Sometimes canned bean products are in the canned meat section. Did you check that aisle? Canned chili, baked beans, etc are in my store by the tuna fish and sardines.

I think you're unlikely to find anything labeled "chili beans". Instead, look for pinto beans, black beans, or kidney beans. Your choice. All are used in chili.

I also don't think you'll find anything called "chili beans in spicy sauce", but maybe. If you posted your recipe here we could give you alternatives, if necessary.

I keep Goya canned beans in the pantry & they are in the veggie isle in our store.

/tricia

In my experience the most common chili bean is red kidney. Like Tricia, I've never heard of "chili beans in spicy sauce." Rather than hunt it down, I'd probably look for a different chili recipe. (Preferably one without beans, LOL!)

Can I mix a can of pinto beans with Rotel tomatoes with chilis, to get the "spicy sauce"? Any suggestions?

Here's the recipe:

2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon bacon
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco�)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos�
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.
To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.

I am not a fan of kidney beans so I almost always use black beans for chili. However, I have seen kidney beans labeled as "Chili Hot Beans" or "Chili Ready". I am guessing those are what your recipe are referring to.

Linda

Or pinto beans. Your recipe can actually adapt to just about anything you add. As for beans plus the rotel, which won't hurt, if you want some extra heat, add more chili powder or Tabasco to taste.

I can't tell what part of the country you live in,
So I won't hazard a guess as to what kind of bean
You think of as typical for Chili.
But here, it is Pinto Beans,
And ONLY Pinto Beans that make a TRUE chili.

In one of our stores,
The canned beans are in the same aisle
As the dried beans.
In the other store,
They are in the canned vegetable aisle.

I've added a link to Ranch Style beans,
They are the most popular around here
When using canned beans.

I have no connection to this company,
Just added this link for informational purposes.

Rusty

Here is a link that might be useful: Chili Beans

First, let me say that I'm a native Californian & a recipe that had "Italian Sausage" as the 2nd ingredient would stop me cold in my tracks if I was wanting to make chili.

The bacon & Worcestershire are also weird, to me.

Other than that...you will get something resembling what I've seen of other dishes called "chili" outside of the American southwest.

I'd suggest you use jalapenos for the "chili peppers".

Yes, you can use Rotel.

I like beans in my chili. Usually use kidney beans but, sometimes, pinto. Others though do not consider it chili if it contains beans. Folks are pretty definitive in their chili opinions around the country.

You'll get something close to chili if you eliminate that darn "Italian Sausage", Worcestershire sauce, & the bacon.

FOAS has a very good chili recipe...maybe, he'll pop back in & post it for you.

/tricia

Bush's Best makes 'Chili Beans', as does Ranch Style. It's basically a can of beans with some chili powder, onion and garlic. Interesting that they sell this stuff in Texas, where putting beans in your chili is a capital offense.

ajh

...in Texas, where putting beans in your chili is a capital offense.

That's what I thought, too, which had me surprised at TRO's response, who I thought was from TX.

FOAS has a very good chili recipe.

I sure do - it's Riverrat's recipe! Which is actually from Bon Appetit.

Beef Chili with Ancho, Mole, and Cumin

8 servings.

Chili:
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
4 bacon slices, chopped
1 4-pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed, cut into ý- to þ-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 (or more) large garlic cloves, chopped
3.5 cups (or more) beef broth, divided
1/4 cup pure ancho chili powder
1/4 cup Texas-style chili powder blend (such as Gebhardt)
1 tablespoon mole paste
2 teaspoons (or more) salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1.5 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 to 2 tablespoons masa (corn tortilla mix)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Garnishes:
Warm, freshly cooked or drained canned black beans
Chopped white, red, and/or green onions
Grated cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, or queso fresco
Sliced fresh or pickled jalapeño chiles
Sour cream
Tortilla chips or oyster crackers

Toast cumin seeds in heavy small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes. Cool; grind finely in spice mill or in mortar with pestle.

Sauté bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to large bowl.

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Working in 4 batches, sauté beef in drippings in pot until browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer beef and most drippings to bowl with bacon.

