Easy No Bean Chili (Paleo, Whole30, Gluten-Free)

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This no bean chili is a hearty and flavorful meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes. Because we are making chili without beans, this recipe works for both Paleo and Whole30 eaters. This bean-free chili is also gluten-free and dairy-free! It holds up great as leftovers so it works perfectly for meal prep!

What is No Bean Chili?

No bean chili is pretty much exactly what it sounds like - Chili made without beans! Whatever you called it (beanless chili, bean-free chili, chili con carne) it's a delicious and hearty meal with a spicy kick that works for so many different dietary preferences. This type of chili is also referred to as Texas Chili. This chili recipe is:

Paleo
Whole30 Compliant
Gluten-Free
Dairy-Free
Soy-Free
Sugar-free

a blue pot filled with chili without beans and a large ladle holding the soup.

If you're looking for more Paleo and gluten-free soup recipes check out these below!

Table of Contents hide

What is No Bean Chili?

Ingredients for Beanless Chili

How To Prepare Chili without Beans

Variations and Modifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy No Bean Chili (Paleo, Whole30, Gluten-Free)

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Ingredients for Beanless Chili

To make this bean-free chili recipe, you'll need some basic pantry items along with your preferred protein source and some fresh veggies. Below is a full list of what you'll need.

Ground Beef - I prefer using 90/10 lean ground beef
Cubed russet potato - one is all you need for this recipe
Chopped white onion and minced garlic
Bell Peppers - I used a red bell pepper and a green bell pepper for this recipe
Diced tomatoes - You can use the low sodium cans or spice things up and use fire roasted diced tomatoes for more flavor
Beef broth - you can use 1-2 cups in this recipe depending on how thick or how saucy you like your chili
Diced Green chiles
Tomato Paste
Spices - smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper

How To Prepare Chili without Beans

STEP 1: Heat oil in a large pot on medium-high heat and cook diced potatoes until they become fork-tender, then set aside. Drain excess grease if needed at this time.

STEP 2: Add onion, garlic, beef, bell peppers and seasonings to the pot and cook while breaking the beef into crumbles. I love using a ChopStir for this!

STEP 3: Add in beef broth, diced tomatoes and green chiles and stir to combine, bringing the mixture to a boil. The simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

STEP 4: Garnish your chili with avocado, cilantro and chopped green onions or your favorite chili toppings and serve in a bowl!

Variations and Modifications

If you want to increase the amount of protein in your chili, use bone broth instead of regular broth
Switch up the protein source! If you prefer ground turkey or ground chicken, you can use that in place of ground beef. Or you can skip the beef altogether and increase the amount of potatoes and use vegetable broth for a vegetarian chili.
Change up your garnishes! If you can handle dairy then sour cream and shredded cheese are delicious with this! Or top with tortilla strips. The possibilities are endless! Just note that changing the garnishes changes the nutritional info for this recipe.
If you like a spicier chili, add an extra teaspoon of chili powder and top with jalapeños for more of a kick

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze this beanless chili?

Yes! Because it doesn’t include beans, this chili freezes, thaws, and reheats perfectly! Feel free to double the recipe and save some in the freezer. If you don't want to freeze it, you can always store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

What toppings are best with no bean chili?

Sliced avocado, chopped green onion, and diced red onion are great toppings. If you’re not avoiding dairy you can use a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. And of course everyone loves tortilla or salty kettle chips with chili!

Is this beanless chili keto?

This particular recipe contains potatoes so it is not keto. However, if you want to lower the carb count, simply replace the potatoes with shredded cauliflower.

What can I substitute for ground beef in chili?

Ground turkey or ground chicken are good substitutes for ground beef in chili.

Easy No Bean Chili (Paleo, Whole30, Gluten-Free)

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Author: Jen Lopez
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Soups
Method: Stove-Top

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Description

Ingredients

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1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped potatoes
½ cup chopped white onion
1 tbs garlic, minced
1lb lean ground beef
2 mixed bell peppers, diced (I used one green and one red bell pepper)
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 (6oz) can tomato paste 2 tbsp
2 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes
⅓ cup diced green chilies
2 cups beef stock

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Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the potatoes and cook, for about 10 minutes or until soft. Then remove them from the pan and set aside.
In that same pot add the onion, garlic, bell peppers, ground beef, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.
Crumble the beef with a spatula or chopStir and sauté until the beef is browned and the onions translucent.
Once the ground beef is cooked add the potatoes back to the pot together with the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, broth and green chilies. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Garnish with avocado and green onions and serve. Enjoy!