If you’re carving a plant-based version of this classic midwestern dish – you’re in luck! We think you’re going to love this easy one pot vegan chili mac made from pantry staples and plant-based ingredients. This dairy free chili mac is just as good as the traditional version.
In case you can’t decide between a bowl of chili or macaroni and cheese – this chili mac blends the two dishes perfectly into one pot! We love one pot meals around here and this hearty one pot vegan chili mac recipe is our newest addition. This family friendly dish relies on a handful of pantry staples to come together for an easy weeknight dinner.
Depending on who you are serving, you can easily adjust this recipe to be gluten free, soy free, and oil free as well – just check out our tips later in this post. If you’re looking to add more plant-based protein to your diet, this chili mac is a great high protein vegan meal with 29 grams of plant protein per serving.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
One Pot Meal: as a mom to an active toddler, spending a lot of time in the kitchen prepping dinner isn’t really an option at this stage of life. One pot meals have become a lifesaver – both for ease of preparation and less dishes to clean up after dinner! I love that the macaroni cooks in the same pot for this chili mac recipe.
Weeknight Friendly: once you have the veggies chopped, this easy vegan dinner comes together pretty quickly so you can add this one to your weeknight dinner rotation.
Great for Meal Prep: I think this dairy free chili mac tastes even better the next day which means this is a perfect recipe if you like to meal prep some of your meals for the week. This one transports well so it can be a great option for packing for lunch.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Macaroni: because it’s called chili mac we used the classic elbow macaroni noodle shape for this recipe, but you could technically use any short pasta shape that you’d like. If you want to make this gluten free, swap with a gluten free pasta.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes: these add flavor and moisture to this recipe. No need to drain your diced tomatoes. We like using fire roasted diced tomatoes because I think they have more flavor.
- Pinto Beans: pinto beans are packed with essential nutrients like protein, fiber, and magnesium. We love incorporating them into recipes like this one. If you don’t have pinto beans on hand, you can substitute with black beans or dark red kidney beans.
- Veggies (Onion, Bell pepper, Garlic): add flavor, color, and fiber to this vegetarian chili mac recipe by adding this combo of vegetables. Feel free to use any color bell pepper.
- Seasoning (chili powder, cumin, oregano): adds all the classic flavors of a hearty chili to this dish. If you want to add some heat, add some cayenne pepper as well to achieve your desired spice level.
- Vegetable Broth: because we cook the macaroni in the same pot as the rest of the ingredients, you’ll need vegetable broth to cook the pasta until al dente. Using broth instead of water adds more flavor.
- Vegan Ground Meat: to add more filling protein and heartiness to this vegan recipe, we added some frozen vegan meat crumbles. (I really like the plant based crumbles from Gardein.) You can use any plant-based ground meat you like or use 2 cans of pinto beans instead.
- Vegan Shredded Cheese: you can use either a vegan cheddar or Mexican blend for this recipe. If you are serving vegetarian eaters, you can use a dairy based cheese if you’d rather.
Recipe Variations
Gluten free: make this recipe gluten free by using gluten-free pasta in place of regular pasta. Double check that your vegan/plant-based ground meat is gluten free or omit the vegan meat and use double the pinto beans (2 cans instead of 1). The Gardein be’f that I use is gluten free.
Soy Free: make this easy recipe soy free by using a soy free vegan cheese and choosing a vegan ground meat made from peas or seitan instead of soy. This ground “beef” from Abbot’s is my go-to for a soy free option.
Oil Free: use water instead of oil to stir fry the vegetables and omit the vegan shredded cheese. Add some cheesy flavor without oil by stirring in 1/4 to 1/3 cup of nutritional yeast.
How to Make Vegan Chili Mac
Step One: add olive oil to a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and bell pepper together until the onion is translucent.
Step Two: stir in the frozen vegan ground “beef” and sauté for 2-3 minutes. add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Sauté for another minute.
