This Mango Black Bean Chili was created in partnership with the National Mango Board. All opinions are our own. Fall has us craving chili—but this time Alex and I wanted to create something a little different. Meet our new favorite: this Mango Black Bean Chili recipe. Mangos add a sweetness and complexity that’s just right for a hearty chili, especially if it’s a vegetarian black bean chili like this one. A little allspice and a squeeze of lime kick it up a notch! This mango black bean chili recipe is perfect for just about anything, from tailgating recipes to healthy dinner ideas. I just brought a batch to a friend who adopted a sweet baby, so it works for meals for new moms, too. Perhaps it could even be an award winning chili recipe at our next chili cookoff! Keep reading for the recipe and some mango nutrition facts!
Mango nutrition facts & more
The variety of mango we used for this mango black bean chili recipe is called Keitt mangos, one of the six main varieties of mangos sold in the U.S. A few fun facts about Keitt mangos (shown in the photo above):
The Keitt mango skin stays green even when it’s ripe! Squeeze it gently to judge ripeness.The flavor is sweet and fruity; a bit more tart than other varieties. Peak availability is July to September.Keitt mangos are popular in Asian cultures, where they are enjoyed in its mature-green stage or even as pickles.One cup of diced mangos provides 100% of your daily vitamin C!
How to make vegetarian black bean chili with mango
A good vegetarian or vegan chili recipe can be deceptively difficult to find. Alex and I have made many meatless chili recipes over the years, and we’ve found that vegetarian chili recipes need a lot of flavor going on. Since many people expect the heartiness of a meat chili, it’s got to be flavored to perfection. Here are the secrets to this mango black bean chili recipe:
Mangos! Obviously. Mangos bring in just the right sweet element to the chili that’s needed when you’re making a vegetarian chili. We love the zing they add to this recipe. If you’re looking for a quick way to dice a mango, here’s a video we made on How to Cut a Mango.Black beans: You can use canned or cooked here: if you have an Instant Pot, try our Instant Pot black beans method!Allspice: We’ve used lots of chili powder and cumin, which are typical to chili recipes. But we wanted something to kick it up a notch—that’s where the allspice comes in! It’s vaguely Caribbean to complement the mango, and is a nod to the cinnamon sometimes found in chili recipes.Tomato paste: This recipe needed some body, and we found it in tomato paste. It rounds out the flavor so make sure to add it.Quinoa: For vegetarian and vegan chili recipes, we like a chewiness that mimics meat. Here we’ve used quinoa, which is cooked beforehand and then added to the chili (so it doesn’t cook up too much of the moisture).Lime: For the garnish, a squeeze of lime brings in just enough tang.
What to serve with black bean chili
Now if you make this mango black bean chili, what to serve with it? Our absolute favorite side dish to serve with chili is this Easy Vegan Cornbread or Best Homemade Cornbread. It’s so tender and moist, and seriously easy to whip up. We heartily recommend it! Or if you prefer, serve with a green salad to balance the heartiness of the chili. Here we’d recommend our Best Tossed Salad Recipe with Avocado Dressing. Or, there are lots more great ideas: check out our best sides to go with chili!
Looking for mango recipes?
You can incorporate mangos into recipes in many different ways! Here are some of our favorite mango recipes:
Tropical Mango Bowls with Citrus DrizzleEasy Mango SorbetGrilled Teriyaki Mango SkewersGrilled Mango Tacos with Dream SauceEasy Mango Salsa RecipeMango & Shrimp Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
This mango black bean chili recipe is…
This Mango black bean chili recipe is vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, plant based, dairy free and naturally sweet. 5 from 1 review
