Southwest Chili with Black Beans and Corn
There is nothing better on a cold day than a big ol’ bowl of hearty Southwest Chili with Black Beans and Corn to warm you up! Guinness Chili is still my go-to, but this one has earned a permanent spot in the rotation, and judging by your comments, in yours too.
I first made it when the Arizona temperatures finally “cooled down”… to 95 degrees. That’s chili weather, right? Anything under 100 degrees makes me a happy camper!
You can make it in the Instant Pot in under an hour, let it simmer on the stovetop, or toss it in the slow cooker. Every method, plus all my tips, is below.
For even more delicious pressure cooker recipes, check out the Instant Pot Recipes page.
Why You’ll Love This Chili
- Big Southwest flavor from cumin, smoky chipotle, and diced tomatoes with green chiles
- Three ways to cook it: Instant Pot, stovetop, or slow cooker
- Easy to customize: swap the beans, adjust the heat, or change the protein
- Even better the next day, and it freezes beautifully
- Packed with fiber and protein from the beans and beef
Ingredient Notes and Easy Swaps
- Ground beef: I use 80/20 for flavor and drain off most of the fat after browning. Ground turkey, ground chicken, or a mix of beef and chorizo all work.
- Beans: Fun fact: the beans in my photos are half kidney beans because I grabbed the wrong can! It turned out to be a happy accident, and many of you make it that way now. Use black, kidney, pinto, or even chickpeas. Two 15-ounce cans total.
- Corn: Canned corn (drained), frozen corn (no need to thaw), or fire-roasted frozen corn for extra smokiness.
- Diced tomatoes with chiles: This is what makes it “Southwest.” Use mild or hot to control the heat.
- Spices: Cumin, regular chili powder, and chipotle chili powder. The chipotle adds smoky heat, so go lighter if you’re spice-shy. Short on spices? A packet of chili or taco seasoning works in a pinch, as some of you have discovered.
- Brown sugar: Just a little balances the acidity of the tomatoes. Don’t skip it.
Check out the printable recipe card below for the complete recipe and detailed instructions.
How to Make Southwest Chili with Black Beans and Corn
No matter which method you choose, the first steps are the same: build flavor by sautéing the vegetables and browning the beef.
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven, skillet, or Instant Pot (Sauté, More/High). Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
2. Brown the beef. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off most of the fat.
3. Add the spices. Stir in the cumin, chili powders, and brown sugar and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stovetop (Dutch oven)
Stir in the water, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beans, and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1½ hours (or longer), stirring occasionally.
Slow Cooker
Brown the vegetables and beef in a skillet as above, then transfer to the slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours.
Instant Pot
- After browning, turn off Sauté. Pour in the ½ cup water and scrape up every browned bit from the bottom of the pot. This is the key to avoiding the Burn notice.
- Add the beans and corn in an even layer. Pour the crushed and diced tomatoes on top. Do not stir.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on HIGH pressure for 8 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest. Stir well before serving.
Serve topped with sour cream or Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, and cilantro, with Cornbread or corn chips on the side.
Cooking for Two
This recipe makes 6 servings, which is perfect for planned leftovers. If you’d rather make a smaller batch, it halves easily.
- To halve it: Use the ½x button on the recipe card. In the Instant Pot, keep the full ½ cup of water so there’s enough liquid to come to pressure, and keep the cook time at 8 minutes. A 3-quart Mini works great.
- Cook once, eat twice: Enjoy chili night, then turn the leftovers into chili mac, chili-topped baked potatoes, or stuffed peppers later in the week.
- Freeze in pairs: Portion leftovers into 2-serving containers so a no-effort dinner is always ready.
What to Serve with Chili
- Toppings bar: sour cream or Greek yogurt, shredded cheddar or pepper jack, cilantro, sliced green onions, diced avocado, jalapeños, crushed tortilla chips
- Sides: Cornbread, tortilla chips, rice, or a simple green salad
- Make it a meal: Frito pie, chili mac, chili over baked potatoes, or chili dogs for game day
I still haven’t tried it over spaghetti noodles. Have you? Let me know in the comments!
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in airtight containers or freezer bags (laid flat) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water or broth if it has thickened.
- Make ahead: The flavors get even better overnight, so it’s a great make-ahead meal for busy weeknights or game day.
