Who doesn’t need a little keto chili in their life!?
This recipe is thick, saucy, with tender meat and chunky veggies. It’s a tad spicy, but not a burn-your-mouth, can’t-taste-anything-else kinda spicy. It’s full of FLAVOR with its curated combination of toasted spices. And it’s begging to be scooped – with your spoon, with low carb chips, whatever you have. Just scoop!
And because chili tastes so much better the next day, it makes for incredible low carb dinners throughout busy weeks.
Now, you may be leery about no bean chili…
So let me tell you what I’ve learned throughout the recipe testing process: Beans are just a filler. It’s true! Minimal flavor, loads of carbs.
Which means chili without beans has more room for succulent juicy meat, more comforting zesty flavor, more satiating power, more room for toppings, fewer carbs.
My kind of low carb soup!
My favorite way to eat this warm cozy bowl of comfort?? With.All.The.Toppings: Cheddar, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, and always (ALWAYS!) with a slice of my heavenly, fluffy, sweet low carb cornbread.
Now that we’ve covered all our bases, let’s get to simmering.
Looking for more keto dinners? Check out my keto chicken and dumplings, chicken curry, or my egg roll in a bowl.
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What I Love About This Low Carb Chili Recipe
I mean, what’s not to love about a good low carb chili recipe?! Here what to expect before you start cooking:
- Tender meat
- Warm + comforting
- Perfect meal prep
- Great freezer meals
- Hands-off
Keto Chili Video Tutorial
On your phone? Check out my web story here.
Recipe Notes
I like my chili THICK, so I cook it a little longer to reduce the liquid, CHUNKY, which is easy to achieve by breaking the meat up minimally as it browns, and ZESTY, so I’ve included a lottt of spices in this dish.
Whether you like it like I do, or more soupy/smaller pieces of meat, here’s how to cook your chili to your liking:
- Break up the meat as it cooks to the size you prefer with the back of your spoon. If you like chunky pieces of meat in your chili, break it up minimally.
- Heavy bottom saucepans (such as a dutch oven) are best for this recipe — they’ll prevent the bottom of the chili from burning during its long cook time.
- The cook time of your chili will depend on the thickness of your pan, the heat of your stove, and the simmer you cook the chili at — cook the chili until it has thickened to your liking.
Can You Freeze This?
Yes! This keto chili recipe is made for freezing and enjoying later. Just be sure that it’s fully cooled before putting it in the freezer, and leave a little space on top, as liquid expands as it freezes.
Serving Recommendations
Simmer up this low carb chili recipe on a Sunday and eat it all week long, just switch up the toppings so you don’t get bored. Here are some of our favorites:
- Shredded keto cheese
- Avocado
- keto tortilla chips
- Jalapenos
- Sour cream or keto Greek yogurt
- Chopped Cilantro or parsley
- Sliced green onions
The beauty of this dish is you don’t really need any side dishes for chili, this one-bowl has got it all!
Recipe Variations
Looking for something a little different? Here are a few ways to switch things up:
- Use a different kind of meat. Swap the beef for ground turkey or chicken (ala keto chicken soup). You’ll need to an extra tablespoon of oil to brown these lower fat meats for keto chicken chili.
- Make this chili creamy. Stir in some greek yogurt or sour cream for a cream-based chili.
- Sneak in more veggies. Turn this chili into a low carb vegetable soup by mixing in whatever you have on hand: kale, spinach broccoli, mushrooms, etc.
- Add MORE spice with jalapenos, cayenne pepper, tabasco, or a handful of zesty spices (check out my keto taco soup for a delicious combination).
- Still craving beans? Green beans are one of the few keto beans — you can dice them up and add them in.
More Low Carb Soup Recipes
Warm-up with these no-fuss low carb soup recipes:
- Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Rotisserie Chicken Soup
- Keto Butternut Squash Soup
- Keto Chicken and Dumplings
- Chicken Curry Soup
Keto Chili
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Chili:
- 3 Tablespoons Mild Tasting Oil (see notes below) divided
- 2 Pounds Ground Beef 80/20
- 2 Cups Yellow Onions chopped
- 1 Bell Pepper chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Garlic minced
- 1/2 - 1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper adjust based on your prefered spice level
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
- 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Oregano
- 2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 - 14 oz Cans Canned Diced Tomatoes no salt added
- 2 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth
Toppings (optional):
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded
- Sour Cream
- Green Onions
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Cook meat. Add oil (1 tablespoon) to a large heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the ground beef (2 pounds) and break up with the back of your spoon as it browns. Remove cooked beef to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Saute veggies + seasoning. Add the remaining oil (2 tablespoons ) to the pan, along with your onions (2 cups) and bell peppers (1 chopped). Cook until onions are translucent and soft - about 7 minutes. Add garlic (2 tablespoons), cayenne pepper (1/2 -1 tablespoon),ground cumin (2 tablespoons), paprika (1 tablespoon), and oregano (1 tablespoon ), and toast until fragrant - about 2-3 minutes.
- Simmer. Add meat back to pan with salt (2 teaspoons), pepper (2 teaspoons), tomatoes (2 - 14 oz diced), chicken broth (2 1/2 cups), and bay leaves (2). Bring chili to an aggressive simmer, and simmer uncovered for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours — or until the sauce is thick. Scoop yourself up a bowl of coziness, and cover it with ALL the topping. Mmmm.
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Lindsey's Tips
- Mild Tasting Oil. You want an oil with a high smoke point and mild flavor -- think avocado, vegetable, safflower, sunflower, peanut. Skip EVOO, coconut, or sesame oil.
- Meat. This recipe is awesome with turkey as well!
- Spice. 1/2 tablespoon of cayenne for mild spice, 1 tablespoon for more heat, and even more if that's your style.
- Nutritional information is based on 1 bowl of chili, if you divide this recipe into 6 servings, and does not include the toppings:
