low carb chili

ddiestler
ddiestler Posts: 353 Member
I live in Wisconsin and the weather here is getting cold. I HATE cold! I am looking for a low carb chili recipe. I can live without the beans, no problem there. I was thinking of using mushrooms, onions, peppers, and zuchinni, and possibly ground turkey. I normally would add tomatoes with juice, and tomato juice and spices to my chili. Any ideas how I can make it lower carb but still pack with flavor of chili????????

I was thinking of using beef broth and tomato paste but not sure how that would work.

Replies

  • kiramaniac
    kiramaniac Posts: 800 Member
    Caveman Keto's Chilli recipe is very good - be sure to serve it loaded with sour cream and cheese. Yummy!
    http://cavemanketo.com/2012/02/21/caveman-chili/
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Here's mine -- it's not super low carb but it easily fits into a goal of carbs under 50g. We actually like this modified chili better than my old recipe. The difference is I use less beans, fattier ground beef and fresh ingredients now.

    And thanks for the link to the Caveman Chili -- I'm going to have to try that.

    Chili - Beef & Black Beans
    =====================

    16oz Ground Beef 75%
    Black Beans - 1/2 cup dry
    Garlic 12g - about a tbsp
    Onion 139g - 1 large
    Green Pepper 148g - 1 large
    Tomato 250g - 1 large

    Spices:
    1/8 tsp Cheyenne Pepper
    1 tsp Black Pepper
    2 tsp Kosher Salk
    2 tsp Garlic Powder
    2 tsp Onion Powder
    2 TBSP Chili Powder

    Cook the beans ahead of time.
    Blanch the tomato and peel the skin off.
    Mix the spices together in a small bowl.

    Brown the hamburger and chop your vegetables while it's browning. When the meat is done add your spices to the meat and let them cook for a minute or two, then add your onions & garlic and again let them cook for a minute or two before you add in the tomato, green pepper and black beans. Add water (1 or 2 cups), cover and cook for 20 minutes on a medium-low flame. Remove the cover and let simmer another twenty minutes or until it's the consitency you like your chili.

    Entire Pot
    1,812 Calories, 97g Carbs, 45g Fiber, 52 Net Carbs

    2 Huge Servings: 906 Calories, 26g Net Carbs
    3 Large Servings: 604 Calories, 17g Net Carbs
    4 Normal Servings: 453 Calories, 13 Net Carbs
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    Here's mine -- it's not super low carb but it easily fits into a goal of carbs under 50g. We actually like this modified chili better than my old recipe. The difference is I use less beans, fattier ground beef and fresh ingredients now.

    And thanks for the link to the Caveman Chili -- I'm going to have to try that.

    Chili - Beef & Black Beans
    =====================

    16oz Ground Beef 75%
    Black Beans - 1/2 cup dry
    Garlic 12g - about a tbsp
    Onion 139g - 1 large
    Green Pepper 148g - 1 large
    Tomato 250g - 1 large

    Spices:
    1/8 tsp Cheyenne Pepper
    1 tsp Black Pepper
    2 tsp Kosher Salk
    2 tsp Garlic Powder
    2 tsp Onion Powder
    2 TBSP Chili Powder

    Cook the beans ahead of time.
    Blanch the tomato and peel the skin off.
    Mix the spices together in a small bowl.

    Brown the hamburger and chop your vegetables while it's browning. When the meat is done add your spices to the meat and let them cook for a minute or two, then add your onions & garlic and again let them cook for a minute or two before you add in the tomato, green pepper and black beans. Add water (1 or 2 cups), cover and cook for 20 minutes on a medium-low flame. Remove the cover and let simmer another twenty minutes or until it's the consitency you like your chili.

