Name: 20-Minute Easy Vegan Chili
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 medium yellow onion (diced); 2 tablespoons olive oil (or avocado oil 🥕See notes below for OIL-FREE version); 5 can beans (drained and rinsed. Use assorted 15.5 oz cans - pinto, black beans, kidney beans, red beans, garbanzo, etc); 2 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz cans (with juice - not drained)); 1 C corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned); 1/2 C salsa or pico de gallo; 1-2 whole limes (juiced (to taste)); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon cumin; 1/4 teaspoon chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

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20-Minute Easy Vegan Chili 🌱 A budget-friendly, delicious & nutritious one-pot vegan recipe that will be ready to eat in under 20 minutes! This zesty & hearty chili is the ideal meal for a camp-out or when you're hungry and in a hurry to fill your tummy and warm your soul. Oil-free option.

A bowl of vegan chili topped with a slice of fresh lime.

Do you ever have those days when you just aren't in the mood to cook, but you're hungry or hangry and want dinner NOW? What do you do?

Here's an idea: Go to your cupboard, open a few cans of beans & diced tomatoes, chop up an onion and throw in a few spices & basic ingredients and voila! You've got the makings for a simply great vegan chili that will be ready to eat in about twenty minutes or less! Add a slice of warm homemade vegan cornbread & you have a complete meal! If you like quick & easy meals - be sure to check out my vegan 1-pot minestrone soup!

★★★★★ "I love how simple and quick this recipe is, great for weeknight dinner💚" Faoz

A cast iron bowl filled with vegan chili, sitting on a back and white gingham print plate with a slice of vegan cornbread.

This super easy recipe is one of my favorite go-to's when I need something delish & filling in a pinch. Everything goes into one pot - no extra cookware to wash! Best of all, you'll have leftovers for lunch the next day, or freeze for later.

A big batch of this deliciously satisfying chili makes a welcome addition to tailgate parties, game day events, backyard barbecues, and potluck parties.

Table of Contents

🥕Why you will love this recipe
🌱Ingredient Notes
🌱Instructions
🥕Oil-free cooking
🥕Serving suggestions
🥕Storage Tips
Recipe
Comments

🥕Why you will love this recipe

It's a delicious, nutritious & satisfying dish
Uses inexpensive ingredients you likely keep on hand
It's a one-pot meal
Perfect for cooking on a camp stove
One batch makes several servings - freeze some for later!
Super versatile - add or substitute ingredients
Takes just a few minutes to throw together

🌱Ingredient Notes

Bowls filled with ingredients for vegan chili including beans, diced tomatoes, corn, spices, olive oil, salsa, fresh lime and onion.

This quick & easy recipe is prepared with canned or precooked beans. I suggest using a variety. Some stores carry mixed or tri-beans, which are handy. I like to use a combo of kidney, pinto and black beans. Sometimes I'll throw in a can of garbanzos. Why not?

🥕See the printable recipe card below for quantities & details

Onion - fresh
Avocado oil or olive oil 🥕See notes below for preparing this recipe without oil
Beans - canned, drained & rinsed (pinto, black beans, kidney beans, red beans, garbanzo, etc)
Tomatoes - canned, don't drain (diced, stewed or crushed)
Corn kernels - fresh, frozen, or canned
Salsa or pico de gallo or a favorite hot sauce
Lime juice - fresh or bottled (or lemon)
Salt
Cumin - ground
Chili powder - ground (substitute with chili lime seasoning or a pinch of cayenne if you want to kick up the heat!)
Black pepper - ground

Variations

This is one of those dishes that you can be as creative as you like. Here are a few ideas as add-ins or substitutions:

Bell peppers - chopped (remove seeds)
Jalapeño peppers - chopped (remove seeds)
Cilantro -chopped
Soy chorizo or vegan sausage crumbles
Vegan beef crumbles or TVP
Mushrooms
Diced carrots
Tomato paste or ketchup (for a thicker sauce)

🥕Chili Tips

Adding the dry seasonings to the onions while they're cooking can boost the flavor of the spices. Stir frequently so they don't burn.
Some of us like our chili HOT and some of us do not. I suggest adding peppery or hot seasonings sparingly. You can adjust the amount of spicy heat to your taste, but if you are going to serve this dish to other people, it might be better to offer a variety of hot sauces as condiments to add to individual servings.
A little bit of sweet can enhance the chili, by offsetting the acidity of the tomatoes and salsa. I like to stir in a tablespoon of maple syrup, agave nectar or sugar while the chili is cooking.
Since canned beans are pre-cooked you don't need to let this chili cook for a long time like traditional chili recipes prepared from scratch. With this version, we are cooking the ingredients long enough for the onions to soften and the ingredients to get fully heated. If you have time and would like an even richer, thicker chili, you can let it continue to simmer over low heat an additional 10-15 minutes. Do check it frequently and stir from the bottom so it doesn't burn.