Add onion and garlic to pot. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add half cup broth to pot. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Return beef, bacon, and any accumulated juices to pot. Mix in ancho chili powder, Texas-style chili powder, mole paste, 2 teaspoons salt, vinegar, oregano, and cumin seeds. Add 3 cups broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low and simmer gently uncovered until beef is very tender, stirring occasionally and adding more broth by half cupfuls if chili is dry, about 2.5 hours or more. Mix in masa by teaspoonfuls to thicken chili or add more broth by quarter cupfuls to thin. Season chili with salt, pepper, and cayenne, if desired. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool 1 hour. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over low heat.)

Set out garnishes as desired. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

- Bon Appétit, February 2009

Wow, I didn't think there were so many versions or opinions on chili. I am so grateful for the help.

lol..I am definitely going to leave out the sausage, Worcestershire and bacon after reading triciae's post. I am going to forget about my search for Chili Beans and use pinto or kidney beans. Or maybe both????

Thanks so much everyone, I'm off to the supermarket.

Chili beans are usually pintos anyway. Chili is one of those infinite dishes with more interpretations than you can list. Enjoy!

My ex used to say: "There is no such thing as a bad bowl of chili."

It sounds like it will be delicious. The "unusual" ingredients such as Worcestershire and basil will not overwhelm but likely add an interesting note with the other seasonings. I also add a tablespoon or so of unsweetened cocoa powder to my chili. The italian sausage will have fennel which might be a bit odd. Sub plain ground pork, perhaps. bacon will add smokiness. You can leave it out. Or use some chipotle powder in place of the cayenne. Same heat, more flavor.

I'm not fond of kidney beans, I find the skins tough. I do like pintos, black beans, and small red beans.

Barnmom, I add chocolate also. Usually one 3-ounce round per 'bout 1-1/2 ga. of chili. I also braise short-ribs in beer with onions then shred for the meat instead of ground chuck. I make my chili seasoning similar to Lars' description of his wet burrito sauce starting with dried anchos & pasillas, adding the seasonings, chili water, & blending. I need to write it down.

/tricia

Actually, the recipe sounds good to me the way it's written but then I'm from Michigan where "classic" chili is a pound of ground beef, a chopped onion, tomatoes, beans (your choice) and some chili powder and cumin.

My current favorite has pork and sweet potatoes, along with butter beans or hominy, but I really like RiverRat's chili too. I made it once at a get together where we went to the food and wine show in Grand Rapids and then all came back to my house to spend the night. Sherry and Peppi will probably remember, but there was that wine tasting that lasted several hours. (grin) However, I think it needs either beans or rice, LOL, because I'm from Michigan and it seems wrong without SOMETHING in there.

Here chili beans are everywhere, they even come in store brands. Bush's makes them, and thye're just called chili beans. They come in mild and spicy and they are basically kidney beans in a seasoned sauce, the typical chili seasonings like chili powder, cumin and hot peppers.

Annie

I've made almost that same recipe (although the one I used called for ground pork, not italian sausage). It's not my favorite chili recipe, but it does go over well even here in Central Texas, LOL. As I recall, it makes *a lot* of chili (easily feeds 12). I know I did find chili beans in spicy sauce (Hunts?), but I really wouldn't sweat over that part of the recipe. I grew up in Ohio, so for me, 'chili beans' means kidney beans, not pinto beans and that what I use. Chili is so regional, just have fun!

Cactuscatie, don't be too hasty in leaving out the bacon.
My recipe has bacon in it....have used it for years and as I recall the bacon taste does not stand out. I definitely don't think it's weird.

Nana's Chili

2-3 strips bacon, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Saute' until bacon is lightly browned.

Add:

1 C. diced onion, saute' until tender and add
1 lb ground chuck, continue to cook until beef is browned.

Add 1 1/2 T, chili powder,
1 teas. cumin,
1 teas. crushed red pepper flakes,
1/2 teas. paprika and
1/4 teas. oregano
* Note: If you like it really hot,(we do), add a pod of dried hot pepper at this point.

Simmer 6 to 8 minutes.

Add 1 can pinto beans
1 can pork & beans
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 to 2 cans water

Simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or longer.
Add salt to taste

Just because a recipe has an ingredient you don't use doesn't make it a bad one. I've never had chili with chocolate but I'd be willing to try it.

jude

I add chocolate to my chili also. We also like black beans and corn in it. :) I know it's not traditional, but it works for us.

Judi

If you want what some people say is authentic Texas chili, try this recipe by Sam Pendergrast. ("Sam Pendergrast's Original Zen Chili") I've made it a few times. Note a few things: he specifies coarse ground beef. (Some markets sell beef 'chili grind') Note also the absence of beans, and note the HUGE amount of cumin. I love it. DW doesn't. I once made a batch of this using beef shin meat. The slow cooking finally tenderized the beef. Fantastic flavor: I was in cumin and capsicum heaven.