    Entire Pot
    1,812 Calories, 97g Carbs, 45g Fiber, 52 Net Carbs

    2 Huge Servings: 906 Calories, 26g Net Carbs
    3 Large Servings: 604 Calories, 17g Net Carbs
    4 Normal Servings: 453 Calories, 13 Net Carbs

    Perhaps replace the 1/2 cup dry beans with about a cup of chopped cauliflower instead? Just a thought.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    You could but they taste delicious! I think they're healthful and my goal is to eat as many carbs as I can while still keeping the health benefits. They're also just about the only source of resistant starch in my diet which is important for gut health and helps with blood sugar control. But yes, you can cut them out all together but instead of cauliflower I'd double the meat.
  • Golightly17
    Golightly17 Posts: 347 Member
    I like this chili recipe. I usually add in some chopped bell peppers with it or make it into a loaded taco salad. This food blog has the best stuff!

    http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2013/02/10-minute-no-chop-low-carb-chili.html
    10 Minute Low Carb Chili
    Yield: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey)
    1 tsp ground cumin
    1 tsp ground coriander
    1/2 tsp ground cayenne (optional)
    1/2 tsp garlic powder
    1/2 cup prepared salsa (I used Pace Mild)
    salt and pepper to taste
    Instructions

    In a medium saucepan, combine the ground beef and all of the spices. When the meat is cooked through, add your salsa. Simmer for 5 minutes. Nom.
    Optional garnishes: red onion, cilantro, avocado, lime, cheese, sour cream, corn, peppers
    Notes

    Approx. nutrition info per serving: 229 calories, 9g fat, 2.25g net carbs, 33g protein
  • primal7
    primal7 Posts: 151 Member
    I use the recipe from Paleo Diet Lifestyle as a base.
    http://paleodietlifestyle.com/paleo-beanless-chili/
    You can add or substitute any spices or ingredients you want in the recipe,
    Since I am primal/paleo I use a pound of organ meat and two pounds of stew meat and one to two pounds of hamburger meat.
    You can not go wrong with chili.
  • JanetLynnJudy
    JanetLynnJudy Posts: 173 Member
    Here's what I used last time I made homemade chili in the crockpot.

    lOs3jtm.jpg

    My parents have a big garden and they can tomatoes, tomato juice and they freeze peppers, etc, but if I'm out of their frozen peppers, I just use a bag of store bought frozen stir fry pepper mix. Sometimes, if I have some of their canned homemade salsa on hand I'll use that too. I just used the taco seasoning packet because it's easy, but of course, you could lower the carb count making your own mix. Also, I used a stir fry mix with white onions and I could lower the carb count by using green onions instead. Still, the net carbs are not too bad (assuming the nutrition info on the things I selected from the MFP database are close to being correct).
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    Here's mine -- it's not super low carb but it easily fits into a goal of carbs under 50g. We actually like this modified chili better than my old recipe. The difference is I use less beans, fattier ground beef and fresh ingredients now.

    And thanks for the link to the Caveman Chili -- I'm going to have to try that.

    Chili - Beef & Black Beans
    =====================

    16oz Ground Beef 75%
    Black Beans - 1/2 cup dry
    Garlic 12g - about a tbsp
    Onion 139g - 1 large
    Green Pepper 148g - 1 large
    Tomato 250g - 1 large

    Spices:
    1/8 tsp Cheyenne Pepper
    1 tsp Black Pepper
    2 tsp Kosher Salk
    2 tsp Garlic Powder
    2 tsp Onion Powder
    2 TBSP Chili Powder

    Cook the beans ahead of time.
    Blanch the tomato and peel the skin off.
    Mix the spices together in a small bowl.

    Brown the hamburger and chop your vegetables while it's browning. When the meat is done add your spices to the meat and let them cook for a minute or two, then add your onions & garlic and again let them cook for a minute or two before you add in the tomato, green pepper and black beans. Add water (1 or 2 cups), cover and cook for 20 minutes on a medium-low flame. Remove the cover and let simmer another twenty minutes or until it's the consitency you like your chili.

    Entire Pot
    1,812 Calories, 97g Carbs, 45g Fiber, 52 Net Carbs

    2 Huge Servings: 906 Calories, 26g Net Carbs
    3 Large Servings: 604 Calories, 17g Net Carbs
    4 Normal Servings: 453 Calories, 13 Net Carbs

    that looks good, but it's only 1 serving! :)
  • Caveman Keto's Chilli recipe is very good - be sure to serve it loaded with sour cream and cheese. Yummy!
    http://cavemanketo.com/2012/02/21/caveman-chili/

    I will definitely be checking this one out.
  • Here's how I make mine.

