Look no further than this Keto Chili recipe for hearty, healthy comfort food. It’s bean-free and full of delicious Tex Mex flavor. With 27g of protein and only 4.8g of carbs, it will keep you coming back for more!
Okay, here’s the honest truth. I’ve been sitting on this Keto Chili recipe for years and years. And I really should have shared it earlier, because it’s absolutely delicious and one of our favorites.
I don’t normally hold back on my readers like this. But Slow Cooker Keto Chili lived on another website, which has now gone belly up. And I am finally free to share it here again with you.
Along with recipes like Keto Chicken Chili and my famous Keto Beef Stew, this chili is on repeat throughout the fall and winter. When the chilly rains of the Pacific Northwest roll in, it warms our bellies and our hearts. I know you will love it too.
Why you will love this No Bean Chili
Let me just say, I know my chili, and I come from a long line of chili lovers. I actually grew up on a beef cattle farm until I was 7, and my parents made really good, hearty chili frequently.
So if I am going to make a No Bean Chili recipe, it’s going to be good. Let’s face it, beans are just filler anyway. They add color and texture, but they don’t add much in the way of flavor. By leaving them out entirely, you can lower the carbs and increase the protein.
And this recipe is so easy to make! You simply brown the meat in a pan and transfer to a crockpot. Then add all the other ingredients and set it and forget it! I love using a slow cooker because it allows the ingredients to meld together slowly and become their most flavorful. But I’ve also included stovetop instructions in the Tips section.
I have loads of other great keto ground beef recipes you will love, too!
Ingredients you need
- Ground meat: I use a combination of ground beef and ground pork, but you can use just ground beef, if you prefer. You can also lighten it up a bit with some ground turkey or chicken.
- Canned tomatoes: I use both crushed and diced tomatoes. You can use standard cut or petite diced tomatoes. If you don’t like chunks of tomatoes, use only crushed tomatoes instead. You can also use fire roasted tomatoes to give the chili a nice smokiness.
- Onion: I use only a quarter cup of an onion for flavor.
- Garlic: I prefer using real garlic as it provides wonderful flavor, but you can use powdered garlic instead.
- Chili powder: You can’t make chili without it! I recommend getting fresh, good quality chili powder for the best flavor. Spices lose their potency over time.
- Chipotle powder: This is optional, but chipotle powder is one of my favorite ways to add a kick of smoky heat. You only need a little bit.
- Smoked paprika: Again, this is optional, it amps up the smokiness without any additional heat.
- Other seasonings: Cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
Step by Step Directions
1. Brown the meat: In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef and pork until mostly cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large slow cooker.
2. Add the remaining ingredients: Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir to mix well.
3. Cook the chili: Cook on low for 6 hours and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Tips for Success
This is an incredibly easy recipe and you can add your own touches. If you like more heat, add more chipotle. If you like it more mild, skip the chipotle altogether. Whatever you do, this keto chili is a hearty, healthy dinner for the whole family.
Stovetop Directions
To cook keto chili on the stove, heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat with a little olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, then add the garlic and spices. Cook another minute until fragrant.
Add the meat and cook until browned through, then add the seasonings and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, over medium low heat for at least 30 minutes to meld the flavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can enjoy chili on the keto diet, with a few changes. Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb ingredients like beans. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, to add flavor but keep the carbs in check. Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. Even with tomatoes, my keto chili comes to less than 5g total carbs per serving.
You can store leftover chili in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months. Be sure to let it cool completely before placing in the freezer.
This keto chili recipe has 7.8g of carbs and 3.0g of fiber per serving. That comes to 4.8g net carbs per serving.
More keto comfort food recipes
Keto Chili Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork, or more beef
- 1 1/2 cups crushed or pureed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1/4 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle powder, optional
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef and pork until mostly cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large slow cooker.
- Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir to mix well.