Here is Sam's recipe for good ol' cafe chili. Note the extreme amount of cumin. Interestingly enough, in the version of this recipe which appeared in Texas Home Cooking, the amount of cumin mysteriously was doubled. Could Sam be addicted to cumin? Sam is also the author of Avenida Juarez, a novel which has to be read to be believed.

The recipe is in Sam's words, unedited.

1 pound fatty bacon

2 pounds coarse beef, extra large grind

1/2 cup whole cominos (cumin seed--yes, one-half cup!)

1/2 cup pure ground New Mexican red chile

Water

1 teaspoon cayenne

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Methods/steps

Render grease from the bacon; eat a bacon sandwich while the chili cooks. (Good chili takes time.)

Saute the ground beef in bacon grease over medium heat. Add the cominos and then begin adding the red chile until what you are cooking smells like chili. (This is the critical point. If you add all the spices at once, there is no leeway for personal tastes.) Let the mixture cook a bit between additions and don't feel compelled to use all of the red chile.

Add water in small batches to avoid sticking, and more later for a soupier chili. Slowly add the cayenne powder until smoke curls your eyelashes. Palefaces may find that the red chile alone has enough heat.

Simmer the mixture until the cook can't resist ladling a bowlful for sampling. Skim the excess fat for dietetic chili, or mix the grease with a small amount of cornmeal for a thicker chili.

Finish with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to individual taste, paprika to darken. Continue simmering until served; continue re-heating until gone. (As with wine, time enobles good chili and exposes bad.)

The result should be something like old time Texas cafe chili: a rich, red, heavily cominesque concoction with enough liquid to welcome crackers, some chewy chunks of meat thoroughly permeated by the distinctive spices, and an aroma calculated to lure strangers to the kitchen door.

Variation: For cook-off contest chili, drink bad tequila two days before starting the chili; burn mixture frequently; sprinkle occasionally with sand and blood; serve cold to a dozen other drunks and call them "judges"; and keep telling yourself you're having a great time.

Mrs Grimes also makes chili beans....pinto not kidney beans.....NEVER kidney beans.....they are for salad!
Everyone's chili is different....I put coffee and chocolate in my chili...AND beans!!!
No bacon and cans of crushed tomato.....and onion and garlic and green chilis and red hatch red chili and a bit of cumin....
But I have had decent chili made with onions beef and tomato soup and kidney beans....as barnmom said it's all good.....but some is better!!

Well I bought pinto beans and I will add the spice.

arley, jude31 and foodonastump thanks for the chile recipes. All 3 look wonderful. I might nix my recipe and make nana's chili which jude31 wrote.

I'm interested in the chocolate. How much do you add? It must add great depth of flavor.

Thanks so much for your help. I'm making the chili tomorrow for in-laws. I'll let everyone know how it turned out. Keep your fingers crossed, it's my first time making it.

I don't like what's sold as "chili beans". They're smaller and mushier than kidney beans. Essentially similar to what's used in traditional baked beans. Many people around here use pork & beans in chili. (Ugh!) To get an idea what a "chili bean" is, look at Wendy's chili. They have "chili beans" and kidney beans in it and possibly something like black beans at times too. All the stores here have beans together in one aisle, often close to the canned tomatoes.

And there's nothing wrong with pork in chili. I use a mixture of meats. Pork, beef, pepperoni, and sometimes smoked sausage, bratwurst or whatever else I have around. More of a sausagepalooza.

There is definitely canned beans that say "chili beans", they have a spicy sauce on them...probably mostly chili powder. There is also Ranch Style beans that are exactly the same as what is marked "chili beans". Do you have Save A Lot stores where you live? That is where I usually buy the beans marked "chili beans" because for some reason Ranch Style Beans are scarce in Ohio. They are a pinto bean BTW. As a side note, I don't use those in my chili. I've found that the simplest no frills recipe for chili to be the best. And to that I add a can of rinsed kidney beans. I added a link, my recipe is pretty much the same as this only no bell peppers. BTW I was born and raised in Texas, the recipe I use was an old handed down recipe.

Here is a link that might be useful: chili recipe

I added a link of a can of chili beans for those that don't know what they are. The link is a close up picture of the can which you can see what the beans actually look like from the can.

