This Paleo Chili is a bean-free, Whole30-approved take on my award winning best chili recipe! It’s a hearty, flavorful chili made with ground beef, sausage, bacon and a wonderful blend of spices.
Since I updated my best chili recipe back in October with new, beautiful photos that show off how delicious it is, so many of you have been LOVING it. I knew that recipe was a winner, but lurking in the back of my archives with less-than-impressive photos, it was always overlooked.
After it got a new look, it managed to go NUTS on Pinterest, and after only about 3 months of being updated, it was my second most viewed recipe of 2016. Of course, with all those people looking at it, a bunch of you made it to.
I’ve been inundated with messages from folks claiming it’s the best chili they ever made. One reader, Jessica, brought it to her church chili cook-off, not even intending to compete with the folks who have been entering chili cook-offs for years…and she WON.
After I got that message, I knew the recipe was a winner, not just with me. After that, a whole bunch of other people also told me they won their chili cook offs, converted their chili-despising kids and husbands, and found a new favorite chili recipe. Nothing flatters me more, guys.
So, when the Super Bowl was coming up, I was jonesing for a big bowl of my favorite chili. But…I was still in the midst of my Whole30, so no beans allowed. I also scoped out the chili powder in my cabinet and found a whole bunch of weird, unnecessary stuff in there.
So I got to work, and adapted my favorite chili recipe to be Paleo + Whole30 approved! It wasn’t too hard to do, and the result is nothing short of fabulous. My dad even said it’s BETTER than the original when he tasted it (but he’s also prone to exaggeration…).
The main change was ditching the chili powder, and still getting all the flavor. The spices list may look a little intimidating, but the combination of all those spices makes for an incredibly flavorful chili.
It also allows you to control the heat yourself, by using cayenne powder. I’m a bit of a spice wimp, so I didn’t use too much, but if you like it hot, add as much as you can handle!
I make this recipe on the stovetop because then I don’t have to dirty any more pans after browning all the meats, but a bunch of folks have told me they’ve made it in the slow cooker. If you’d like to do that too, just follow the first two steps as written, and then add everything into the slow cooker to cook on low for at least four hours.
Between the bacon, the spices, and ALL the flavor packed in here, you definitely won’t be missing the beans. However, if you’re craving more bulk, some sweet potatoes and/or carrots would be great in here too. We loved it as is, though.
This makes a pretty big batch, so it’s perfect to do some meal prepping with, especially if you’re on Whole30 – this chili just gets better after a day or two in the fridge. The flavors meld together so well!
And when you’re serving, make sure you have some bacon to sprinkle over the top! You can never have enough bacon ;) enjoy!
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Paleo Chili
Ingredients
- 2 pounds grass-fed ground beef I used leaner beef with 5% fat
- 1 pound Italian sausage casings removed (I used Spicy Italian from Trader Joe’s)
- ½ pound bacon ensure it’s sugar-free to stay compliant
- 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 2 cups beef stock homemade or compliant brand - use bone broth for an even richer taste
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1½ tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
- In a different pan, cook the bacon until crispy. Crumble and add to stock pot. Cook the chopped onion and pepper in the bacon drippings for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add to the stock pot.
- To the stock pot, add in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef stock. Season with garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and other spices if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste.
- Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day. Serve with onions and crumbled bacon or whatever chili toppings you prefer!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Chili is one of my top three favorite comfort foods. You just can’t beat a bowl of deliciousness like this! Your version sounds just perfect, Rachel!
Rachel says
Chili is one of my favorites, too! Thanks Gayle.
Melanie @ Gather for Bread says
Looks so dang good!
Rachel says
Thanks so much Melanie!
Monica says
Girl, yes yes yes. You make yucky looking things LOOK AMAZING… I want a bowl or ten!
Jessica @ Citrus Blossom Bliss says
You had me at NO BEANS! I was never a big bean fan so all of my chilis have zero beans in them :) I love how many meats are in this chili and I can practically taste it through my screen it looks so delicious!
