A hearty, delicious and vegan Irish Chili flavored with Guinness is the perfect recipe for comfort!

This vegan Irish Chili has tons of flavor from simple spices and a glug of Guinness. Meatless beef and two kinds of beans add lots of variety and texture, as do diced tomatoes, onions, celery and potatoes. Serve this for a delicious St. Patrick's Day lunch or dinner and you'll have everyone eating out of your hand! The recipe is soy-free and nut-free and it can be tweaked for gluten-free and low-carb diets.
If a warm, comforting bowl of chili is your thing, look no further than this exquisitely delicious and super easy vegan Irish Chili.
If you've read this blog for any length of time you know I love Ireland and I love Irish food. I've shared so many vegan Irish recipes or Irish inspired recipes with you, from my classic vegan Irish Stew to vegan Colcannon, vegan Guinness Pie, vegan Chocolate Whiskey Cake, vegan Irish Soda Bread, vegan Cabbage, Leek and Potato Tart and so many more.
This vegan Irish Chili is a wonderful addition to that tasty list. It is full of flavor, meaty, filling--and good for you. You can please anyone with this dish, vegan or omnivore or somewhere in between.
Why you'll love this vegan Irish Chili recipe
- It's so delicious. The spices, veggies and beans add so much texture and flavor to this recipe, and the Guinness deepens all those lovely flavors with a hint of its bitterness.
- It's easy to make. This is a one-pot recipe (although there's an optional trick I will show you to make this chili even thicker that would require a blender). Aside from chopping the veggies the only prep work needed is to open a few cans.
- It is healthy. There are 22 grams of protein in each 364-calorie serving, and 13 grams of fiber.
- It's everyone-friendly. The chili is soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free. If you are eating low-carb, I'll suggest tweaks below to make this appropriate for your diet.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 16 oz meatless beef or meatless beef crumbles. I used Beyond Beef but any brand is fine, including Impossible Burger, Tofurky, Morningstar or Gardein. The quantities these are sold in vary (Impossible is sold in 12 oz packs, for instance), but don't worry too much about it. If you're using Impossible, just use the 12 oz package--you don't have to open another package to make up for the 4 oz difference). If you are soy-free or gluten-free pay attention to the labels.
- 1 large onion
- 3 stalks celery
- 4 cloves garlic
- Spices: 2 heaping tablespoons chili powder/seasoning (I linked to the brand I use in the recipe card below), 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cayenne (use only if you want more heat), 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 2 teaspoons ground coriander.
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pound potatoes. I used a mix of baby yellow, red and purple potatoes.
- 14 oz can pinto beans and 14 oz black beans. You can use one or the other or use red kidney beans.
- ½ cup vegetable stock or mushroom stock (if using my homemade mushroom stock reserve the mushrooms and I'll show you how to use them in this recipe to bump up the umami).
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes with juices.
- 1 cup (8 oz) Guinness draught stout. Drink up the rest of the bottle--it's the cook's privilege! You can add the entire 11.2 oz bottle to the chili if you prefer more Guinness flavor but I find 1 cup is exactly right. Use Guinness blonde for a milder flavor. Guinness is not gluten-free (thanks to a reader for pointing out, but if you are gf you can use another gluten-free beer--there are several on the market).
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- 4 scallions, optional, for garnish.
How to make vegan Irish Chili
- Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or saute pan. Add the meatless beef and saute over medium heat until lightly browned, about five minutes.
- Add the onions, celery and garlic along with a dash of salt and ground black pepper. Mix. Saute until the onion is softened.
- Add the potatoes to the pot followed by the spices--chili powder, paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, and cayenne, if using. Add the oregano.
- Mix well.
- Here's an optional step you can add for more texture in the chili and to make it deliciously thick. Place half the black beans in a blender with ½ cup vegetable or mushroom stock. If you use my homemade mushroom stock, which I shared last week, add the mushrooms you used to make the stock as well. Blend into a smooth puree.
- Next add the puree along with the remaining black beans and the pinto beans to the pot. If you didn't make the puree just add the beans and vegetable stock to the pot. Mix.
- Finally stir in the canned diced tomatoes with all juices and the Guinness into the chili. Mix well, bring to a boil, then cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking the chili for five more minutes.
- Check salt before turning off heat.
What to serve with the vegan Irish Chili
- Serve the chili topped with shards of vegan cheddar cheese.
- You can serve the chili by itself or on top of cooked brown or white rice.
- Or serve it with a chunk of crusty French bread on the side.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. To tweak this recipe for a low-carb diet, leave out the potatoes and pinto beans. Use just the black beans. This will bring down net carbs in the recipe to 17 grams. Or you can cut out all beans, which will further reduce net carbs to just 9 grams. You can also try my vegan low carb keto chili recipe.
You definitely can. Use any Irish or other stout. There are some good suggestions here for beers that are similar to Guinness (although I can't vouch if they are vegan).
At a pinch, use ½ cup of red wine instead.
Guinness is not gluten-free, so use another beer that is, if you are eating gf.
Storage and freezing instructions
- As a rule of thumb chili always tastes best the next day when the ingredients and flavors have had a chance to meld together. So this is a great dish to make ahead and reheat before serving, although it'll still be very delicious the day you make it.
- Leftovers will keep nicely in the fridge for up to four days.
- For longer term storage freeze in airtight containers for up to three months. Thaw and reheat.
More vegan chili recipes
Vegan Irish Chili
Equipment
- Blender (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 16 oz Beyond Beef (or use any other meatless beef. See notes)
- 1 large onion (finely diced)
- 3 stalks celery (finely diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced or crushed)
- 2 heaping tablespoons chili powder or seasoning
- 1 tablespoon paprika (for color, optional)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (for more heat, optional)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 pound potatoes (Cut in a ½-inch dice. Use yellow or red potatoes or a combination. I used purple potatoes as well)
- 14 oz pinto beans (1 can. Drain before using.)
