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Hearty black beans and chunks of ripe plantains are simmered up in a spicy tomato base to make this knock-your-socks-off sweet and spicy plantain chili!
Every time I cook with plantains, which is not nearly enough, I tell myself I need to cook with them all the time.
Why Plantains are Awesome
Here's the thing: plantains are cheap, delicious as heck, and as far as exotic produce goes, pretty darn readily available. I remember seeing plantains in the vegetable bins way back when I was a kid, and back then there was way less of a demand for super cool fruits. I always thought they were weird bananas, and they kind of are, but a thousand times better.
I'm a sucker for sweet and spicy flavor combinations, and it's just about (or exactly) the beginning of fall, a.k.a., chili season as someone once told me, and so, this plantain chili was born.
My last plantain recipe on this site(okay, my only other plantain recipe) was for some burgers. That one also involved some smoky, spicy black beans, but it's very different from what's going on here.
How to Make Plantain Chili
The great thing about the use of plantains in chili is that you can make your chili as you normally would, then literally just chop some plantains up and throw them in. They only need a short simmer time to soften up, and during that time some of their sweetness will fuse into the rest of the chili
Couldn't be easier. I had this urge to do fancy things with my plantains. Fry them up maybe? I don't know, but in any event,I resisted, and I'm happy to report that plantains, thrown into a stew, are as delicious as you've ever had them. And if you've never had them before, there's no better place to start than with the recipe right in front of you.
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5 from 3 votes
Black Bean Plantain Chili
Hearty black beans and chunks of ripe plantains are simmered up in a spicy tomato base to make this knock-your-socks-off sweet and spicy plantain chili!
CourseEntree
CuisineAmerican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 258 kcal
Author Alissa
Ingredients
- 1tablespoonvegetable oil
- 1medium onion,diced
- 1red bell pepper,diced
- 3garlic cloves,minced
- 2(14 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1(14 ounce) cancrushed tomatoes
- 1(14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1tablespoonchili powder
- 1 ½teaspoonsground cumin
- 1teaspoonsmoked paprika
- ½teaspoonancho chili powder
- 2ripe plantains,yellow with plenty of brown spots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- salt and pepper to taste
Toppings (choose your favorites)
- fresh cilantro
- chopped scallions
- avocado slices
Instructions
Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onion and bell pepper. Sauté until softened and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
Add beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, paprika and ancho chili powder to the pot and give it a stir to incorporate everything. Bring to a simmer. Lower heat and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add plantains and simmer 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until plantains are softened but not yet mushy.
Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide into bowls and top with toppings of choice. Serve.
Nutrition Facts
Black Bean Plantain Chili
Amount Per Serving
Calories 258Calories from Fat 33
% Daily Value*
Fat 3.7g6%
Saturated Fat 0.3g2%
Sodium 882mg37%
Potassium 534mg15%
Carbohydrates 53.5g18%
Fiber 12.5g50%
Sugar 17.5g19%
Protein 11.8g24%
Calcium 80mg8%
Iron 4.3mg24%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
jenna saysThis looks amazing! This past summer, I discovered mashed plantains with collard greens (and ginger and peanuts!). There is seemingly no end to the things plantains will happily combine with.
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- Alissa Saenz says
Ohhhh...that's a new one for me, but it sounds amazing. I'm googling it right now so I can give some version of it a try! Thank you! :)
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- Jay says
Yum I make something like this, my spouse is Puerto Rican and this is very traditional.
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- Alissa Saenz says
I had no idea this was even close to traditional - I just threw it together. That's awesome! :)
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- Carla says
Please write a cookbook. ; D Yours is always the first site I check when I need an idea for dinner because almost always it's things I have on hand and can do in time on a weeknight. Most importantly, I haven't had a recipe fail me yet. Thanks for them all.
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- Alissa Saenz says
Thank you so much Carla! I'm glad you're enjoying the recipes and so thankful for the encouragement. :) I've had a few talks with publishers in the past year, but nothing that was a good fit just yet. Hopefully soon!
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- Brooklyn Murtaugh says
Now that it's officially fall I am all about the different chili recipes. Thanks for this one, looks awesome!
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- janet @ the taste space says
Yum! Loved the plantains in this. I converted this to a slow cooker recipe :)
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- Alissa Saenz says
Yay! I'm glad you liked it! I need to use my slow cooker more often. Maybe for my next batch of chili. :)
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- Louise Mair says
Made this recipe last night after needing to use up some plantain. It was so good and hearty will be making it one of my regular dishes. Thanks,
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- Alissa Saenz says
Glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much!
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- Nancy says
CI am making this today. Can I add more than one can of the crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes. I have about four small plantains
Reply
- Alissa Saenz says
Sure you can! You might want to try increasing the amounts of spices to compensate. :)
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