These Low Calorie Chili Recipes can be made in the slow cooker, instant pot, or on the stove top. I have supplied the directions to make all 10 healthy chili recipes 3 ways. No matter how you want to make low calorie chili (vegetarian, meaty, or no bean) you’ll find the best healthy recipe below.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Olive oil spray
- 1 pound lean ground meat turkey, chicken, beef optional
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 bay leaves
- 1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Low Calorie Chili
Healthy Chili Meal Prep and Storage
Meal Prep: You can prep by chopping the raw veggies and adding to a freezer bag or container. Add any seasonings and store for later in the fridge.
Storage: Leftovers can be frozen for up to a month. But pre-chopped/ uncooked veggies should be stored in the fridge (they will get soggy in the freezer). Will hold for 5 days in the freezer.
Reheating: Add to a baking sheet and pop in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-20 minutes until hot. You can also microwave for 2 minutes.
Low Calorie Chili
Low Calorie Chili
Ingredients
Basic Chili Recipe:
- Olive oil spray
- 1 pound lean ground meat turkey, chicken, beef optional
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 bay leaves
- 1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Chicken Chili Recipe:
- Basic Chili Recipe Above
- 1 cup shredded chicken
Chili Recipe Vegetarian:
- Basic Chili Recipe Above, omit meat
- 1 additional cup of chopped veggies mushrooms, butternut squash, bell pepper
Chili Recipe with Beans:
- Basic Chili recipe Above
- 1 additional can of beans Pinto, Kidney, Black beans
Turkey Chili Recipe:
- Basic Chili recipe Above
- 1 pound of ground turkey
Spicy Chili Recipe:
- Basic Chili recipe Above
- 1 additional jalapeño (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper optional
- 1 additional teaspoon cayenne powder optional
Chili Recipe Black Beans:
- Basic Chili recipe Above, omit kidney beans
- 1 additional can black beans
Chili Recipe Steak:
- Basic Chili recipe Above
- 1 pound chopped steak
Beef Chili Recipes:
- Basic Chili recipe Above
- 1 pound ground beef
Pork Chili Recipe:
- Basic Chili recipe Above
- 1 cup cooked shredded pork
No Bean Chili Recipe:
- Basic Chili recipe Above, omit beans
- 1 pounds ground meat beef is traditional
Instructions
Basic Chili Recipe Stovetop Directions: (Main Recipe)
- To a large pot, over medium heat, add the oil, meat, onion, bell pepper, and cook until the meat is browned, and the vegetables are softened.
- Add garlic, and jalapeño, and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add in chili powder, cumin, bay leaves, and mix.
- Mix in the tomatoes, increase the heat to medium high, and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 3 to 5 hours. Stir often to avoid burning.
- 30 minutes before serving, remove the bay leaves and add the beans.
- Cook uncovered until the beans are warm, and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
- Serve with desired topping.
Crock Pot Directions:
- Preheat Slow Cooker on high for 5 minutes, covered.
- Brown veggies and optional meat, 10-15 minutes depending on your slow cooker.
- Add in the spices for chili recipe, the tomatoes, and any liquid your chilli recipe calls for.
- Cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 8-10 hours.
- Add in Beans for chili recipe, cook on High for 30 minutes, uncovered to warm the beans and evaporate some of the liquid.
- Serve with desired topping.
Instant Pot Directions:
- Sauté veggies and meat on sauté setting medium, until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the spices for chili recipe, the tomatoes, and 1 cup of water or any liquid your chili recipe calls for.
- Cover and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes, natural release for 10 minutes, then manual release.
- Add in beans for chili recipe, sauté on medium heat uncovered for 5 minutes to reduce liquid and heat beans.
- Serve with desired topping.
Video
Nutrition
About the Author
Hi, my name is Audrey Johns and I am a 4 time best selling cookbook author! All 4 of my low calorie cookbooks are published by HarperCollins (the oldest publishing house in the US!) and have been featured on prominent TV shows like The Today Show, Rachael Ray and The Doctors. I am a low calorie and healthy recipe authority and my delicious recipes are tried and loved by thousands of readers.
After a one year 150 pound weight loss (and I’ve kept it off for 13 years!) I started sharing all of my low calorie recipes with the world. They are always all-natural and geared around weight loss and weight management. I have even made some of these recipes with my Biggest Loser pal Bob Harper! Check out my weight loss story, my best selling cookbooks, and my numerous TV appearances by clicking here.
Nutrition and Calories in Chili
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Article History:
- Originally written and published June 17, 2020 by Audrey Johns
- Updated on September 15, 2023 by Audrey Johns
I made the basic chili recipe and it was awesome and full of flavor. I did add some chicken broth because I prefer a little more liquid in my chili.
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