Impossible Meat Chili (2024)

Jump to Recipe

This Impossible chili is the best darn vegan chili recipe ever! Made with Impossible meat, it tastes like the real deal yet it's 100% vegan and gluten-free. Impress your friends and family with this authentic-tasting chili (or don't tell them it's vegan and they will never know.)

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get more amazing vegan recipes that will satisfy your cravings!

❤️ Why make this recipe

Chili is always a crowd pleaser that's perfect for parties, game days, and get-togethers. When you make chili with Impossible beef it tastes indistinguishable from traditional chili and vegans and non-vegans will be amazed.

You can serve this chili with a topping bar of avocado slices, lime wedges, cilantro, vegan sour cream, and vegan cheddar cheese so everyone can make their own creations. Plus this plant-based chili is gluten-free so all your guests can enjoy it.

We love spicy chili and hearty stews in my house like green chile stew, vegan white "chicken" chili, and vegan beef stew, but this vegan chili is always a hit.

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

Impossible Beef - You can use the 12 oz package of Impossible meat or use 4 Impossible burgers and break them up in the pan while cooking. You can also swap this out for Beyond Meat or any other vegan ground beef product or meatless crumbles. For a budget-friendly option use TVP rehydrated in vegan broth.
Olive Oil - for sauteing the onions and peppers. You can swap this out for any oil you want or use vegetable broth for an oil-free option.
Onions and Garlic - for flavor. Use yellow onions, white onions, or red onions.
Bell peppers –Any color of bell pepper tastes delicious. Green, yellow, red or orange!
Jalapeno peppers –The jalapenos give the chili a lot of flavor and the spice mellows out a lot after simmering the soup, but you can add less for a mild chili and more for a spicier chili. If you don't have fresh jalapenos, you can use canned jalapenos instead.
Tomato juice–You will need a large can of tomato juice. You can also use V8 juice instead.
Tomato Sauce - you will need a jar of pasta sauce (like the kind you would use for spaghetti.) This adds a lot of flavor to the chili as well.
Canned Diced Tomatoes - you can also use 1 1/2 cups of fresh diced tomatoes if you don't have canned.
Beans –I like the taste of kidney beans and pinto beans, but you can also use white beans, black beans, and even chickpeas.
Spices - Chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. I also love to add some Chipotle chili powder for some smokiness.
Favorite toppings –Garnish with shredded vegan cheddar cheese, dairy-free sour cream, pickled onions, cilantro, lime wedges, chopped red onion, cilantro garlic sauce, or crushed corn chips.

🔪 Helpful tools

A Large Soup Pot - for making the chili on the stovetop.
Crockpot - or Instant Pot if you want to use the slow cooker method.

🥄 How to make vegan chili

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

Step 1 - In a large skillet, add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, garlic, parsley, and jalapeño peppers and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes).

Step 2 - Add the Impossible meat, (or any other faux ground beef) break it up with a wooden spoon, and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the Impossible meat browns.

Step 3 - Sprinkle the veggies and vegan meat with the spices (chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.) Stir until combined.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

Allow the chili to simmer for at least an hour before serving. The flavors melt together the longer it simmers.
Simmer the chili on the lowest heat setting to just keep it hot but not boiling.
I simmer the chili uncovered, to cook off some of the liquid and make it thicker, but you can also cover it if you want it soupier or if you will be simmering it for a long time at a party.
You can leave the sugar out of the recipe if you wish, but the sugar helps to mellow out the acidity of the tomatoes and does a lot for the flavor of the chili.

❓ How to make vegan chili in the crock pot

To make this in a slow cooker, follow steps 1 and 2 on the stovetop then transfer the Impossible meat and veggies to the slow cooker. Add all of the remaining ingredients (spices, tomatoes, and beans) to the slow cooker and set it to low for 7 to 8 hours or set it to high for 4 hours.

🥡 Storage and reheating

Refrigerate:Leftover vegan chili will keep well in the fridge for 3 - 5 days in an airtight container.

Freeze:This Impossible meat chili freezes well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating:Reheat one serving of the chili in the microwave for about 3 minutes or reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop.

🌟 More vegan soups and stews

Vegan Chicken and Dumplings
Mushroom and Kale Stew
Vegan Goulash
Vegan Jambalaya
Vegan Potato Corn Chowder

📌 Be sure tofollow me on Pinterestfor new vegan recipes!

*This recipe was inspired by my friend Megan's chili recipe from the blog Pip and Ebby! It has over a hundred 5-star reviews, so I had to give it a try and make it vegan.

📋 Vegan chili recipe

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe

Impossible Chili

Amazing vegan chili made with Impossible Meat and beans.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Impossbile chili, Impossible Meat chili, vegan chili

Servings: 12

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Monica Davis

Ingredients

1 (12 oz) package Impossible meat or 4 burgers
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 medium green bell pepper chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
2 medium jalapeño peppers finely chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (46 oz) can tomato juice
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
2 (15.5 oz) cans kidney beans drained and rinsed
2 (15.5 oz) cans pinto beans drained and rinsed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large skillet, add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, garlic, parsley, and jalapeño peppers and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes).
Add the Impossible meat, (or any other faux ground beef) break it up with a wooden spoon, and cook for an additional 5 minutes until the Impossible meat browns.
Sprinkle the veggies and vegan meat with the spices (chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.) Stir until combined.
If cooking on the stovetop, add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, and pinto beans to either the skillet and stir well.
Simmer over low heat for 1-2 hours before serving.
Serve with vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, chopped jalapenos, and fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley.

Notes

Allow the chili to simmer for at least an hour before serving. The flavors melt together the longer it simmers.

Simmer the chili on the lowest heat setting to just keep it hot but not boiling.

I simmer the chili uncovered, to cook off some of the liquid and make it thicker, but you can also cover it if you want it soupier or if you will be simmering it for a long time at a party.

You can leave the sugar out of the recipe if you wish, but the sugar helps to mellow out the acidity of the tomatoes and does a lot for the flavor of the chili.

Nutrition