pot Meals
3 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 medium chipotle plus 2 Tbs. adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. 85% lean ground beef
Kosher salt
1 large red onion, finely diced
1-1/2 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe avocado, cut in a medium dice

Put one-third of the beans into the bowl of a food processor, along with the tomatoes and their juices, chipotle, and adobo sauce. Process until smooth and set aside.

Heat the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or similar heavy-duty pot over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering hot, about 2 min. Add the beef, season with 1/2 tsp. salt, and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until it loses its raw color, about 3 minutes. Transfer the beef to a large plate using a slotted spoon. Add half of the onion and 1/4 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown and soften, about 3 min. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook for 20 seconds. Add the remaining black beans, the puréed bean mixture, and the beef to the pot and simmer for 10 min., stirring frequently. Add half of the lime juice, half of the cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. If the chili is thicker than you like, it may be thinned with water.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the remaining lime juice and onion with the avocado. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve the chili topped with the avocado mixture and remaining cilantro.

Serving Suggestions

Coarsely crumble about 3 handfuls of tortilla chips in a zip-top bag, and use them as an additional chili topping.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : based on four servings; Calories (kcal): 670; Fat (g): 29; Fat Calories (kcal): 260; Saturated Fat (g): 7; Protein (g): 42; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 16; Carbohydrates (g): 64; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2.5; Sodium (mg): 1070; Cholesterol (mg): 85; Fiber (g): 18;
photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 77 , pp. 82c
March 1, 2006


user reviews

Star Star Star Star Star AMAZING chili. This recipe got me going on a chipotle kick that hasn't quite subsided yet. I hope it never does.
Star Star Star Star Star I always thought chili had to take several hours, not this one. Great technique of running some of the beans and tomatoes thru the food processor. For me it helped to add a small can of tomato sauce. In addition to the ground beef I added a leftover bar-b-qued steak cut into small pieces. Great recipe for learning good basics of cooking.
Star Star Star Star Star Very good chili ....loved the smokiness of the chipotle in adobe sauce and the subtle heat. Thanks for another great recipe
Star Star Star Star Star I made this today for our Grey Cup party (Canadian Football League equivalent of the Super Bowl). Delicious! My only modification was ground bison, not beef. The acidity of the cilantro and the avocado/lime/onion "salsa" as garnish was perfect.... I will SO be making this again!
Star Star Star Star Star I am not a bean person, however I omitted 2 of the 3 cans of beans and used the 1 remaining can for the initial puree. It was perfect! I will make this again.
Star Star Star Star Star Easiest chili recipe ever. My husband loves it and you can adjust the spiciness by cutting back on both the chili powder and the chipotles in adobo, but it still tastes great. Best of all is how quickly it comes together.
Star Star Star Star Star My favorite chili recipe! I like to add another 14.5 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and their juices (instead of water to loosen it up).
Star Star Star Star Star I've made this vegan by using fake beef (Boca or MorningStar) and taken it to potlucks and chili cook-offs and it's still the biggest hit!
Star Star Star Star Star This is a fantastic recipe, comes out perfect everytime. I agree that it is better the next day.
Star Star Star Star Star This chili is ready in 30 minutes and is delicious. Better the next day. I had to add some water because the next day is was so thick, but the water didn't dilute the flavor. I love this recipe.
Star Star Star Star Star This was really good chili, although I will cut the onion down by about half next time. Liked the contrast with the avocado.
Star Star Star Star Star Super recipe! Cut way back on the heat if you're making it for kids.
Star Star Star Star Star My go-to chili. Always great whether you use ground beef or poultry. So flavorful you don't need to add the fattening stuff!
Star Star Star Star Star This is the best chili I had ever tasted.
Star Star Star Star Star Thrilled that this recipe turned out so well! I particularly enjoyed the blending process which resulted in a beautiful texture. Check out www.madebymariko.com for a full review!
Star Star Star Star Star This is a very tasty chili. Like other reviewers I used black and pinto beans. Blending them gives the chili a nice thick consistency. Don't omit the avocado topping - it really makes this chili special!
Star Star Star Star Star Excellent and Easy! I did add water as it was thicker then I prefer. Will definitely make again. Tom
Star Star Star Star Star I made this last weekend when it was in the teens outside. Brrr. Awesome!!! I did not put in the full amount of the Chili powder only half. If I want it hotter, I can add more next time. For me it was just the right "kick" with 1.5 tbsp of powder. Really delicious
Star Star Star Star Star absolutely excellent!! i made it 2x's in 1 month and shared it with friends...it is my new favorite go to recipe for chili
Star Star Star Star Star Stellar! The lime juice in the raw onion and avocado granish completely tames the onions. Make double and freeze the other half.
Star Star Star Star Star This was easy and excellent! I will definitely make this a regular winter recipe. I made a skillet of cornbread with it and it matched perfectly.
Star Star Star Star Star This recipe was super easy to make .... added a little cayenne pepper to spice it up a little, and used ground turkey instead of beef, then served it again for brunch the next day with poached eggs on top ......
Star Star Star Star Star Agree that it is very easy and fast to make. Made a double batch to freeze some for later. Will definitely add this to my football party food list.
Star Star Star Star Star Easy and delicious! I used ground chicken, and it was just fine. The avocado topping provides a wonderful bright contrast to the earthy taste of the chili.
Star Star Star Star Star This chili is very good and very easy! I used ground turkey instead of beef and added fresh corn and other veggies. It is something I will make over and over again.
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Star Star Star Star Star I thought this looked "odd" at first (the blending of beans and tomatoes) but boy is it good. Easy and fast as others have noted. I cooked some down a little and made burritos, it's fantastic.
Star Star Star Star Star Very fast and very good; will certainly make again! It is quite thick. I used 2 cans black (1 for puree) and 1 can kidney beans.
Star Star Star Star Star This chili has a wonderful smoky flavour and rich sauce. I served it with bacon and scallion cornbread, which was a nice complement.
Star Star Star Star Star Excellent recipe, much easier than I thought it would be. I used black beans, great northern beans and pinto beans because that was in my cupboard, it was great with this combo!
Star Star Star Star Star By far the best and fastest chili I've made. Usually slave over the stove for a couple of hours (making enough chili for an army)..this is fast, easy and delicious! I usually make chili with kidney beans - the black beans are a great change and wonderful! Next time, I'll double the recipe so there is a BIT more for leftovers or freezing.
Star Star Star Star Star A different twist- fast and good..
Star Star Star Star Star Great chili. Fast and easy to make.
Star Star Star Star Star Very good! My husband especially enjoyed this chili due to its spicy flavor. I did not top the chili with avocado, but instead used tortilla chips, sour cream and some shredded cheese.
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