Rachel says
Thanks so much Jessica! Sounds like you’d definitely be a fan of this chili :)
mira says
Love chili and this one is loaded with wonderful ingredients! Love that there are no beans in it! Can’t wait to try it!
[email protected]'s Recipes says
That looks so warming and delicious!
David says
So how funny is this one? I’ve been looking for a good, solid chili recipe lately…and then I stumble over here to find your latest post is this amazing chili? Fate strikes again! We’re not doing the Whole 30 thing, so I’ll probably go make and make your original version…but that’s not to see this paleo chili isn’t amazing! (And I just used 2 negatives in a sentence. My high school English teacher would slap my wrist with a ruler for that one.) Can’t wait to shove my face in this pot of chili, Rachel!
Rachel says
Hahah you’re definitely going to love the original, David!! It’s a major favorite, and probably will be my go-to when I’m not serving paleo/non-bean-liking people :) they’re both so delicious, though!
doublebatchblog says
Wow, this looks so yummy! I love meaty chili recipes. I am interested in trying it on hotdogs.
Rachel says
That sounds amazing!!
Kelly says
This is seriously the prettiest chili!! I really LOVE that it’s paleo and whole 30 friendly too! We’ve been sick on and off all month and a big bowl of chili sounds perfect right now!
Monica Baker says
I’m planning on starting Keto, I was wondering if you have the net carbs for this? Thanks!
Rachel says
Hi Monica! I’m not sure how net carbs are calculated but I just updated the recipe to include nutritional info. Hope this helps you out!
Patrice Jones says
My family and I are new converts to the LCHF (low carb, high fat) way of life which is what led me on a search for a (good) chili recipe with no beans. To quote my 12-year-old “NO! BEANS!?! No respectful Texan would ever suggest such a thing!!!” You’ll be happy to know that I proved her wrong! Well, actually, you did. I used my 8.5 Qt cast iron dutch oven to brown the meat and cook the chili, and we used only 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper, but everything else was by the recipe we found here. Thank you for giving us back one of our favorites. I’ll make triple the recipe next time so I can freeze some single servings for ‘leftover night.’ Thanks, Rachel!!
Rachel says
I’m so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the chili recipe, Patrice, and managed to prove your family wrong! :) Thanks so much for your feedback, and I hope you enjoy the recipe many times to come.
Nicole says
This recipe is REALLY good! I had to adapt it a bit as I didn’t have all the ingredients in my kitchen. I swapped the grass fed ground beef for ground turkey and since I changed to turkey I used chicken stock instead of beef. Lastly, I didn’t have enough cumin so I added a tiny bit of chipotle in adobo. We topped our chili with the bacon bits and diced avocado. My family loved it! Thanks again.
Rachel says
So happy to hear it was a success, and love the switch up to turkey. That sounds delicious! Thanks for your feedback, Nicole.
Dane says
Can this be done in a crockpot instead? What changes? Should I still brown the meat before putting it in the crockpot?
Rachel says
Hi Dane, you can certainly make it in the crockpot, I would definitely brown the meat first though. You could cook it on high for about 4 hours, or on low for 6-8. Enjoy!
Erica says
Hi.. we don’t eat pork products.. do you think your recipe would still taste good with just the ground beef or should I add chicken or turkey sausage in there for more flavor? Thank you :)
Rachel says
Hi Erica, I’ve done it with Italian chicken sausage and it was super delicious, so that would definitely work, but you could also just use the ground beef. Enjoy!
Vicki says
Erica, I made the chili tonight with Italian Chicken Sausage (Trader Joe’s), 1 lb grass-fed ground beef, 1 lb ground turkey, and 1/2 lb turkey bacon. It was delicious! Best chili I’ve ever made. Since I used so many poultry products, I added Worcestershire Sauce and Coconut Aminos to intensify the flavor. The pork would definitely give it a richer flavor, but you will not miss it if you make it with mostly poultry products.
