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Home » Recipes » Dairy Free

Black Eyed Peas Beer Chili

By Erin · February 7, 2021 · Updated September 26, 2021 · 17 Comments

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Dairy Free
bowl of soup topped with sour cream, jalapeno and shredded cheddar cheese

This Black Eyed Peas Beer Chili is the ultimate game day recipe! It's made with both beef and black eyed peas, and uses beer instead of broth, making it crazy flavorful and a crowd-pleaser. Plus, it's ready in about 45 minutes! 

bowl of soup topped with shredded cheese and sour cream

Black eyed peas chili is the ultimate game day recipe, especially when it includes beer! So, if you have extra beer lying around, this is THE recipe to whip up, and an incredibly delicious dinner recipe.

Besides this chili, my other game day favorites include my black pepper whipped feta, bbq chipotle wings and of course loaded nachos, all of which I make regularly when hanging out with friends.

Recipe features

  • You can use ANY kind of beer -- whatever is in your fridge!
  • Seasoned with smoked paprika and chipotle seasoning, which pair perfectly with the beer
  • Made in a dutch oven and ready in 45 minutes
  • Even better when topped with a little sour cream + cheese (always!)

cooked chili in a large dutch oven

Ingredient notes:

Beef - Lean ground beef is my go-to, but you could also use chuck roast; simply cut it into cubes, then fully cook it before letting it simmer with the other chili ingredients

Black eyed peas - Ok so I know these are the star of the recipe, but you can also sub black beans, pinto beans or even chickpeas if you prefer

Diced tomatoes - Always opt for fire roasted diced tomatoes if you can because they are much more flavorful than plain ones.

Beer - You can use ANY kind of beer. Seriously, whatever you have in your refrigerator will work! I tend to opt for a pilsner or pale ale -- both work great.

Method

First: Cook the beef. Begin by adding the ground beef, along with the onion, bell pepper and a little oil to a dutch oven and stir over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink and the veggies are soft. Then, add the garlic and sauté for one more minute.

ground beef, onion and red bell pepper in a dutch oven

Second: Add seasoning. Next, add the smoked paprika, chipotle, oregano, salt, sugar, and tomato paste and sauté for one minute, then pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices, the drained and rinsed black eyed peas, along with the beer.

someone pouring beer into a pot of chili

Third: Simmer. Bring the chili to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer it for at least 30 minutes. The soup will thicken, so either enjoy as-is, or add a little bit of water to thin it out.

Tips and FAQ's

How to store black eyed peas chili:

Store: Wait until chili cools, then transfer it to a sealed container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze: You can freeze the chili for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then heat it back up in your dutch oven.

Can this be made in the slow cooker?

Yes! Simply brown the beef in a skillet, and sauté the onion and garlic. Transfer them, along with the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the black eyed peas to your slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Then, stir in the black eyed peas and cook for 30 more minutes.

Is this chili spicy?

A little! I think the beer cuts some of the spice, but if you do not want it to be spicy, cut the amount of smoked paprika and chipotle seasoning in half, and use regular diced tomatoes instead of fire roasted.

bowl of chili next to a bottle of beer

More delicious chili recipes

  • Butternut Squash Chickpea Chili
  • Easy Paleo Chili
  • Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks! 

bowl of soup topped with shredded cheese and sour cream

Black Eyed Peas Beer Chili

This Black Eyed Peas Beer Chili is the ultimate game day recipe! It's made with both beef and black eyed peas, and uses beer instead of broth, making it crazy flavorful and a crowd-pleaser. Plus, it's ready in about 45 minutes! 
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef diced
  • 1 cup yellow onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced, seeds removed
  • 2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 6 oz. tomato paste
  • 28 oz. fire roasted diced tomatoes with juices
  • 30 oz. canned black eyed peas drained and rinsed
  • 12 oz. beer
  • 1 cup water optional, as needed

Instructions

  • Add beef, onion, bell pepper, and oil to a large dutch oven, then cook over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink and the vegetables are soft. Then, add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute before adding in the paprika, oregano, chipotle, salt, sugar, and tomato paste and sauté for 1 more minute.
  • Next, add the tomatoes with their juices, then add the rinsed black eyed peas and pour in the beer. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot and simmer the chili for 30 minutes.
  • As the chili cools, it will thicken. If you like your chili thick, leave it as-is, but if not, you can add a little bit of water to thin it out.
  • Top chili with cheese, sour cream, jalapeño, crushed tortilla chips, or whatever else you'd like and enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation 
*Store chili in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; chili will thicken in the refrigerator, so when you're reheating, you may need to add a little bit of water to it. 

