The 5 BEST Substitutes for Kidney Beans in Chilli Con Carne!
If you’re anything like me, chilli con carne will be one of those dinners that you turn to time and time again!
Great for feeding a crowd, batch cooking, and those evenings when you’re craving a big bowl of hearty comfort food,
But what if you don’t have a tin of kidney beans in your cupboard, or you’re cooking for someone who just doesn’t like them?
What are the best substitutes for kidney beans in chilli con carne?
The best substitutes for kidney beans in chilli con carne are pinto beans, black beans, chickpeas, and sweetcorn. You can use a mixture of these alternatives, or just choose one. If you like, you can even omit beans completely, without any substitutions!
Read on to find out more about how to make these choices work for you…
1. Pinto beans
Pinto beans are a great substitute for kidney beans in chilli con carne recipes. They’re also a good source of protein, fibre, and essential vitamins and minerals, meaning you can be rest assured that you’re serving your family plenty of the good stuff.
Pinto beans are a popular choice when making recipes like burritos and soup, as they’re filling and offer a pleasing and satisfying texture. They have a creamy, nutty, and slightly earthy taste.
2. Black beans
Many chilli recipes actually use black beans as the first preferred choice of bean, so they make for a fantastic alternative for kidney beans.
This black bean chilli recipe is perfect if you’re experimenting with veggie main courses, and it’s good enough to be served to guests when you’re hosting a dinner party.
They’re soft, creamy, and mild, and they’re known for taking on the flavours of other, stronger ingredients that they’re cooked with. Chucking some black beans into your chilli recipe is a good option for bulking it out, adding fibre, and stretching your meal to feed extra people.
3. Chickpeas
Chickpeas are a top choice when it comes to substitutes for kidney beans in chilli con carne, so if you already have a tin in your pantry, you’re good to go!
Though perhaps best known for being used to make humous, they’re a versatile ingredient that can add flavour and bulk to a huge range of dishes, including salads, stews, soups, and curries. Next time you’re at the grocery store, why not pick up a few tins and make it your mission to experiment with them?
4. Sweetcorn
Sweetcorn is another great substitute for kidney beans in chilli con carne. As the kernels are typically much smaller than many types of beans that are often used in such recipes, they require less cooking time.
As such, add them just ten minutes before the end of the cooking time. This will ensure that they don’t get overcooked and become mushy! I love the kick of sweetness that corn adds to chilli, and it also adds an extra element of visual interest.
5. Ditch the beans completely!
You might be surprised to discover that traditional Texan chilli con carne doesn’t actually contain beans. Yep, that’s right… The inclusion of kidney beans (or any other type of bean, for that matter) is simply down to home cooks getting creative in their own kitchens, and possibly wanting to make their dinner stretch a little bit further.
After all, beans are cheaper than meat, so they’ve long since been a staple for bulking out dishes and ensuring that a piece of meat can feed a whole family.
If you want to try out an authentic recipe, try this true Texan chilli. It has just two main ingredients – beef and homemade chilli paste – and interesting, it also doesn’t contain tomatoes.
What to use instead of kidney beans in chilli con carne
To summarise, here are the best alternatives to kidney beans in chilli con carne…
- Pinto beans
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
- Sweetcorn
- Omit the beans completely, without any substitution
