Healthy beef and bean chili is a weeknight staple at our house. It's simple to make and loaded with protein and fiber and it's super filling! Make ahead and freezer friendly too.
Everything You Need To Know About Making Healthy Beef and Bean Chili
Making chili is so simple and requires very little effort on busy nights when you just want to get a healthy dinner on the table. There are a million ways to make and serve chili, this is just one of my favorites.
If you're looking for a similar chili without beans - I also have a Sweet Potato Turkey Chili that is Whole30 and Paleo friendly!
Nutrition
If you want the full nutrition details, the bottom of the recipe card has got ya covered. But here's a rundown of the highlights for this recipes.
- Calories: 363 kcal
- Protein: 29 grams
- Carbs: 26 grams
- Fat: 17 grams
- Fiber: 7 grams
Ingredients and Substitutions
- 12-24 ounces ground beef. I use 88% lean ground beef from Costco that I portion out into 24-ounce bags. Feel free to use ground turkey and as little as 1 pound or as much as 2 pounds if you're buying it in one pound increments.
- 15 ounce can of dark red kidney beans. Any kidney beans or even black beans will do in chili.
- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes. If you only have canned diced tomatoes on hand, those will work too, just add them with the juices to the mixture.
- 2 ½ cups beef broth. Any broth will do! Veggie, chicken, or beef, even bone broth.
- 3 cloves of minced garlic. Substitute 2-3 teaspoon of garlic powder if you're out of fresh garlic.
Make it a Meal
One of the best things about chili is that it can be enjoyed a ton of ways! Here are a couple of ideas to get the ball rolling for your menu planning.
- POTATOES: Poured over a baked potato or over french fries or homemade sweet potato fries.
- VEGGIES: WIth a quick and easy side salad or over veggies noodles like spaghetti squash, zucchini, or butternut squash noodles or with a big pile of fresh green veggies like broccoli.
- NOODLES: Enjoy your chili Cincinnati style over noodles
Storage
Healthy Beef and Bean Chili is a great recipe to make the night before for dinner the next day or even for meal prep for the full week.
- Store for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Allow to cool completely before freezing. Freeze in a gallon freezer bag or freezer-friendly airtight storage for up to 3 months for future dinner.
OTHER SOUP AND STEW RECIPES
- Whole30 Creamy Chicken Stew - a healthy, hearty way to use up chicken leftovers
- Baked Potato Cauliflower Soup - easy and kids love it!
- Crockpot Chicken and Rice Soup - a healthy weeknight staple
- Healthier Beef Burgundy - a hearty beef stew loaded with mushrooms
📖 Recipe
Beef and Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper (seeded and diced)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ pound lean ground beef
- 2 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (16 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- BROWN THE BEEF: In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high until it shimmers. Add the onion, pepper, and beef. Break up the beef and cook until the beef is fully browned. Add the garlic, and stir for 30-60 seconds.
- ADD THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS: Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, chili powder, cumin, sugar, salt, pepper and paprika to the same dutch oven. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients.
- SIMMER: Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 35 minutes or until the mixture reduces to desired thickness.*
- SERVE: Remove the chili from the heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and serve hot. Top with sour cream, cheese, avocado, green onions or whatever your favorites are.
Notes
- I like mine reduced by about ⅓, if you like it thicker, simmer for closer to 45 minutes, thinner start to check it around 25 minutes.
- STORAGE: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze in a bag or freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
RECIPE EQUIPMENT
**This blog post contains affiliate links to products that I actually use and that align with my values. See my affiliate disclaimer here.
PIN IT NOW, MAKE IT LATER
Darcie Birch
How much is one serving?
Lauren
Hi there!
The volume of one serving will vary depending on the consistency that you prefer for your chili. So one serving is about 1/6 of the total volume of the recipe. For me, I like it pretty thick, so a recipe is about 1 1/4 cups.