🌱Instructions

A small amount of olive oil in the bottom of an enameled cast iron pot.

Using a 6 quart or larger stovetop pot, begin heating olive oil over med-high heat.

A small amount of olive oil and diced onions in the bottom of an enameled cast iron pot.

2. Add diced onion, lower heat to medium, until onions soften.

Cooked diced onions in the bottom of an enameled cast iron pot.

3. Cook until the onions are soft, semi-transparent, and lightly browned.

A variety of beans in an enameled cast iron pot.

4. Add beans to cooked onions, stir.

Ingredients to make 20-minute vegan chili inside an enameled cast iron pot.

5. Add all other ingredients, stir to thoroughly combine.

A Dutch oven filled with vegan chili placed on a bamboo cutting board.

6. Cover pot & simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chili is bubbling. Remove from heat. That's it, dinner is ready!

🥕Oil-free cooking

Prefer to make your chili oil-free? No problem! Simply replace the olive oil with 3 tablespoons of water. Slowly simmer the onions over medium-high until they get soft, making sure not to let the onions burn. Then add the next ingredients.

🥕Serving suggestions

Spoon chili into bowls, garnish with sliced avocado, extra salsa, cilantro, vegan cheese, black olives, tortilla chips, whatever you have on hand.
Serve with extra chips or our yummy vegan cornbread.
That's it! Enjoy!

20-minute easy vegan chili in a small cast iron pot with cornbread on a plate.

This 20-minute easy vegan chili is the perfect partner with a slice of this scrumptious homemade vegan cornbread with maple syrup.

A slice of vegan tamale pie on a plate and in a cast iron skillet.

Love chili? Have you ever had tamale pie? This delicious vegan Texas tamale pie is a Southwestern Tex-Mex inspired recipe filled with zesty flavor and a colorful combo of beans, peppers, tomatoes and sweet corn baked with a topping of fluffy homemade cornbread, all in one skillet. Give it a try!

🥕Storage Tips

Refrigerate leftover chili in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Allow frozen chili to thaw in the refrigerator before heating. I suggest reheating it in a covered saucepan on a stovetop. Chili can also be reheated in a microwave (in a microwave-safe container) in short increments. Be careful as beans can become very hot quickly in a microwave.

Chili FAQ's

Can I use fresh ingredients instead of canned ones?

While the canned beans and tomatoes are used to save time, you can certainly use dried beans that have been soaked and cooked, and ripe fresh tomatoes that have been peeled. However, this might increase the cooking time.

Is this 20-minute vegan chili recipe also suitable for vegetarians?

Yes, this recipe can be enjoyed by vegans & vegetarians.

Can I adjust the spiciness of the chili?

Absolutely! You can choose a salsa with the level of spiciness that suits your taste preferences. If you prefer milder chili, opt for a mild salsa; if you like it spicy, go for a hot salsa, hot sauce, cayenne powder or other spices your prefer.

Can I make this chili ahead of time?

Yes, you can make a batch ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Allow the chili to cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or bags. Thaw and reheat when ready to enjoy.

Can I add protein to this chili?

The beans in this recipe do provide protein, but if you want to boost the protein content, you can add plant-based protein sources like crumbled tofu, tempeh, or a vegan ground meat substitute of your choice. I would recommend cooking the added protein per package instructions prior to adding to the chili.

Is this chili recipe suitable for a party or potluck?

Absolutely! This recipe is a great option for a party or potluck because it's easy to make in large batches and can be served with a variety of toppings to please a crowd. Just make sure to adjust the quantities accordingly.

If you love this recipe ★★★★★ please be sure to rate it below! Sharing your experience lets me know that you enjoyed it and will help other readers decide if they should give the recipe a try too. Thanks a bunch!🥕

20-Minute Easy Vegan Chili

🥕Why you will love this recipe