This no bean chili recipe is packed full of flavor and protein – with no beans added! The perfect one pot meal to cook up on a cool chilly night that the whole family will love.
Meet this carnivore chili recipe dream! Seriously, have you always wanted a warm bowl of chili but wanted to hold the beans? I’ve got you covered. This carnivore friendly chili recipe has no beans but still packs a serious punch.
Sometimes called “Texas Chili” I’ve developed this no bean chili recipe to suit anyone who isn’t a bean lover (aka my husband). I absolutely love chili season but my husband would prefer I didn’t load him up with beans all through the cold winter months. I thought I’d create the best of both worlds with this chili recipe – no beans! It’s hearty and flavorful without the magical fruit that makes you…
Let’s chat about why you NEED to make this recipe.
Why Make this Recipe?
One Pot – Everything can be cooked in one pot so it’s perfect for those busy nights where a pile of dishes is the last thing you need.
Paleo + Whole 30-Friendly – Doing whole30 this month? This recipe is perfect for you! There’s no beans or grains. Simply veggies, meat and spices!
Easy Meal Prep – Prep a batch of this no bean chili at the start of the week for easy lunches or dinners. You can also freeze leftovers as well for a future meal!
Ingredients in No Bean Chili
- Ground Beef – I like using an 85% lean beef in this recipe since a little fat is necessary for flavor. That being said feel free to sub in any ground meat you prefer.
- Olive oil – for cooking beef and veggies.
- Onion + garlic – important aromatics that are the base of the flavors in this no bean chili recipe.
- Bell pepper – I like using red bell pepper but feel free to use any bell pepper color you desire.
- Jalapeno – Feel free to skip if you don’t like spicy or amp up the heat by leaving the seeds in.
- Chili powder – NOT to be confused with cayenne pepper. Chili powder is a spice blend you can find at most grocery stores.
- Ground cumin + paprika – I like using smoked paprika but you can use sweet or regular paprika if that’s all you can find.
- Diced tomatoes – 1 large can of diced tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes will also work.
- Beef broth – you can use any kind of broth but I like the flavor of beef broth. Water will also work in a pinch.
- Salt + Pepper – feel free to adjust to taste and sodium preferences.
How to Make This No Bean Chili Recipe
STEP 1: BROWN BEEF
Heat olive oil in a large pot over med-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned (About 3-4 mins).
STEP 2: COOK VEGGIES
Add in onions and cook for 3 more minutes. Add in garlic, bell peppers and jalapeno and cook for another 2 mins. Top with chili powder, cumin and paprika and stir to coat beef and veggies.
STEP 3: SIMMER
Pour in diced tomatoes and beef broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes, uncovered or until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.
STEP 4: TOP + SERVE
Top with desired toppings and serve.
The Best Chili Toppings
The best thing about chili is that it’s a complete meal in one. I love dishing up a big bowl and topping it with a variety of toppings. Here are some we rotate through:
- tortilla chips
- sliced avocado
- sour cream or Greek yogurt
- shredded cheese
- green onions
- cilantro
You also can’t go wrong serving it alongside sweet potato cornbread or pumpkin cornbread.
FAQs
Yes! You’ll want to saute your beef first (about 3 minutes on saute mode with the olive oil) then top with all other ingredients. Pressure cook on HIGH for 8 minutes then allow to steam release for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!
Yes! You’ll want to brown your meat and veggies on the stove top first then add all ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on HIGH For 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
You can swap in any ground meat or mixture of meats in place of beef.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge or on countertop for several hours.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove top.
More Chili Recipes:
No Bean Chili Recipe
This no bean chili recipe is packed full of flavor and protein – with no beans added! The perfect one pot meal to cook up on a cool chilly night that the whole family will love.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bell peppers, seeded + chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 x 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over med-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned (About 3-4 mins).
- Add in onions and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Add in garlic, bell peppers and jalapeno and cook for another 2 mins.
- Top with chili powder, cumin and paprika and stir to coat beef and veggies.
- Pour in diced tomatoes and beef broth and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes, uncovered or until desired consistency is reached.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Top with desired toppings and serve or store in the fridge for up to 3 days. See instructions above for freezing.