Vicki says
One more thing I added was Smoked Paprika to give it a bit more umami flavor that would come from the pork products.
Rachel says
Thanks for leaving for helpful feedback for future chili makers, Vicki!
MamabyFaith says
Looks great and I look forward to trying it. I was just confused about not being able to use chili powder…
Rachel says
Hi there, chili powder usually has non-paleo additives so this recipe uses the spices commonly found in chili powder separately to get the flavors without the weird additives. Hope this makes sense!
Elise says
I have this recipe simmering on the stove right now – 1 more hour to go and I can finally eat it, it smells SOO good!!
Thank you!
Rachel says
I hope you love it, Elise!!!
Patti Moore says
Is that two 28 ounce cans of tomatoes? Or two 14 ounces cans for a total of 28 ounces?
Rachel says
Hi Patti, it’s two 28 oz. cans!
Bambi says
The directions mention adjusting chili powder to taste, if necessary, however I don’t see chili powder listed in the ingredients. I’ve never made a chili recipe without it, so I wanted to know if it should be in the ingredient list? Thanks!
Rachel says
Hi Bambi, whoops – that’s a miswrite on my part. This recipe doesn’t have chili powder in it, because many times chili powder is a blend of spices that includes sugar and other weird chemicals/not spices. Instead, I’ve compiled all the spices traditionally in chili powder to be added individually. Hope this makes sense!
Greg says
So good.. Have made it twice now
Misty says
fuck YAAASSSS!!!!!!!!
This was the best chili I have ever had and I grew up in Texas. Thanks Rach
Rachel says
Such a compliment!!! So glad you loved it, Misty!
Lori says
Wow! I just made this today and it literally is the best chili I’ve ever had! Can’t wait for the leftovers :)
Rachel says
Wow so thrilled to hear that you’re enjoying it! Thanks for your feedback, Lori!
Melinda says
Made a batch for New Year’s Eve. Quite yummy! Thank you so much for sharing! It is similar to one I made with chili powder except where you used bacon (YUM!!!) I had been using mini-pepperonis which were also tasty.
Thanks for sharing your talents with us! Happy New Year!
Rachel says
So thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Melinda! Thanks for your feedback.
Michelle says
This chili turned out SOOO tasty, but I think there is an error in the nutritional info you posted. Just the ground beef and sausage alone would come out to 380 calories per serving (with 8 servings), and your recipe lists only 321 per serving for the chili, which also includes the bacon, tomatoes, etc. When I put the ingredients into MyFitnessPal, I got 521 cals per serving for the chili, but I made some substitutions so my numbers probably won’t exactly match yours.
Rachel says
Hi Michelle, I did use chicken sausage so that could have made a difference, but I know MyFitnessPal can be finicky and sometimes it inputs the wrong ingredients. I do always recommend calculating yourself with the brands and sizes and such used because it can vary. I don’t count macros or calories myself so I don’t always even calculate nutritional info.
Hrrg says
Why no chili powders?
Rachel says
Chili powder usually has weird additives – this recipe uses all the spices present in chili powder, just without the unnecessary ingredients.
taylor mooreq says
This chili is addictive, I made a whole batch for the week but it was gone after a couple days.
Rachel says
So thrilled you’re loving it, Taylor!
Diane Dyck says
Excellent! I was skeptical that chili without beans would taste good! I really like the taste of the spices you put in… Thx for the recipe!
Rachel says
So thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Diane! Thanks for your feedback.
Tiffani says
Can you do this in the insta pot?
Rachel says
Hi Tiffani, I’m sure that you could but I haven’t made it in there so I wouldn’t be sure of the exact instructions for it. You could perhaps find a similar chili recipe meant for the IP and use their instructions.
