Everything you love about chili—spicy heat, slow-simmered tomatoes, and succulent ground beef—without the beans.
No offense to the Texans in the crowd, but I grew up in a chili-with-beans household. We had chili a lot, due to its inexpensive ingredients, and mom always filled it with more vegetables than the recipe called for, so it had a lot of nutrition, too. The beans were a way to make the pot go further without adding another pound of ground beef.
The first time I had no-bean chili, I barely realized what I was looking at. Taking the beans out of chili turned it into something else, in my mind. I was at a Texas backyard barbecue at the time, and when I made a comment about it—”Light on the beans this time, eh?”—every Texan in attendance had a good laugh at my expense. Someone finally explained to me that in the Lone Star State, nobody puts beans in chili. (As a side note, a lot of Texans don’t even add tomatoes to their chili, but we add tomatoes in this recipe.)
And you know what? Bless them for it, because that bowl of chili broadened my definition of the stuff. I still like both types, of course, but the richness of no-bean chili makes it something else entirely. The beans in chili give your mouth a break from the chili spices, while bean-free chili doesn’t give you any breaks. It’s just pure spicy, smoky, tomatoey beef flavor, bite after bite.
Is No-Bean Chili Healthy?
No-bean chili is a little less healthy than yes-bean chili, but the lack of beans won’t ruin the nutritional profile of this chili entirely. The ground beef in the chili is a good source of protein, potassium, B-vitamins, and iron. The onions contain some vitamin C. That said, there’s quite a bit of fat in this chili recipe, but you can use lean ground beef or even ground turkey to lighten the fat content if you like (note that ground turkey will definitely change the flavor!). One nutritional factor missing here is fiber, and you can fix that by adding more vegetables, such as bell peppers. You can also add finely chopped mushrooms, shredded carrots, or even broccoli for additional fiber, as long as you tell your Texan guests ahead of time. They don’t like surprises in their chili.
How To Dial Up The Vegetables
Since we’re talking about adding more fiber to this meaty chili pot, we should probably talk about how and when to add it—and when you add a vegetable will slightly depend on which vegetable it is. Vegetables that take longer to become tender—like carrots, bell peppers, jalapeños, broccoli, celery, riced cauliflower, even eggplant—should be added to the pot as early as possible and diced into small pieces. I recommend shredding hard root veggies, such as carrots, with a box grater or food processor. Any vegetables that will have noticeable skins in the finished chili should be peeled before chopping (looking at you, eggplant!).
Veggies and herbs that don’t take very long to soften can be added at the simmer stage. Mushrooms and fresh spinach leaves will cook through if added while the chili is simmering.
How To Make Ahead And Store
Chili is an excellent dish to make ahead of time. Once cooled, store leftover chili in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze leftovers in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen chili in the fridge overnight and heat up in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this chili with all the usual toppings listed above, plus Cornbread With Creamed Corn on the side. You could also consider serving the chili over a bed of Cilantro-Lime Instant-Pot Rice. If you don’t end up adding more veggies to the chili itself, I’d recommend whipping up a vegetable side, like Instant-Pot Spaghetti Squash or Air-Fryer Vegetables.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large, yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ pounds ground beef 85/15
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
- 1 can tomato sauce (14 ounces)
- 1 cup beef broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef to the pot. Cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Drain excess fat if necessary.
- Stir in chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 2 minutes to allow the spices to become fragrant.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot with your choice of toppings such as shredded cheese, diced onions, or sour cream.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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