Nutrition

Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 663mg | Potassium: 762mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1530IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 5mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in February 2017. It was updated with new text and photos in February 2021.

 

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About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle Warburton says

    February 15, 2019 at 9:39 am

    5 stars
    I retired my crockpot a while ago - bored of making the same old stuff. This was a game changer! Delicious and full of flavor without the mess. We used Dortmunder Gold from Great Lakes and it paired perfectly. Definitely keeping this one in our chili rotation!

    Reply
  2. Alcoline says

    August 02, 2017 at 10:27 pm

    5 stars
    Erin, what brand of beer did you used? Would definitely try your recipe as soon as I'm free. Thanks for sharing this!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      August 03, 2017 at 11:13 am

      Hi! I believe I used a New Belgium beer in this recipe.. I think any beer that isn't too flavorful (i.e. craft beer with citrus hints) should work.

      Reply
      • Alcoline says

        August 03, 2017 at 8:43 pm

        Does draft beer work? We don't have any new belgium beer here in my country though. Anyways, thanks for letting me know! Have a great day always! 🙂

    • Karen Smith says

      January 12, 2022 at 6:34 pm

      So I was reading in the comments about the chocolate stout. I always add a little chocolate Chips in my chili and I just so happened to have a organic Samuel Smith chocolate stout. I already had added the whole can of pale ale before I read the comments, but added half of the Stout anyway, it was a game changer for sure!! My husband loved it!!

      Reply
      • Erin says

        January 13, 2022 at 7:12 am

        Wow this sounds incredible -- thanks for the tip!

  3. Jess says

    March 14, 2017 at 2:42 pm

    Do you use canned or dried black-eyed peas for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      March 14, 2017 at 7:34 pm

      I used dried and I'd recommend only using dried. If you use canned peas, they will become too soft in the slow cooker. Let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  4. Jessica Norby says

    February 08, 2017 at 7:34 pm

    I told myself I was gonna make chili this week but then I made taco meat 😛 oops! Maybe it was a sign that I had to wait for THIS recipe.....

    Reply
    • Erin says

      February 09, 2017 at 9:00 am

      It was definitely a sign 😉

      Reply
  5. Sarah says

    February 08, 2017 at 12:29 pm

    I'm obsessed with chipotle seasoning so this has my name written all over it! I've never tried chili with beer. I totally would have gone through the same debate and wussed out, haha! You're convincing me to give a try though. I bet the flavor pairs really well with the smoky spice. Mmm...

    Reply
    • Erin says

      February 09, 2017 at 8:59 am

      Funny you say that because chipotle seasoning makes me think of you (creepy?) because the first time I'd even heard of it was from your blog! Also, I totally understand the beer debacle. I was like uhhh uhhhhh should I?! I took the risk and it worked! Really well if I do say so myself 🙂

      Reply
  6. Allyson (Considering The Radish) says

    February 08, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    I grew up eating chili almost every Sunday dinner for the duration of football season. It's a ridiculously good comfort food, isn't it? This version looks delicious- I'm thinking about using a chocolate stout for some of that rich goodness.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      February 09, 2017 at 8:58 am

      Ohhh! That would be amazing.

      Reply
  7. annie says

    February 08, 2017 at 11:30 am

    I love using beer in my chili. It just adds that extra special touch. I can't imagine having to dance after eating chili. I can only eat chili with sweatpants on, at the end of a long day.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      February 09, 2017 at 8:57 am

      It was horrible haha

      Reply
  8. Kelly @ Kelly Runs For Food says

    February 08, 2017 at 8:31 am

    Yum! I've never seen black eyed peas in chili before, but I can see how it would work. It's too warm here for chili right now, but once it starts to act like winter again I think a big pot of chili sounds delicious!

    Reply

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