    1 lb of ground meat. Tukery or beef or both. Browned and drained.
    1 15 oz can of Hun'ts 100% Natural Fired Roasted Diced Tomatoes. Drained and Rinsed.
    1 small can of sliced black olives. Drained and Rinsed
    8 oz of diced crimini mushrooms (to mimic beans)
    1 cup of chopped onion
    1/2 small can of diced green chilis or more to taste
    1 32 oz carton of Low Sodium chicken stock
    1 Heaping teaspoon or more of Xanthan gum
    1 tbl of EVOO

    Spices to taste:

    Cumin
    Smoked Paprika
    Red Pepper Flakes
    Garlic Powder
    Salt & Pepper (I usally don't add the salt until the last 15 minutes of cooking)

    While browning the meat add all the ingredients except the Xanthan gum to a stock pot. Then add meat and cook over med heat for about 30 minutes or until broth reduces by a third.

    Then add enough Xanthan gum to get to the thickness you desire (I start with a teaspooful and then add more it needed and also the best way to add this is with a powder sugar shaker and stir as you sprinkle it in the pot). The liquid needs to be boiling to get the Xanthan gum to thicken the chili.

    Serve with cheese and sour cream.

    Anita
  • MistressPi
    MistressPi Posts: 514 Member
    I always use those "chili in a bag" kits. I try to get a low fat grind of hamburger (90/10) (even though I am not restricting fats) so I don't have to drain off the grease. Add a little bacon grease or olive oil to your pot, and brown the meat until some fat renders.

    Add a chopped, small onion, some diced sweet peppers, any color, and continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are turning translucent.

    Add in the spices seasoning packet, the salt and the cayenne to taste.

    THROW AWAY THE MASA PACKET as this adds a LOT of carbs to your chili.

    Cook the mix with the spices for a couple of minutes, then

    add a 14 oz can of sugar-free chopped tomatoes (and their liquid) INSTEAD OF THE TOMATO SAUCE, and
    a 14 oz can of black soy beans with its liquid (or not) (super low carb).

    Add water until it's as soupy as you like.

    You can also omit the cayenne, or add a chipotle chili (these are canned, in adobo sauce, and add a fabulous, smoky spicy dimension to your chili).

    The last time I followed this method, my carb count per serving (serves 6) was under 12g carbs. You can make the carb count lower by decreasing the amount of onion you use, or even omitting it altogether.

    These are the brands I've tried. Both are good:

    Carroll-Shelby-Chili-Kit.jpg

    nutrition.jpg

    Again, the masa flour is the largest source of carbs in the kit, so throw it out. It's only function is to thicken the chili. You can re-calculate the amount of carbs in the mix by weighing the masa, looking up it's carb count and subtracting it from the total carbs in the box.

    I have also used this brand:

    51NYQ1riVQL.jpg

    HTH
  • KnitSewSpin
    KnitSewSpin Posts: 147 Member
    Mine is simple
    Chili con carne

    Bacon
    Chuck roast, usually about 4-5 lbs, cut in one inch cubes
    Onion, 1/2
    Red bell pepper
    Garlic
    Jalapeño
    Chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper
    1 28 oz canned roasted tomatoes
    Cook bacon and brown roast, throw in slow cooker
    Cook onions and peppers and garlic in bacon fat, throw it all in cooker,
    Throw the rest in, youc an add a little broth if it's too thick
    Cook all day
    I make corn bread for my family, but I eat it with a lot of avocado, sour cream, and cheese
    I make this every few weeks
    My family loves it!
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    I did a beanless chili the other day. It's still got a fair amount of carbs in it but it's manageable.

    2lbs ground beef
    1 bell pepper
    1 onion
    1 beer
    1 16oz can of tomatoes
    2tbs chili powder
    1tbs cumin
    1tsp garlic powder
    1tsp oregano
    1tsp salt
    2tsp black pepper

    brown and drain the burger. Add the chili powder and cumin and stir around to release their aroma. Add the pepper and onion, sauté for a minute. Add the beer, canned tomatoes and the rest of the spices. I don't do any salt until it's cooked for a while and then add it to taste, since the canned tomatoes have some and sometimes chili powder has salt too..Simmer for 30 mins or more to let everything come together.

    Top with your choice of things you like. I do some shredded cheese and sour cream if we have any and treat myself to a few tortilla chips crushed up on top.

