You won’t believe the flavors you get from adding pineapple into your chili. We’re making the perfect Caribbean-spiced chili recipe!
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There’s one thing I know from years of watching my mom cook. There’s nothing that can’t be improved by adding some Jamaican inspiration to a dish.
That’s exactly what I did with this Jamaican lentil and pineapple chili recipe. And I’m making it even easier by putting it all in the crockpot so you can easily bring it together and then it’s ready when you’re ready to eat.
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Why You’ll Love this Dish:
- High Protein – Between the lentils and multiple cans of beans, we’re packing in the protein with this chili. Want even more? Try adding in a block of crumbled tofu like we do in our butternut squash chili.
- Big Flavor with Simple Ingredients – All the ingredients in this recipe are found at your local supermarket or are staples you already keep in your home.
- Meal Prep – I love a good meal prep option that doesn’t take a lot of time from the start either. With only a few chopped ingredients needed and then tossing in the crockpot until finished, this is not only great for the start but also great because it will last all week!
Ingredients for Jamaican Red Lentil and Bean Chili
Gather your ingredients!
Pineapple
I know pineapple seems like an unlikely ingredient in chili, but it really helps balance the spicy and smoky components we’re adding. It works similarly to how apples work in our vegan apple chili.
Tip: You can use fresh or canned pineapple for this recipe. We love using pineapple tidbits since it makes it easier to just toss and go and they are already the perfect size.
Red Lentils
Red lentils when cooked low and slow almost melt down. This helps with texture, thickening, and giving a meaty texture to the chili. All while adding protein to our dish.
Substitute: Green or brown lentils will also work for this recipe, but they don’t break down as much as red lentils. Alternatively, you could swap this with more beans, tofu, seitan, mushrooms, cauliflower florets, or peas.
Beans
We are using black beans and kidney beans in this recipe. The balance of size and texture is great for the overall texture of the dish.
Substitute: Any beans will work – cannellini, pinto, or even chickpeas will work here.
Corn
We love the balance the corn gives in chili. You can use fresh or canned corn for this recipe.
Substitute: Carrots, Butternut or acorn squash, fresh cubed pumpkin, or sweet potatoes are all ingredients that will work in place of corn.
Tomatoes
We’re using fire roasted tomatoes to give a bit more smokiness to the overall dish.
Substitute: You can use any diced tomatoes, fresh or canned.
Chipotle Pepper in Adobo
This is where most of our spice and smokiness comes from.
Tip: Since you only need one pepper, you can freeze the remaining peppers in an ice cub tray for later so they don’t go bad before you use again!
Garlic
There’s not a dish that I don’t want to put garlic in. It adds to much depth and flavor to the dish.
Substitute: While it would definitely be different, chives work in place.
Spices
We’re using a combination of fresh herbs, aromatics, and dried spices in order to bring flavor to all aspects of this dish and layer the flavors.
Other Vegan Jamaican Dishes to Try:
🥳 Get the Full Recipe
Caribbean Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper more or less to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 15 oz canned kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 15 oz canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 oz canned corn drained and rinsed
- 15 oz canned fire roasted tomatoes not drained
- 2 cups pineapple chunks fresh or canned
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup dry red lentils
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 lime, juiced
Optional Topping Ideas
- Plantain chips
- Avocado
- Vegan sour cream
- Green onions
- red bell pepper, diced
Instructions
- While prepping all your vegetables, preheat your crockpot on high for at least 15 minutes. Once ready, add in your onions, peppers, garlic, and spices. Let this cook for a few minutes until it becomes fragrant.
- Add in everything else except the lime juice. Stir together really well until all the ingredients are well combined. Let cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.
- Remove the bay leaf and stir in the lime juice. Serve in bowls with any optional toppings or your favorite chili toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
Video
Nutrition
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Frequently Asked Questions
There are no Top 9 Allergens in this dish as written.
This can be stored once cooled in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, you can freeze this chili for up to 3 months once cooled.
A simple salad goes well and then we usually serve a grain of choice – quinoa, brown rice, farro, etc, and/or vegan cornbread.
This recipe was outstanding! I loved the flavor profile. It came together so easily and it tasted like it took way more effort than it actually did. I will absolutely make this again.
This is awesome! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. And we totally agree that this one tastes so good for the little amount of work it takes to put together!
I made it 😉 And as much as I am confident as Andrew’s recipes are flavour bombs, this time… A bit…meh. Pineapple takes over. I miss some substance of the spices deepness. Something is too little. And the most possible reason is, as I made it in slow cooker. I think your mom makes it so good, is as the tomatoe paste, spices, onions, they love more the stove cooking in thick iron skillet. Then, the water evaporation is also different. I might kick it somehow again, but need to think over what needs the boost. Maybe partial exchange of the fire roasted peppers? Or deeper smoky chilly taste but without excess of the heat? Maybe Aleppo pepper/pul biber or gochugaru?
Hi Jasper. We know not every recipe will be a hit with everyone, but we appreciate your kind words. You could leave out some of the pineapple if it’s too much for you, but otherwise would encourage you to just play around with what works for you if this one as written didn’t. Thanks again for your feedback.
doubled the ingredients for large crock. added ground beef, pork and breakfast sausage. Excellent. Next time I’m going to add Kielbasa
Glad you enjoyed
Amazing Chili. Just.. amazing. I served this to my family (omnivores) and they were enthusiastically complimentary. My mom even asked if she could take some home with her. Next time I make it, I may decrease the amount of extra pineapple juice to help balance the sweetness.
This is amazing! So happy to hear that the whole family could enjoy this one!
Another amazing and simple chili! I didn’t use a slow cooker, but it turned out great on the stove. I did serve it over rice. So easy, warm, and satisfying!
Love serving over rice! Glad you enjoyed