The Best Ever No-Bean Chili (Thick & Quick)

PS — if you love the sound of a recipe, don’t pick it and quit it, deal? That list of saved recipes you never make isn’t helping anybody. Remember homemade meals are your own to make and may take a few takes to tweak. Please don’t hesitate to comment below or contact us with questions!

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The great debate: IT’S NOT CHILI WITHOUT BEANS! We get it, and to be honest, the creamy texture of beans is hard to beat. But beans are packed with lectins, oligosaccharides, fiber & phytic acid which might be the culprit behind that gas and bloat a lot of you feel after eating them. While you can totally soak raw beans overnight, rinse them, and cook them fresh… we personally don’t prefer to spend time doing that or believe the nutrition in beans is worth that work.

Our version of chili had to be thick & hearty WITHOUT beans (or sweet potatoes!) and ofcourse rich in flavor. Great with cornbread, on top of nachos, a chili dog, or create a chili bar with all your favorite fixings! Don't let the pumpkin, cinnamon, or nutmeg turn you off - they're what add so much depth to this dish!

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The Best Bean-less Beef Chili

Author: Danika Lauren

Cook time: 35 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Handsdown the most flavorful, rich, and thick classic chili WITHOUT beans for those of us who still want a great chili that isn't like dog food.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil (olive or avocado)
• 2 lbs ground beef (or a combo of beef, pork, or turkey)
• 1 large yellow or red onion
• 8-10 garlic cloves
• 2 bell peppers (preferably green)
• 28 oz of canned diced tomatoes (fire roasted, basil, or plain)
• 1 ½ tablespoon cacao or cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt & pepper
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 2 cups bone broth
• 15 oz canned pumpkin

Instructions

1. Heat a large stock pot with oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add ground meat and cook until browned. If you don't like bigger chunks of meat in your chili, make sure to crumble the meat well as it cooks. Scoop meat out and keep fat in pot.
3. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper and stir occasionally until tender.
4. Add tomatoes and all your spices. Allow the liquid from the tomatoes to be heated well and the spices to bloom for all that good flavor!
5. Stir in broth and pumpkin until it's all emulsified and distributed evenly. Then add ground meat back into the pot.
6. Season with salt to your liking (don't be scared of salt!).
7. Once the entire pot is bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 25 minutes or until the consistency is to your liking.
8. Serve immediately with (or without) green onions, avocado, cilantro, cornbread, chives, or sour cream. Or freeze in airtight containers for comfort food on-demand another day.

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