- 14 oz black beans (1 can. Drain before using)
- ½ cup vegetable stock or mushroom stock (If using my homemade mushroom stock reserve the mushrooms)
- 28 oz diced tomatoes (canned, with juices)
- 1 cup Guinness draught stout (You can add an entire 11.2 oz bottle if you prefer more Guinness flavor but I find 1 cup is exactly right. Use Guinness blonde for a milder flavor.)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 4 scallions (chopped, optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or saute pan. Add the meatless beef and saute over medium heat until lightly browned, about five minutes.
- Add the onions, celery and garlic along with a dash of salt and ground black pepper. Mix. Saute until the onion is softened.
- Add the potatoes to the pot followed by the spices--chili powder, paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, and cayenne, if using. Add the oregano. Mix well.
- Optional step for more texture in the chili: Place half the black beans in a blender with ½ cup vegetable or mushroom stock. If you use my homemade mushroom stock, which I shared last week, add the mushrooms you used to make the stock as well. Blend into a smooth puree.
- Add the bean puree along with the remaining black beans and the pinto beans to the pot. If you didn't make the puree just add the two cans of beans (drained) and vegetable stock to the pot. Mix.
- Finally stir in the canned diced tomatoes with all juices and the Guinness into the chili. Mix well, bring to a boil, then cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking the chili for five more minutes.
- Check salt before turning off heat.
- Garnish with scallions.
Recipe notes
- To tweak this recipe for a low-carb diet, leave out the potatoes and pinto beans. Use just the black beans. This will bring down net carbs in the recipe to 17 grams. Or you can cut out all beans, which will further reduce net carbs to just 9 grams.
- For more Guinness flavor in the recipe use an entire 11.2 oz bottle. Use Guinness blonde for a milder flavor. Or if you can't find Guinness use any Irish or other stout. Guinness is not gluten-free so for gluten-free diets replace with a gf beer.
- You can use any brand of meatless meat or crumbles in this recipe. The quantities these are sold in vary (Beyond is sold in 16 oz packs and Impossible is sold in 12 oz packs, for instance), but don't worry too much about it. If you're using Impossible, just use the 12 oz package--you don't have to open another package to make up for the 4 oz difference). If you are soy-free or gluten-free pay attention to the labels.
- Serve the chili topped with shards of vegan cheddar cheese.
- You can serve the chili by itself or on top of cooked brown or white rice.
- Or serve it with a chunk of crusty French bread on the side.
- As a rule of thumb chili always tastes best the next day when the ingredients and flavors have had a chance to meld together. So this is a great dish to make ahead and reheat before serving, although it'll still be very delicious the day you make it.
- Leftovers will keep nicely in the fridge for up to four days.
- For longer term storage freeze in airtight containers for up to three months. Thaw and reheat.
Katherine D Emerson
I don't drink and don't want to buy beer. Can I just skip the beer? The recipe sounds delicious and I presume would be yummy sans beer.
Vaishali
Yes, it's fine to skip!
Oscar Almeida
Vegan dishes with an Indian flair Just what the Doc ordered ! ha ha If more of us resorted to a veggie diet , no alcohol
cigarettes refined sugars bread and grains and deep
meditation (India) Do we realize that the Medical Industry
Big Pharma would go BROKE ! let's go vegetarian !
Maybe they will find something else to keep the economy
going
Elizabeth
This was delicious. I tried it for St. Patrick's Day but will definitely be making this much earlier next winter as this was hearty and so satisfying.
Vaishali
So happy to hear, Elizabeth! I agree it would be great to eat through winter.
rxc
It sounds ike a wonderful bean stew, but it is not chili. Just like "vegan meatballs" can be very tasty fried vegan bean patties, but they are not meatballs. In some parts of the world, "chili" that contains any beans is not considered to be "real" chili.
To people who disagree with me, I ask why it is acceptable to call something a "vegan meatball" when it contains no meat, but it is not acceptable to call something a "vegan meatball" if it does, in fact, contain meat?
As Abraham Lincoln once asked: "How many legs does a dog have you call its tail a leg? - A. Four. It does not matter what you call it, a tail is not a leg."
Vaishali
Why split hairs over something that's really not relevant? Anyway, since you started the argument, here we go. Read through to the end.
Quoting Merriam-Webster:
Chili: a thick sauce of meat and chilies
liked to cover her spaghetti with red chili
b: CHILI CON CARNE
a bowl of chili
also : a similar dish made without beef
vegetarian chili
seafood chili
dave
You are nothing if not eclectic.
Vaishali
Aw, thanks Dave! 🙂
Jan
I don't believe Guinness is gluten-free (it's made with barely malt). You may wish to qualify that in the recipe as it may not be clear to individuals who are just learning to live with gluten restrictions (ie, because of Celiac Disease).
While they won't have the same desired taste, there are some GF beers that could substitute. The (Canadian) Whistler Brewing Company's lager has a great "bite" to its brew.
Outstanding recipe, otherwise
Vaishali
Thanks for that heads-up, Jan, and for the beer suggestions. I've added a clarification in the recipe.
Janet
Hi Vaishali, I have used quite a few of your recipes and love them. Could I use Soyrizo (plant-based chorizo) as the "meat" in this recipe without altering the flavor profile too much?
Vaishali
Hi Janet, thanks for the kind words. You can definitely used soyrizo -- it would add a little kick which could be nice, I think.