    8 servings (I eat a double)

    Per serving: 312 cal 11 carb 18 fat 24 protein 315 sodium 3 fiber
  • MistressPi
    MistressPi Posts: 514 Member
    Mine is simple
    Chili con carne

    Bacon
    Chuck roast, usually about 4-5 lbs, cut in one inch cubes
    Onion, 1/2
    Red bell pepper
    Garlic
    Jalapeño
    Chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper
    1 28 oz canned roasted tomatoes
    Cook bacon and brown roast, throw in slow cooker
    Cook onions and peppers and garlic in bacon fat, throw it all in cooker,
    Throw the rest in, youc an add a little broth if it's too thick
    Cook all day
    I make corn bread for my family, but I eat it with a lot of avocado, sour cream, and cheese
    I make this every few weeks
    My family loves it!

    This looks great. Have you figured out the nutritional info in your recipes?
  • KnitSewSpin
    KnitSewSpin Posts: 147 Member
    Mine is simple
    Chili con carne

    Bacon
    Chuck roast, usually about 4-5 lbs, cut in one inch cubes
    Onion, 1/2
    Red bell pepper
    Garlic
    Jalapeño
    Chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper
    1 28 oz canned roasted tomatoes
    Cook bacon and brown roast, throw in slow cooker
    Cook onions and peppers and garlic in bacon fat, throw it all in cooker,
    Throw the rest in, youc an add a little broth if it's too thick
    Cook all day
    I make corn bread for my family, but I eat it with a lot of avocado, sour cream, and cheese
    I make this every few weeks
    My family loves it!

    This looks great. Have you figured out the nutritional info in your recipes?

    Yes, it is:

    Total: 2,380 97 15 286 92 4,436
    Per Serving: 198 8 1 24 8 370

    8 grams of carbs, 1 fiber, 24 protein, I'm sure you could lower the carbs if you cut down on the tomato, but I leave it as is.
  • ea101367
    ea101367 Posts: 175 Member
    mmmmmmmm.....Bacon in Chili, never even thought of that! I know what's for supper!
  • gwhitw01
    gwhitw01 Posts: 5 Member
    The original Chili's Chili recipe is quite good and very low carb per serving:

    Chili%2527sRecipe.JPG

    The recipe can be found at the following URL:
    http://drewciferstonezone.blogspot.com/2007/03/ive-had-number-of-requests-for-recipe.html
  • RebekahR84
    RebekahR84 Posts: 794 Member
    1 can tomato paste
    1 packet of taco seasoning mix
    1 48oz can of tomato juice
    1lb ground beef (80/20 or leaner)
    1 tsp ground cumin
    2 tsp chili powder
    2 tsp minced garlic

    Brown the ground beef. Mix all of the other ingrediants together in a large pot. Warm on the stovetop, on medium heat, until warm and thick. Makes 6 servings.

    Calories: 383
    Fiber: 3
    Fat: 23 (80/20 ground beef)
    Protein: 23
    Carbs: 19 (15 net carbs)
    Chol:80

    You can add onions or zucchini for bulk if you want. I love this recipe. My husband will actually eat it.
  • quiarga
    quiarga Posts: 408 Member
    You can use green beans in place of the kidney beans you usually find in chili. Use chili powder instead of the packaged seasonings that sometimes have added sugar. And use fresh tomatoes if possible. If using canned look for ones w/o sugar added as well.
  • TomfromNY
    TomfromNY Posts: 100 Member
    The challenge I have with chili is to make sure there is enough fat in it, compared to the protein.

    Save some bacon fat from breakfast
    Meat - use any combination of ground beef (as fatty as possible), chopped stew beef, hot italian sausage crumbled, diced pork. Saute in bacon fat, sprinkle the meats with chili power, cayene powder, garlic powder, black pepper. Set aside
    Add more bacon fat to the pan and saute onions, green peppers, spicy peppers (jalapano, ghost chilis, whatever). Add other veggies like diced zuchini, yellow squash, etc.... Also sprinkle with spices and oregano.
    Add beef stock and a bit of tomatos / tomato paste to taste and add back the meat.
    Cook over low heat for a while.
    Serve with hot sauce and a little cheese