FAQ’s
Deglaze the pot with the water after browning the beef, scraping up all the browned bits. Then layer the beans and corn, and put the tomatoes on top without stirring. Thick tomato products sitting on the bottom of the pot are the most common cause of the Burn notice.
As written, yes! For a family-friendly version, use 1 tablespoon of regular chili powder, 1 to 2 teaspoons of chipotle chili powder, and mild diced tomatoes with chiles. You can always add more heat at the table with hot sauce or jalapeños.
Yes. Rinsing removes the starchy, salty canning liquid, which gives you a cleaner flavor and better control over the sodium and thickness.
Yes. Use about 3 cups of cooked beans (from about 1 cup dried), cooked ahead of time. That equals roughly two 15-ounce cans.
Absolutely. Add it straight from the freezer, no thawing needed.
Yes. Ground turkey or chicken works with every cooking method. Because they’re leaner, you won’t need to drain much fat.
Skip the beef and add a third can of beans or a diced sweet potato, and use vegetable broth instead of water.
Simmer it uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot, or stir in a slurry of 2 tablespoons masa harina or cornmeal and a little water.
On the stovetop, yes, use a large stockpot. In a 6-quart Instant Pot, a double batch will likely go over the max fill line, so cook it in two batches or use an 8-quart.
Definitely! It freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. See the storage section above.
So there you have it, I finally made chili without alcohol and it is really good! It was on the spicy side for me, my fault….wasn’t paying attention, but the flavors were perfect. One more chili recipe to add to the rotation.
More Delicious Chili Recipes to Try
- Guinness® Chili
- Jack Daniels® Chili….this one packs a punch!
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Chunky Beef Chili
- Spicy Chili Recipe
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it!
Tag @cookingwithcurls on Instagram & Facebook and leave a ⭐️⭐⭐⭐⭐ review below!
Enjoy!!
Southwest Chili with Black Beans and Corn Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 large red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 pounds 80/20 ground beef grass-fed is best
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder*
- 2 tsps to 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder*
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 0.5 cup water
- 2 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 can black + 1 can kidney beans)
- 1 (15-ounce) can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles mild or hot
- sour cream, Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, and cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven, skillet, or Instant Pot (Sauté, More/High). Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off most of the fat.
- Stir in the cumin, chili powders, and brown sugar and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stovetop: Stir in the water, tomatoes, beans, and corn. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
- Slow cooker: Transfer the beef mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in the water, tomatoes, beans, and corn. Cover and cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours or HIGH 2 to 3 hours.
- Instant Pot: Turn off Sauté. Add the water and scrape up all the browned bits. Layer the beans and corn, then pour the tomatoes on top. Do not stir. Cook on HIGH pressure for 8 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release. Stir well.
- Serve topped with sour cream, cheese, and cilantro, with cornbread on the side.
Notes
- *As written, this chili is spicy! For a milder version, use 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder, and mild diced tomatoes with chiles.
- Cook times: Instant Pot about 25 minutes total under pressure and release; stovetop 1½ hours; slow cooker 4 to 6 hours on LOW.
- Bean swaps: Use any combination of black, kidney, or pinto beans.
- Halving: Keep the full ½ cup water and 8-minute cook time in the Instant Pot.
- Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Sounds good! Love the combination of flavors
This sounds delicious. I like it spicy, so I’ll give it a go as written. 😉 (Near you on Tasty Tuesdays.)
I love chili but, my husband looooooves it. I’m pretty sure he could live on it! Thanks for sharing this with us at Funtastic Friday! Pinned 😉
This was good! I actually did half kidney and half black beans too because I like the two mixed! I also added a lil dash of paprika and garlic powder, the recipe didn’t need those seasonings, I just really like them so I threw them in! I am excited to try more recipes from your site! This was the first one I tried from you and I enjoyed it!
Thank you so much, Kathleen. I really like your seasoning additions, I will have to try it next time. 🙂
This was a hit at my house. Thank you!
This recipe is absolutely wonderful! I made this a few weeks ago and am making it again tonight since it is cold outside it will be awesome! I do use 1 can of black beans and 1 can of dark of light kidney beans but follow the rest of the recipe as written!! This recipe has replaced my old one! Thank you!
I cheated and used chili seasoning. I also added chick peas just because I like them in chili. Turned out great
Enjoyed this, but added a packet of fiesta ranch and a taco seasoning packet instead of chipotle chili powder. It gave it an extra kick.