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This Low-Carb Paleo Chili is a bean-free, Whole30-approved, and Keto-friendly version of my award-winning chili recipe! This hearty keto chili is made with ground beef, sausage & bacon. It is so hearty and flavorful!
Want my traditional best chili recipe? Click here for my BEST CHILI
Craving a vegan version? Click here for my BEST VEGAN CHILI
Prefer a white bean chili? Click here for my WHITE BEAN VEGAN CHILI
Since I updated my best chili recipe back in October with new, beautiful photos that showcase its deliciousness, so many of you have been loving it. I knew that the recipe was a winner. But it was always overlooked, lurking in the back of my archives with less-than-impressive photos.
After it got a new look, it went NUTS on Pinterest. After only 3 months of being updated, it became my second most-viewed recipe of 2016. Of course, with all those people looking at it, a bunch of you made it too.
I’ve been inundated with messages from folks telling me that it’s the best chili they’ve 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 unnecessary ingredients, such as sugar and preservatives.
So, I got to work and adapted my favorite chili recipe to be Paleo, Whole30 approved, and gluten-free! It wasn’t difficult, and the result is nothing short of fabulous. My dad even said this bean-free chili is even BETTER than the original!
Let’s make my best chili recipe (Paleo, Whole30, and Keto-friendly)!
The main change was ditching the processed chili powder, yet still retaining all the flavor. The spice 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 to your tastes by using cayenne powder. I’m a bit of a spice wimp, so I didn’t use too much. However, if you like it hot, add as much as you can handle!
To lower the carb count and make this recipe paleo + Whole30-approved, we ditch the beans and make this a bean-free chili. You won’t miss them between the bacon, spices, and all the flavor packed into this paleo chili. However, if you’re craving more bulk, some sweet potatoes and/or carrots would be great in here too. We loved it as is.
Can you make this chili in the slow cooker or Instant Pot?
Yes! I usually make this recipe on the stovetop because it saves me from having to dirty any more pans after browning all the meats. However, if you prefer, many people have told me they’ve successfully made it in a slow cooker and the Instant Pot.
To make chili in the slow cooker, brown the ground beef and sausage in a skillet, cook the bacon until crispy, and sauté the onion and bell pepper in the drippings. Transfer everything to the slow cooker, add garlic, spices, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef stock, then stir to combine. Cook on Low for 6–8 hours or High for 3–4 hours until thick and flavorful. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.
To make chili in the Instant Pot, start by using Sauté mode to brown the ground beef and sausage, then cook the bacon until crispy. Next, sauté the veggies (onion and bell pepper) in the drippings. Stir in garlic and the chili spices, then add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef stock. Close the lid, set to High Pressure for 15 minutes, and let it naturally release for 10 minutes before doing a quick release. If the chili is too thin, use Sauté mode after cooking to thicken. Taste and adjust seasonings, then serve. This method preserves the deep, slow-simmered flavors while dramatically reducing cook time.
This paleo chili recipe makes a substantial batch, making it perfect for meal prep, especially if you’re following the Whole30 diet. This keto chili gets better after a day or two in the fridge. The flavors meld together so well! You’re going to love warming a quick bowl, topping with some avocado, and devouring.
How to store leftovers
To store in the fridge: Let the chili cool to room temperature, then transfer to airtight containers. Store in the fridge for 3–4 days.
Freezing: Portion into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. For a thicker consistency, simmer for a few minutes after reheating.
If you try it and love it, please leave a star rating and a comment down below – hearing from you is my favorite thing!
- Want my traditional best chili recipe? Click here for my BEST CHILI
- Craving the vegan version of my best chili recipe? Click here for my BEST VEGAN CHILI
- Interested in the white bean vegan version? Click here for my WHITE BEAN VEGAN CHILI
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 Whole30 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, or 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.2 pounds grass-fed ground beef, 1 pound Italian sausage
- 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.½ pound bacon, 1 large yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper
- 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.2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice, 1 6 oz can tomato paste, 2 cups beef stock, 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
- 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!
Notes
Looks like a great recipe, but where is the CHILI spice? Ground or chile peppers??? Won’t stop me from making it however I’m not sure I can do it without adding some of the spice.
Hi DP, I use cayenne pepper for spice. You can use a different chili pepper powder if you prefer!
I am planning on making a batch of this chilli for my lunches. The recipe says it makes ten servings. I was wondering how many cups each serving is.
Hi Rory, I didn’t measure each serving and haven’t made this in a while since I no longer eat meat, but I believe each serving is about 1 to 1.5 cups! Enjoy.
I just made a batch and froze it in silicone soup cube trays for my son. I got exactly 4 2-cup servings out of the cooked-down batch. Must be a total of 8 cups.
Sounds wonderful, thanks for sharing Maureen!
I make this chili twice a month in the fall and winter. It’s my absolute favorite!
So glad you love it, Megan!
I printed up the recipe but there still is no Nutritional Information on the website or on the printed recipe. Is it in a different post maybe?
Hi Lorraine, the nutritional info is at the bottom of the recipe card and should also be showing up on the print page!
I added a 1/2 chopped green pepper, 1 lb of bacon rather than 1/2 lb, 2 – 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (we don’t like tomato chunks) 1 can of Rotel, 1 cup of chicken stock, 2 tbsp of Better Than Bouillon chili base and 1 tbsp of chili powder. This is one of the best chilis I’ve had in my life! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
So glad you’re loving it! Thanks for sharing your adaptations :)
Hands down the best chili ever, SO rich with flavors!! I took my portions from the crockpot and then added 1 can chili beans for my hubby and son….they raved about how good it was!!
The best compliment! Thanks so much for the feedback, Charlene. One of my faves too!
This chili is amazing! It’s become our family favorite. I make a few small changes for our tastes. We don’t love tomato chunks, so we use crushed tomatoes. I leave out the basil (made it taste a little too much like spaghetti sauce for me) and I do add 1 tablespoon of chili powder (no added junk), because we missed the chili flavor. I can only fit one cup of beef broth in my pot without it overflowing (learned the hard way) and this works for us as we like it thick. Love leftovers! Freezes well! Chili recipe for life. Thank you!
I’m so glad you’re loving it, thanks for the reply and sharing the changes that work well for you and your family, Simone!
Hello and thank you for the recipe! My company is participating in a neighborhood chili cookoff. In preparation for the big cookoff, my office had a small, in-house cookoff. Your recipe won out of NINE chilis! So, now we are making 5 gallons of it! My question is how much is a serving size and/or how many ounces of chili does the 10 serving recipe make? I need to figure out the measurements for five gallons, but I don’t know how to do that since I don’t know how many ounces total the 10 serving recipe makes. I can’t find a serving size listed anywhere. Please help!!!
Hello! Each serving is about 1.5 cups, which is about 12-14 ounces per serving, exact weight will depend how much you simmer and how much liquid evaporates, but that should help you estimate. So glad the recipe won, and I hope it wins the next round too!
My family really enjoyed this recipe! I am now on a gluten free Paleo diet and it was nice to enjoy such a delicious dish.
I entered this in a chili cook off!
I used all organic seasonings as well!
So glad you and your family are loving it, Lynda! Thanks for the feedback.