One Pot Vegan Chili Mac
One-pot vegan Chili Mac features crumbled tempeh, kidney beans, sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, pasta, and a blend of flavorful spices. It’s an easy vegan dinner the whole family will enjoy, and even better, it’s ready in as little as 30 minutes!
Welcome to what my family calls the best vegan chili mac out there – and trust me, we’ve tested plenty! Everyone goes back for seconds (and thirds), and the leftovers somehow taste even better the next day.
Why This Is the Best Vegan Chili Mac
Combining classic chili flavors with cheesy mac goodness, this dish delivers big on taste and nutrition without the fuss.
- Hearty & satisfying: High in plant-based protein and fiber from tempeh and beans.
- Super customizable: Adjust the heat level, make it oil-free, soy-free (skip or sub tempeh), and gluten-free (with the right pasta).
- One-pot magic: Minimal dishes, quick cleanup.
- Ready in 30 minutes: Perfect for weeknights.
- Ideal for meal prep: Makes a big batch, freezes well, and reheats beautifully.
We make this vegan chili mac on repeat during cooler months – it’s warming, filling, and always a crowd-pleaser. I hope it becomes your new go-to too!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe combines fresh veggies, beans, tempeh “crumbles,” pasta, and a savory spiced broth for a complete, comforting meal. Here’s what you’ll need (full amounts in the recipe card):
- Aromatics: Onion (any variety—yellow, white, or red) and fresh garlic for deep flavor base.
- Peppers: 1 large bell pepper (any color) or 1–2 poblanos for mild smokiness and color.
- Tempeh: An 8-oz block (like Lightlife original), crumbled by hand for a fantastic ground-meat stand-in with nutty notes.
- Beans: 1–2 cans (kidney, black, pinto, or cannellini); use extra beans if skipping tempeh.
- Corn: Canned, frozen, or fresh – adds lovely sweetness and texture.
- Tomatoes: Fire-roasted diced tomatoes for smoky depth (or regular if that’s what you have).
- Pasta: Your favorite small shape (elbow, shells, etc.); gluten-free works great too – just note adjustments below.
- Spices: Chili powder, cumin, oregano, and paprika – adjust to taste for your perfect heat level.
- Liquids: Vegetable broth + an optional 8-oz bottle of dark beer (like Modelo Negra, which is vegan) for rich, malty depth. Swap beer with more broth or water for a kid-friendly version.
How To Make Easy Vegan Chili Mac
This chili mac recipe is so easy to make and only requires a few simple steps:
Sauté aromatics: In a large pot, heat oil and water, then sauté the onion, garlic, peppers, and tempeh for 5 minutes (above left).
Add spices: Toss in the spices (shown above right) and cook 1 minute (or until nice and fragrant).
Add remaining ingredients: Pour in the tomatoes (with juices), pasta, beans, and corn, and liquids over top, and give a good stir (shown above).
Simmer: Bring to a boil, cover askew, reduce heat, and simmer at a gentle rolling boil for 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
For a cheesy twist, stir in nutritional yeast or grated vegan cheese at the end until melted and creamy.
Serve with optional garnish of sliced green onions, shredded vegan cheese, Cashew Sour Cream, fresh chopped cilantro, or avocado.
How to Make Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese
- Nutritional yeast option: Add 1/4-1/3 cup at the end for a nutty, cheesy tang (no melting required).
- Vegan cheese option: Stir in 1–2 cups freshly grated vegan cheese (grate a block yourself – pre-shredded often turns waxy). I used a block of Daiya cheddar cheese and grated it finely using a box grater (affiliate link). Or sprinkle on top as a garnish.
Dietary Adjustments & Variations
- Soy-free: Skip tempeh and use extra beans or lentils.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta; add it later if needed to avoid overcooking.
- Oil-free: Sauté with water or broth.
- Spicier: Add cayenne, jalapeños, or hot sauce.
- Protein boost: Include vegan ground “beef” or lentils.
How to Store & Reheat Vegan Chili Mac
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5–6 days.
