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This No Bean Chili Recipe is as delicious as the classic, without the beans! Packed with savory ground beef, veggies, and spices, this beanless chili is the best healthy comfort food! Whole30, Paleo, and Keto-friendly!
What Makes This Recipe Great
I love to eat chili all year long! Even though it’s officially summer, I’ve been craving all of the cozy comfort foods and this beanless chili hits the spot! With tons of topping options and easy cooking instructions (Instant Pot & Slow Cooker!), you will love this chili regardless of the season!
This no bean chili recipe is packed with protein, veggies, and spices, and a not-so-secret addition: cacao powder. I LOVE adding it to my chili recipes because it provides so much depth and bold flavors. Just trust me – you gotta try it!
Recipe Highlights
- Multiple cooking methods.
- Minimal prep.
- Keto, Whole30, Paleo, & Gluten-Free!
- Only 30 minutes in the Instant Pot!
- Healthy comfort food at its finest!
- Endless topping options!
Ingredient Notes
Ground Beef: You could also do ½ ground pork or turkey!
Veggies: Carrots, Celery, Red Pepper, Onion, Garlic
Coconut Aminos: These add a ton of flavor while still keeping this beanless chili Whole30! You can find them at Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, and other local grocery stores.
Frank’s Red Hot: Use whatever hot sauce you have on hand! I like Franks!
Spices: Chili Powder, Cumin, Paprika, Salt.
Raw Cacao Powder: This adds amazing depth and boldness to this recipe. Note: Cacao and unsweetened cocoa powder are different! Make sure to look for brands like Nativa that sell excellent cacao powder. You can find this at most local grocery stores.
Recipe Step by Step
Instant Pot Beanless Chili
- Turn the Instant Pot to “saute” mode. Add in the olive oil and let it heat up. Then, add in the ground beef and the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, using a spoon to break up the meat.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and give everything a good stir. Cook on manual high pressure for 12 minutes. Let it naturally release for 10 minutes. Release the steam, then stir. Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!
Slow Cooker No Bean Chili
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onions and saute for 5-7 minutes until the beef is mostly browned.
- Transfer the beef and onions to the slow cooker and add in the remaining ingredients. Stir well. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours. Serve and enjoy!
The Best Toppings!
You can top your beanless chili with a variety of things! Take a look at this list and choose what you love!
Jalapeños
Sour cream (or my Whole30 sour cream)
Cornbread
Diced Green Onions
Sliced Red Onions
Avocado
Crumbled Tortilla Chips (I like Siete!)
Bacon
Cheese (or dairy-free shredded cheese)
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
Storage: Store leftovers of this beanless chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat over the stove or in the microwave.
Adding Beans: If you want to add beans to this chili recipe, you can! I recommend canned kidney, navy, and/or pinto beans! Rinse before adding.
Thickness: If you prefer a thicker chili, you can turn it to sauté mode once you release the steam and let it cook for an additional 10 minutes uncovered. This will help to cook off some of the extra liquid.
Recipe FAQS
Yes! If you’d prefer to use ground turkey instead of beef in this beanless chili, feel free to swap out the meat in the same quantity.
Yes! This recipe has 9 net carbs per serving. Make sure the toppings you choose are also keto-friendly.
Yes! Freeze your beanless chili in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or stove. You can also dump the frozen contents directly into your slow cooker and cook on low for several hours until it heats all the way through.
Yes! See tips & tricks above if you want to add beans! The nutrition facts below are for beanless chili, so be sure to adjust if you add beans.
More Chili Recipes
Slow Cooker Tortilla Chicken Chili
Classic Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
No Bean Chili Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ onion, diced
- ¼ cup diced celery
- 2 carrots, diced
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 4.5 oz can diced green chilies
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1.5 cups beef (or chicken) broth
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp Frank's Red Hot
- 1.5 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to "saute" mode. Add in the olive oil and let it heat up. Add in the ground beef and the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, using a spoon to break up the meat.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and give everything a good stir. Cook on manual high pressure for 12 minutes. Let it naturally release for 10 minutes. Release the steam, then stir. Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onions and saute for 5-7 minuted until the beef is mostly browned. Transfer the beef and onions to the slow cooker and add in the remaining ingredients. Stir well. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
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This post was originally published on April 6, 2020 and updated with new photos and copy on July 21, 2022.
Disappointing. It was way too soupy and tomatoey. It was more like a soup. And I love chili without beans.
This is the best chili ever!
Thanks Michelle!
Love this recipe! Delicious every time. It looks like a lot of ingredients but comes together very quickly. And is so easy in the instapot.
Thanks Linda!!
This recipe is SO good! My husband added beans to his and all were happy. Will be saving this to make allll fall and winter!!
Thanks Molly!
5 Star Chili Mary! I wasn’t sure about the no beans but we’ve been eliminating them from our diet – didn’t even miss them! I didn’t have green chilies on hand and I also skipped the hot sauce because my family doesn’t like spicy hot. However, I did dice up some zucchini and sauteed it w/ the meat – no one was the wiser!! Definitely will make again.
Thanks Barbara – love the zucchini addition!
This is on our weekly meal rotation! So delicious
Thanks Mary!
Another fantastic recipe! The whole family loved this chili. Great flavors and not too spicy. I made it on the stove top instead of the insta pot and doubled the recipe. This will be my go to chili recipe from now on. Thanks!
This chili is delicious. Mary is my go-to for delicious, nutritious meals. Every single recipe I have made of hers has exceeded my expectations. Even my fussy mother loves Mary’s recipes.
So yummy!!!! I tried to get cacao powder in two Instacart orders with no luck so I added two pieces of dark chocolate and it was perfect! #quarentineprobs
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it!
This was easy and delicious. The cacao powder was a nice addition.
Thank you Jess!