Vicki says
Yum! I mean REALLY YUM!!! We ate this tonight and it is absolutely the best chili recipe I have ever tried…and I didn’t even have all of the ingredients. I used my pressure cooker and took the 2 hour simmer down to 10 minutes on high pressure. It probably was a little juicier since no liquids boiled off, but that just meant that the cheese, sour cream, and avocados we added had yummy juices to mix into. :) My husband prefers to stay away from pork, so here are some of my other changes…
1 lb grass-fed ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb Italian Chicken Sausage (Trader Joe’s) (I couldn’t remove the casings, so I popped those puppies into my food processor and made ground sausage out of them)
1/2 lb Turkey Bacon
Because I used so much poultry, I added 1-2 Tbsp Worcestershire and 1-3 tsp Coconut Aminos (I’m not sure exactly how much because I added-tasted-added-tasted, etc.)
Also added about 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika to up the ‘umami’ flavor that the pork bacon would have given
I realized at the last minute that I didn’t have my trusty Better Than Bouillon brand Beef Flavor, so I subbed Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base.
I used 1/2 the salt called for because the Bouillon, Worcestershire, and Coconut Aminos contain salt.
If this Chili was this good with all the changes and substitutions I did, I can only imagine how great your original version tastes. I can’t wait to make it exactly according to the recipe when I’m cooking for folks who eat pork!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It is now my Go To chili recipe!!!
Rachel says
Thank you so very much for the in-depth and SUPER helpful review, Vicki! Also, thanks so much for sharing the pressure cooker instructions so other folks can now make it that way if they choose to. I really appreciate it!
Nicole says
If I wanted to add sweet potatoes how much and would I have to adjust the time in a crockpot ?
Rachel says
Hi Nicole, I’ve never tried adding sweet potatoes so I’m not sure. You probably wouldn’t need to adjust the time though, and I think you can add as many as you’d like!
Mary Beth says
My family begs for this every week.
Rachel says
Such a compliment!! So glad it’s a favorite :)
Karen says
I made this substituting 1-28oz can od diced tomatoes with 1-28oz tomato purée. I used “hot” Italian sausage. We added jalapeños to it also. We put the chili over a baked potato (we are Whole 30). This was EXCELLENT!!! Great flavor!! Thank you!
Rachel says
So glad you’re enjoying the recipe! Thanks for your feedback Karen.
Jen says
Could this be made with ground turkey meat?
Rachel says
Yes, that would be fine!
Desiree says
It says 8 servings, how much is a serving?
Rachel says
Hi Desiree, sorry but I didn’t measure it out!
kathy says
I made this a few months age for my family’s weekend trip to a cabin in the mountains. The first night I heated it up, everyone just loved it. The second night we put it over spaghetti as a sauce, and it was still a huge hit that way! Everyone ate it for lunch, dinner, etc all weekend. Thanks for
such a great recipe that the entire family, even the kids, enjoyed! I’m making it now for a church “chili cook off” tomorrow! Hope I win!!
Rachel says
So thrilled to hear it was such a hit with the family, Kathy! I hope you crush the competition in the chili cook-off too – good luck! :)
Neal Miller says
Great recipe. It states what’s in a serving but not the serving size. Does anyone know. Thank you!
Heidi Middleton says
What size is a serving? 1/2 cup? 1 cup?
Rachel says
I didn’t measure out each serving but probably around a cup, maybe a little more!
Michelle says
Do you know the saturated fat?
Rachel says
I’m not sure – you can calculate on your own on myfitnesspal.com though :)
Mikal says
Has anyone used this in the Instant Pot???
Rachel says
Hi Mikal, I don’t have an Instant Pot and haven’t made this recipe in one, but I would assume that you could follow the first two steps by sauteeing in the Instant Pot, and then adding everything in and cooking on high pressure to finish it off. I’ve checked out some other Instant Pot chili recipes and it looks like 18-20 minutes is a good amount of time to cook it. Hope this helps!
Mike says
I have been searching for ideas to allow me to enjoy wIhat I eat to be paleo compliant. I found this recipe a few weeks ago and gave it a try. This chili recipe is better than any other chili recipe !!!!
Rachel says
So happy to hear you’re loving it! Thanks for the feedback Mike.