Looking for a quick and easy take on a classic chilli? This baked bean chilli is absolutely delicious and always a hit with the kids! The perfect budget-friendly family dinner.
Can you make a chilli with baked beans? Yes, you absolutely can! And the best news is putting baked beans in chilli con carnie means that there’s already tons of flavour, so you don’t need to spend time creating the perfect blend of spices.
Adding baked beans to chilli also means that the kids, well, mine at least, will always love it! Meals with baked beans are great!
Leftover baked bean chilli can also be used for fab burritos or as a topping for jacket potatoes the day after.

Why I Love This Quick Chilli with Baked Beans
This baked bean chili recipe is one of my favourite midweek family meals. We love it, and I think that you will too because:
- Lots of flavour comes from the tomato juice/sauce in the beans, so you don’t need lots of spice.
- This also means that you don’t need to simmer it for ages to get the best flavour as you do with traditional chilli.
- This baked bean chilli recipe is delicious.
- Baked bean chilli is a big family favourite.
- You can easily add more chilli for a spicier dinner or skip some for a milder version.
- You can also add some extra veggies to baked bean chilli con carnie if you want to.

Ingredients for Baked Bean Chilli
When I make a regular chilli, it’s a pretty big list of ingredients. It’s absolutely worth it for a yummy dinner, and chilli with kidney beans will always be one of my favourites. But if you are short of money or time, this cheats chilli with baked beans is a great alternative. I use:
Cooking Spray – Or olive oil.
Beef Mince – It’s still a beef chilli too!
Red Onion
Garlic
Red Pepper
Red Chilli Puree – or Lazy Red Chilli.
Tinned Tomatoes
Baked Beans
Chilli Powder
Paprika
You can also add salt and pepper to season, but I never think that it needs it.

Can You Add Other Beans?
Yes! I use two tins of baked beans. But I do love to mix beans. I often add butter beans to chilli and even love a meat-free five-bean chilli.
If you want, just use one tin of baked beans, or stick to two and add another kind too. Butter beans or kidney beans would be perfect.
Can You Add Extra Veggies?
Yes again. Adding extra peppers would be an easy way to add extra veggies.

How to Make Your Chilli with Baked Beans – Step-by-Step
Baked bean chilli is super easy to make.
Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One
Mist a large frying pan, or flameproof dish with cooking spray and warm over medium heat.
I use a large cast-iron Dutch oven-style dish.
Step Two
Add the diced red onions and fry for 5 minutes until soft, stirring often.
Step Three
Add crushed garlic and continue to stir for 3 more minutes.

Step Four
Add the minced beef, breaking it up with a spatula and cook for a few minutes, stirring often until it’s browned.

Step Five
Stir in the red chilli puree, or lazy red chilli, and the diced red pepper.

Step Six
Add the baked beans, tinned tomatoes, chilli powder and paprika.
Fill one of the empty tins with water and pour this in too.
Stir it all together well.

Step Eight
Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat.
Step Nine
Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly, scraping the bottom of the pan to make sure nothing has stuck.

Step Ten
Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. I don’t. Baked beans are quite salty already and I prefer not to add more.
What to Serve with Baked Bean and Beef Chilli
I serve my baked bean chilli with white rice, and sometimes pitta bread. We love a chilli sandwich!

You can serve it with any bread, and different kinds of rice, or something like a jacket potato. You might also want to add a dollop of sour cream or guacamole and some shredded cheese.

Baked Bean Chilli
Ingredients
- Cooking Spray
- 500 g Beef Mince
- 1 Red Onion (Finely diced)
- 3 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
- 1 Red Pepper (Deseeded and diced)
- 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Puree
- 400 g Chopped Tomatoes
- 800 g Baked Beans
- 1 Tablespoon Chilli Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- Water
- Pinch Salt and pepper (Optional)
Instructions
- Mist a large frying pan, or flameproof dish with cooking spray and warm over medium heat.
- Add the diced red onions and fry for 5 minutes until soft, stirring often.
- Tip in the crushed garlic and continue to stir for 3 more minutes.
- Add the minced beef, breaking it up with a spatula and cook for a few minutes, stirring often until it is browned.
- Stir in the red chilli puree and the diced red pepper.
- Add the baked beans, tinned tomatoes, chilli powder and paprika.
- Fill one of the empty tins with water and pour this in too.
- Stir it all together well.
- Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Notes
- Baked beans have quite a high salt content, so I don’t tend to add extra salt and pepper.
- Use fresh chilli if you prefer.
- Add less water if you want a drier, less saucy, chilli.
- Read the post above for more tips and advice.
Nutrition
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.