Here is a link that might be useful: a can of chili beans

Maybe the chili bean nomenclature is a regional labeling difference. I've never noticed them but never looked for them either.

If I could eat beans I'd have to make some chili!

My mom used to make chili using canned "chili ready beans." Basically beans in a chili flavored sauce. You might find them in with the prepared foods or canned meat aisles. Not usually in with the canned beans, which are usually in the vegetable aisle, although they show up in the ethnic foods sections too nowdays. Also, now there is a plethora of styles of canned baked beans including ones in a chili sauce.

I'm a cheapo and use dried beans which I cook in advance in the crockpot and freeze in pint jars for later applications. I can make them any way I want!

The recipe that cactuscatie says 3 cans of chili beans drained then it calls for 1 can of chili beans in spicy sauce. I think the recipe probably just means 3 cans of kidney beans since it specifies you to drain them. What would be the point in draining a bean that was already seasoned up? So yeah I agree after reading the recipe more closely that you should use something like canned kidney beans or whatever mean you prefer. I think that is way too many beans though for my liking. JMHO.

I don't make chili with beans, and so I cannot comment on this recipe, but I would like to add that in addition to adding chocolate to chili, you can add chili to chocolate, which is what I do. A little bit of cayenne added to chocolate will intensify the chocolate flavor, and you can now buy chocolate bars that have chili in them. I don't put chocolate in chili, however. The main ingredients in my chili are dried chilies and meat, plus seasonings like cumin and oregano.

Lars

"Interesting that they sell this stuff in Texas, where putting beans in your chili is a capital offense."

I think it depends on the part of Texas you are in.
Or maybe the background of the cook.
Or maybe even the intended use of the chili.
I've never seen beans in any chili made in a chili cook-off.
But almost all of my friends (and family)
Do add beans.
Usually, the Ranch Style beans.

Now if you want to commit a capital offense,
Put tomatoes in it!

Well, maybe that's not a capital offense any more,
Due to the increased 'dilution' of native Texans
by the Military base
And the University.

But it's still pretty serious.
No one would admit to it in public,
That's for sure! !

:>)

Rusty

I can find 'beans in chili sauce' even here in Wisconsin. Wal-Mart & Aldi both carry them. When I lived in Oklahoma, I had more brands to choose from but finding them here has been no problem. As already mentioned, 'Ranch-Style' is a popular nat'l. brand.

'Chili beans' can be any bean that you prefer. Pintos, kidney, black beans, I would use. Probably not Great Northerns, navy beans, limas, etc.

I usually add a can of corn to my chili--sacrilege, I'm sure. But I like that little nibbet of sweet, love the color and sneaks a vegetable past the guys.

No cocoa, ever. And none of that horrendous macaroni that a lot of Wisconsin cooks put in their chili. Like DS #1 likes to say about macaroni in chili: 'That's not chili; that's goulash.'

And, if you want to take the easy way out, I suggest that you just pick up a package of Williams Original Chili Seasoning mix and follow the directions on the back. (Plus beans which, IIRC, aren't part of the recipe.) No salt, nice balanced blend of herbs & spices and 1 pkg. seasons 2# of meat. Wms. is something of a regional brand-made in Lenexa, KS; I couldn't find it when I first moved to WI. But, since then, our Wal-Mart has expanded to carry groceries & I can buy it there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Williams Chili Seasoning

Rusty - Adding beans to your chili in Texas is not a capital offense, so long as the beans are cooked separately and added at the table. :-) I've been a CASI judge (and yes, we were drunk - couldn't help it). There actually were a few contestants who would cheat by adding a handful of a certain bean, or peppers cut into diamond shapes, etc. It was their way to let certain judges know who they were. But, for at least 20 years, the rule has basically been meat and sauce. Period. Most contestants use chuck tender, diced into 1 inch cubes.

Chili should be fun, as someone mentioned. But true Texas chili is and always be without beans, just as true Cincinnati chili is served on a bed of pasta.

Admittedly, I ate chili this past week at a local potluck lunch - with beans. Not bad at all.

ajh

I lived in Texas most of my life, born in a small town just outside of Houston. I never remember anyone giving a flip whether your chili had beans or didn't have beans. Sometimes we'd put beans in it and sometimes no beans. So I have to say that whoever came up with the idea that people in Texas never put beans in chili must just be making that up or it's some notion they falsely have in their heads. I'm about as Texan as I can be. Lived in Texas nearly 40 years!