Step Three: Add the diced tomatoes, broth, water, and macaroni. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the macaroni is cooked, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Step Four: add the pinto beans and shredded vegan cheese. Cook 1-2 minutes to warm up the beans and melt the cheese. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. Top with fresh cilantro and sliced scallions.
Tips for Making Chili Mac
- Extra Flavorful Noodles: because the pasta cooks in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, it soaks up all those delicious flavors vs cooking in a separate pot with water. Cooking the pasta in the same pot also means you benefit from the starches released from the cooking noodles for a creamier finished dish.
- Adjust Liquid as Needed: you may find that you need to adjust the liquid needed for this recipe slightly depending on how fast your chili Mac is cooking and the pasta shape you use. I found that about 2 1/2 cups to 3 cups of broth/water worked well, but you may need a little more. You just want to make sure the pasta is submerged in enough liquid in the pot to cook. Stirring occasionally also makes sure each piece of pasta cooks evenly.
- Add More Cheese: if you want a really cheesy chili mac, feel free to add more cheese to the dish. I usually add about 1 1/2 cups – but you can easily double that if you like it extra cheesy.
- Use Leftover Chili: if you have chili leftovers, you can make a really simple chili mac by adding it to a pot with some cooked pasta, a splash of broth, and some vegan shredded cheese. A great way to use up leftover chipotle chili or this vegan crockpot chili.
How to Serve Chili Macaroni
To serve this chili macaroni, we like to dish it into bowls and top with some finely chopped red onion, extra cheese, cilantro, green onions, and/or hot sauce. You can also top with some crumbled tortilla chips for crunch. When it comes to sides, the beauty of this dairy free chili mac is that it is really a complete meal in one dish, but you can serve with a bagged salad, coleslaw, or cornbread.
Storage
Fridge: allow the vegan mac to cool to room temperature and then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat in a skillet on the stovetop.
Freezer: allow chili mac to cool, then store in airtight, freezer safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or stovetop.
Recipe FAQs
What is the difference between goulash and chili mac?
The main difference between American goulash and chili mac is…. beans! The ingredients used in both dishes are very similar but since this dish has pinto beans, we call it a chili mac rather than goulash.
What is chili mac made of?
Chili mac is made of macaroni, tomato, cheese, ground beef, and beans. You’ll usually find some chopped veggies like onion and bell pepper in there as well. To make a vegan version, we used a plant-based ground meat and non-dairy cheese.
How many calories in chili mac?
The total calories in chili mac will vary depending on what type of vegan “beef” you use in this dish. (Beyond Meat and Impossible will be higher calorie than other options.) See recipe card below for the estimated nutrition information (including calories) for this dish.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
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Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli
-
Creamy Beet Pasta Sauce
-
Vegan Baked Ziti
-
Vegan Taco Pasta
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Vegan Chili Mac
If you're carving a plant-based version of this classic midwestern dish – you're in luck! We think you're going to love this easy one pot vegan chili mac made from pantry staples and plant-based swaps. This dairy free chili Mac is just as good as the traditional version. Course Entree, Main DishCuisine AmericanDiet Vegan Prep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 30 minutes minutesTotal Time 40 minutes minutes Servings 6 servings Calories 484kcal Author Deborah Murphy
Equipment
- 3 1/2- to 4-quart Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups frozen vegan ground "beef"
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 (28 oz) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups macaroni
- 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups vegan cheddar cheese shreds
Instructions
- Heat the pan and coat with oil. Heat the oil in a 3 1/2- to 4-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and green pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Cook the "beef", then add seasonings. Add the vegan ground "beef" and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the tomatoes, broth, noodles, and beans. Pour in the tomatoes, broth, water, and macaroni. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add a splash or two of broth if needed too much liquid is evaporating.
- Stir in cheese and beans. Stir in the pinto beans and vegan cheeses shreds. Cook until the cheese is melted. Taste and add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Ladle into bowls and top with more cheese and scallions.
Notes
- To store, add leftovers to airtight containers and store in the fridge for up to 3 days and the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 725mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 981IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 215mg | Iron: 7mg
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