- Cook on low for 6 hours and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Stovetop Directions
To cook keto chili on the stove, heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat with a little olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, then add the garlic and spices. Cook another minute until fragrant. Add the meat and cook until browned through, then add the seasonings and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, over medium low heat for at least 30 minutes to meld the flavors.Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I have made this chili many, many times and thought I should add a review. This is THE BEST chili and we don’t miss the beans. I have sometimes added sliced black olives that might mimic beans for those that miss them and they are a great addition – either in the chili or as a topping. We add sour cream, avocado, green onions, cheese, and olives. Sooooo good! Thanks for all you do, Carolyn! You make sticking to low carb easy.
I agree!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it with wild bear meat. I read a review that said they used olives to mimic beans. it did. I took it on a beach trip. Nobody realized it was keto. Everybody loved it, even after I told them they just ate bear meat! lol. I never thought I would love chili w/o beans!
I love Keto Chili.. I make it often, but I bulk it up by adding 1 large box of sliced mushrooms. That takes the place of beans.
Love all of your recipes and have purchased all of your books.
I made this recipe today and it was outstanding! I followed it to the letter.
The only thing was it didn’t yield six
1 1/2 cup servings, it yielded it a little less than 5 cups. But a great recipe that I will make again for sure!
I absolutely DO NOT like beans in my chili!! thid is a winner, though it makes quite alot for one person. I have frozen it, and am looking forward to many dinners!! I have been following you, and have quite a few of your receipes on my cancer journey….even shared with my oncologist!
It freezes really well!
I’ve been making chili for decades. I just add what I like as far as spices but I decided to try yours. What I like about your recipes is that you are a chef and you continue to improve your recipes. I know I will get the best! You didn’t let me down. We loved the chili and will put it on our regular rounds. Thank you for all the work you do to make our lives better. My love gift is cooking for my husband. You make that fun.
Great to hear!
The best chili ever!! Your recipes are amazing. So glad we found your site!! Thank you for sharing these with us!!
Thank you!
Didn’t have pork sou used 2lbs ground beef. Followed exact recipe and everyone loved it. Will make often!
Hi Carolyn, I’ve been following you for years and cooked your delicious recipes. Question, you said you’re planning for your husband’s celebration of life. Did your husband pass away?
I hope not you have spoken about him fondly over the years.
Best wishes to you and your family.
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/heartbreaking-news/
I love this chili recipe, especially during the chillier months.
I just took an unplanned 4 hour detour looking at slow cookers based on this recipe. I love slow cooking in a real ceramic crock, but hate using a separate pan for browning.
Well Carolyn, your Hamilton Beach 6 qt now has an “Air Fryer Lid” option. Saw it on Amazon first, very pricey, but I went to the Hamilton Beach website and they have a free promotion — basically I got the thing free with the crockpot. So I’ll try your recipe when it arrives, browning the meat in the crockpot (!) with the air fryer lid, and let you know.
For now, 5 stars for helping me find this marvelous invention!
Very cool!
made this recipe with some wild ground bear meat that a friend gave me for a family trip! it was amazing! I also added the black olives to mimic beans. I was amazed how great the chili was and didn’t miss the beans at all with the olives in it. The bear meat was super lean. My whole family loved it! Thanks for the super great recipe.
Made this chili today! I am low carb and protein forward not keto, so I added 2 cups of pintos to this chili. So very tasty!!!! I think the flavor combinations with all the seasonings are amazing. Thank you again!!!! Also I have your new cookbook The Protein Advantage and its perfect for me in this season of my life!!!! Thank you so much!!!
Excellent. This is the first recipe I made in my new and first Instant Pot Pro Plus. I was craving a cozy bowl of chili in the cold winter. This recipe was simple and delicious. Thanks!
Hi. So I know this sounds extreme but I don’t have access to a stove which means I can’t “heat a skillet and brown” any meat. Is it possible to make this entire recipe using a slow cooker only?
It is… you can literally dump it all in. But you will want to cook it a bit longer to make sure the meat is cooked through. And obviously the meat won’t have a nice browning on it.