Do Beans Belong In Chili? It's Complicated

A hearty chili can be eaten straight from a bowl with a slice of leveled-up cornbread, turned into a condiment of sorts for a hot dog, or made as a topping for cheesy nachos. However, as beloved and versatile as the cuisine may be, many disagree over how to define it. There are several off-the-wall ingredients folks put in chili, but at the heart of that debate is whether beans are an appropriate component of the dish or a perversion of cultural fare.

From Skyline chili in Cincinnati to New Mexico's interpretation made with green hatch chiles, there are boundless regional recipes for the dish. Still, most adaptations call for one type of bean or another, much to the dismay of purists. White bean chili can be made with several different components, but the main attraction is the cannellini or navy beans used as the star of the dish. Without them, it is essentially just turkey or chicken in flavored broth and the fare would need a new name. Oklahoma chili varies a bit regarding the ingredients in its makeup, but without beans, it basically becomes a version of Texas chili. Arguably, vegetarian chili wouldn't exist at all without beans.

However, some chili idealists — perhaps most notably Texans — emphatically proclaim that the fare is comprised only of meat and ground-up chili peppers, commonly referred to as chili con carne. According to the bean naysayers, any other ingredients added to the dish make it a version of soup or stew — and calling that chili is downright blasphemous. This mindset stems from the entrée's south-of-the-border origins, which influenced the cuisine of the American frontier.

Being the official state dish of Texas, folks in the Lone Star State are passionate about their chili — and adamant about the exclusion of beans here. To them, a bowl of Texas Red should be simple yet full of spicy flavors from chilis stewed down to create a sauce. Others will decry this version as not chili at all but a meat sauce more akin to a bolognese, as it lacks the textural contrast beans provide.  

The International Chili Society hosts the World Championship Chili Cook-Off each year, and because to bean or not to bean is such a hotly contested issue, the organization separates the competition into categories that allow folks to cook a batch however they prefer. The Traditional Red division forbids legumes from being present in an entry, whereas in the Homestyle Chili category, beans are required. There is also a Chili Verde class, where participants attempt to make a winning dish using green chiles as the foundation. 

Ultimately, the answer to the question of beans in chili really depends on who you ask. Midwesterners might scoff at the notion of them being excluded. Suggesting that a Texan add them to chili might be considered fightin' words. Like many other meals we enjoy, it is made to please the taste buds. Whether that means your chili has beans or not is a decision that's up to you.