OF COURSE this is JMHO...

Arkansas girl, I feel the same way when non southerners talk about grits. So many false notions.

I grew up in Arizona, chili always had beans. Maybe we just liked beans. :)

Well everyone I made my chili for the in-laws. Added both pinto and kidney beans. Decided to add the bacon but left out the sausage and worcestershire. Chili was delicious.

It was a good post with everyone giving their opinions on what to put into chili, how to make it and beans or no beans. I learned alot about chili. My thanks to all of you for your suggestions.

True Texas Red is actually chili con carne - which translates to chiles with meat. No beans. No tomatoes. Period.

What you put in *your* version of chili is your business, whether you are from Nacogdoches, Nashville or Nashua.

Try not to kill the messenger, though. :-)

cactuscatie, I'm glad your chili turned out well. Unorthodozepicure is right, chili is your own business and it all depends on what you like. Elery likes his so hot the enamel on his teeth bubble. I like it mild, cuz' I'm a wuss.

My version gets eaten by the bowlful and his gets eaten as baked potato topping with sour cream to cool it off. It's all good.

Annie

Some interesting reading, that bean vs no bean stuff. I guess if you accept CASI as the authority, then true Texas Chili does not have beans. CASI seems to be based in Texas by the way. The words to the song below written by a Texan make his opinion pretty clear as well. So add your beans if you wish; many folks do, apparently even in Texas. But these are just two out many examples I found that would suggest that the no-bean "rule" has plenty of history in Texas and is not just some wacky idea dreamt up by non-Texans.

If You Know Beans About Chili,
You Know That Chili Has No Beans
by Ken Finlay, singer, songwriter,
and owner of Cheatham Street Warehouse
(a music hall in San Marcos), written in 1976.

You burn some mesquite
And when the coals get hot
You bunk up some meat
And you throw it on a pot.
While some chile pods and garlic
And comino and stuff
Then you add a little salt
Till there's just enough
You can throw in some onions
To make it smell good
You can even add tomatoes
If you feel like you should
But if you know beans about chili
You know that chili has no beans

If you know beans about chili
You know it didn't come from Mexico
Chili was God's gift to Texas
(Or maybe it came from down below)
And chili doesn't go with macaroni
And dammed Yankee's don't go with chili queens;
And if you know beans about chili
You know that chili has no beans

Unorthodoxepicure, I agree. (I personally prefer bean-less chili anyway, so I'd cook it that way anyhow.)

Next version I'm gonna try is Francis Tolbert's 'A Bowl of Red', and I'm probably buy his cookbook by that name.

One thing I have found: using dried chiles from a Mexican market, seeded, toasted in a skillet, then powdered in a blender, is head and shoulders above any store-bought chili powder.

And this is a personal preference: I prefer chopped up meat to ground. Maybe if I could get coarse 'chili grind' beef I would prefer that, but when I get a spoonful of chili I like the meat bits to be recognizable as meat.

Here is a link that might be useful: a bowl of red

Houston is in the eastern part of Texas and has a lot of Cajun and ex-Louisianan residents and therefore a large influence from Louisiana. The "no beans" rule mainly applies to Texas that is west of College Station and south of Ft. Worth. San Antonio is often given credit as the place where chili was invented, but Texas chili was definitely invented by cowboys on the cattle trains, especially the Chisholm Trail and trails west of there. It originally had chilies, oregano, wild onions, cumin, and meat, and not much else - certainly not beans, but also no tomatoes, at least not until much much later. Chilies, Mexican oregano, and wild onions were deliberately planted along the cattle trails so that those ingredients would be available - they would have to bring their own cumin. BTW, the city where I was born is on the Chisholm Trail, as are San Marcos and San Antonio. The Texas Chili Parlor in Austin puts tomatoes in its chili, but it is still good.

Lars

Arley - I interviewed Frank Tolbert's children in the late-1980s for a broadcast piece I was working on. Frank was a fascinating Dallas Morning News columnist and food historian. Not to mention, he was widely recognized as the authority on chili.

I ordered his book, 'A Bowl of Red', from Amazon this morning. If I have time, I'll try his chili recipe this weekend. It calls for beef suet; I may have to substitute lard. (I have a friend who raises pigs, and the lard he gets is head and shoulders above store bought.)