What is a three bean chilli?
This three bean chilli recipe is a vegetarian and vegan alternative to traditional beef chilli. It features a Mexican inspired bean mix of haricot beans, pinto beans and red kidney beans along side fresh red chilli’s. This three bean chilli recipe goes really well on top of a baked potato or served with rice. Its great for those cold winters days, on which you just cant warm up! This three bean chilli recipe is made in a slow cooker so you can put it on in the morning and get on with your day, no slaving over the stove today! This recipe creates 4 portions at 210 calories each.
Do you have a diet restriction?
This three bean chilli is:
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut Free
- Low GI
- Syn Free
- Low Fat
Step 1: Prepare your ingredients
Firstly, we need to prepare the veg for this recipe. The thing I love about slow cooker recipes is you can just chuck it all in at once, no adding things at different times or even having to set a timer at all. Chop your onions, carrot, peppers and chilli. Dump it all into your slow cooker.

An important note about the chilli!
A note about the chilli: This recipe calls for 60g worth of mild red chillies. I have come to realise that you can buy the same chillies in the same quantity however they have varying intensities of spice. I recently used the exact same weight of chillies to make a chicken arrabbiata and found there was barely any noticeable spice, on that occasion 60g = 2 chillies however for this three bean chilli recipe, 60g= 5 much smaller chillies. This three bean chilli was much spicier than the chicken Arrabbiata I made recently so a word of warning is necessary. If you aren’t a lover of heat I would air on the side of caution. You could always use less fresh chilli and then add dried chilli in later if the spice is not hot enough. Likewise, if you love things super spicy then you can add extra chilli powder or chilli flakes in to taste later.
Step 2: Continue adding ingredients to slow cooker
On top of your vegetables add 2 drained tins of mixed Mexican beans, if this type of bean mix isn’t available for you then use 160g cooked weight of haricot, pinto and red kidney beans. Also add 1 tin of chopped tomatoes and all of your spices.

Step 3: Turn the slow cooker on and relax
Mix well and cook your three bean chilli on high for 4-6 hours. If you are using a Ninja multicooker like me, you may need to add an extra couple of hours onto the cook time as ninja’s only heat from the bottom and not the sides, like a traditional crockpot, alternatively, you can preheat your slow cooker using the sauté function.
Can I use different beans?
Of course! You can use any beans you would like, you could even experiment with adding in other pulses like lentils. Alternatively if you are not specifically looking for a vegan/vegetarian option you could make a traditional beef chilli by swapping the beans for browned, extra lean beef mince.
Can I reheat three bean chilli?
You definitely can reheat this recipe. This recipe lasts well for up to a week in the fridge but its much tastier reheated. Pop a portion into a bowl, cover and microwave for 4-5 minutes before serving.
Can I freeze this recipe?
Yes. I use this recipe for batch cooking all the time, I’ll make up a big load, portion it into containers and freeze ready to defrost and reheat as needed.
Latest Posts:
- Chicken And Mushroom Soup Recipe
- Vegan Lentil Bolognese Recipe
- Warm Aubergine Salad Recipe
- Chai Spice Recipe
- Chai Banana Bread Recipe
Please consider liking and following my Instagram and Facebook @ HealthyHeartyWholesome. Not only does it help you to stay up to date with all of these cool recipes but it helps support me, which means I can continue to bring you these super yummy healthy recipes for weight loss for FREE!