- Freezer: Cool completely, freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge.
- Reheat: Stovetop over medium-low with a splash of broth, or microwave until hot. Stir well and add fresh toppings.
More One-Pot Recipes!
- Easy Three Bean Chili
- Hearty Chickpea Noodle Soup
- Healthy Baked Beans
- Vegetable Paella
- Moroccan Pumpkin & Chickpea Stew
If you try this easy chili mac recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love hearing what you think or any changes you make.
ONE POT VEGAN CHILI MAC
Easy one-pot vegan chili mac with tempeh, kidney beans, and fire-roasted tomatoes—ready in 30 minutes! Healthy, freezer-friendly, and customizable. It’s the ultimate plant-based comfort food for chili mac lovers and busy families.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 – 8 1x
- Category: Entree, Dinner, Pasta
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Vegan, American
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water
- 1 large onion, diced (any color)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 – 2 peppers (bell or poblano), seeds removed and diced
- 1 package (8oz.) tempeh, crumbled
- 1 – 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika (smoked or regular)
- 1 can (15oz.) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15oz.) sweet corn, drained or 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen
- 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes (fire roasted pref.)
- 4 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 bottle dark beer (Modelo Negra) or 1 1/2 cups water
- 12 oz. elbow pasta (or other small pasta), about 2 1/2 cups
- salt and pepper, to taste
Optional garnish
- shredded vegan cheese
- sliced green onions
- vegan cashew sour cream
- fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
Sauté: In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the oil/water over medium heat, and saute the onion, garlic, peppers, and tempeh for 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and salt, and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Boil and simmer: Add the tomatoes, pasta, beans, and corn, then pour the liquids over top and give a good stir. Bring to a boil, cover askew, reduce heat, and simmer at a gentle rolling boil for 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add a bit of cayenne powder for extra heat if you like.
Serve warm with optional toppings.
Serves 6
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in an airtight container. It’s also freezer-friendly and can be stored for up to 2-3 months.
Notes
For Vegan Chili Mac + Cheese:
- Nutritional yeast option: Add ¼–⅓ cup at the end for a nutty, cheesy tang (no melting required).
- Vegan cheese option: Stir in 1–2 cups freshly grated vegan cheese (grate a block yourself—pre-shredded often turns waxy). Or sprinkle on top as a garnish.
Variations and substitutions:
- Soy-free: Skip tempeh and use extra beans or lentils.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta; add it later if needed to avoid overcooking.
- Oil-free: Sauté with water or broth.
- Spicier: Add cayenne, jalapeños, or hot sauce.
- Protein boost: Include vegan ground “beef” or lentils.
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We loved this recipe ! It will be a staple. Huge portion, so we had this for lunch and dinner next day! Thank you !
This is delicious! My first time cooking with Tempeh. I added extra nutritional yeast it tastes cheesy and absolutely yummy! I love it.
Love this recipe! I used an 8oz pack of mushrooms, finely chopped, in place of the tempeh to add some extra veggies to it.
Simple and easy to make and tasted great! Have used all of your recipes as a guide to eating more vegan meals! Off to a great start! Even my non-vegan/vegetarian friends have loved everything!
This was really good. I used gluten-free pasta and cooked it separately. Should I have cut back on some of the broth/beer that went into this since I didn’t cook the pasta in it?
So glad it worked well! And yes, the liquids can be cut if cooking the gluten free pasta separate. I’ve updated the recipe to include these instructions in the notes. My apologies for missing that and I hope your chili mac wasn’t too liquidy. It should thicken upon standing.
Loved this recipe so much!! The modela negra was perfect in it. I think you might have forgotten oregano in the ingredients list, as I saw it mentioned in the instructions. I put in 1 tsp and it did the trick :)
Thanks Shanley, so glad you loved it! You’re right about the oregano, 1 teaspoon, I’ve added it to the list! Cheers :)
I love this recipe! It is so easy to make and very tasty. Definitely will be in my rotation.
Thanks Pat! So glad you loved it and thanks for sharing your experience! Cheers :)