This recipe is a low carb and Keto take on the classic chili con carne. And each bowl has just 236 calories and 3g net carbs.
“If you know beans about chili, you know that chili has no beans.” -Ken Finlay 1976
Not if you are doing Keto, that’s for sure. Legumes are off limits, because they are so high in carbohydrate. So when we make our low carb chili, we make it “con carne”. We make it with meat.
So today I’m going to show you how to make a classic beef chili, low carb style.
It’s a flavorful blend of ground beef, onions, bell peppers, garlic, tomato sauce and chili spices. So to make this low carb chili recipe you’ll need:
But what if you can’t get past this no bean rule?
If push comes to shove, you can always add a can of black soy beans. They are legumes, but are so low in carbs and so high in fiber, that they have just 6g net carbs for one ½ cup serving. We’re all adults here, so if you want to add a can of black soy beans to your chili, I won’t try and stop you.
Does Keto chili con carne have to use ground beef?
Not at all. You can use any ground meat that you’d like. Chicken, turkey, sausage and pork are all great choices. Chili con carne translates to just “chili with meat”, so you’ve got some wiggle room there.
What are the ingredients of this low carb chili spice mix?
This spice mix is made up of chili powder, cumin, oregano and red cayenne pepper. But if you don’t have any of these spices, you can swap them out for an equal amount of chili powder.
What goes well with a bowl of low carb chili?
- Cheeses like shredded Cheddar, Colby and Mexican Spice Blend
- Sour cream or crema
- Vegetables like sliced green onions, tomatoes, jalapeño slices, white onions, avocado or fresh cilantro
- Cooked cauliflower rice
- Low carb jalapeño cornbread
And finally, I should mention two more things about this Keto chili con carne recipe.
Chili con carne is crazy easy to make. It’s got just four steps: sauté vegetables, brown beef, add remaining ingredients to the pan and simmer. Done and done. And each bowl of this beanless chili con carne has just 236 calories and 3g net carbs.
Because you know what Ken Finlay always used to say:
“If you know beans about chili, you know that chili has no beans!”
Keto Chili Con Carne
This recipe is a low carb and Keto take on the classic chili con carne. And each bowl has just 236 calories and 3g net carbs.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 17
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Diabetic
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- ½ cup onion, diced
- ½ cup orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 16 oz can of tomato sauce
- 16 oz water
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼-½ teaspoon red cayenne pepper
Instructions
Step 1. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet and heat over Medium heat. Add garlic, bell peppers, onions, and garlic and cook until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
Step 2. Add remaining olive oil to the pan and heat over Medium-High heat. Add ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned, 3-4 minutes.
Step 3. Mix together all spices in a small bowl.
Step 4. Add vegetables, tomato sauce, spice mix, and water (use the tomato sauce can to measure it). Bring the chili to a low boil.
Step 5. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 236
- Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 4
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 30
Keywords: Low Carb Chili Con Carne, Keto Chili Con Carne, Paleo Chili Con Carne
If you liked this low carb soup recipe, then you might like my recipes for Wedding Soup, Cream of Tomato Soup, Keto Ramen Soup, or Keto Gumbo.
Rachel says
DO you think I could use turkey instead? I'm trying to watch my calories lately.
★★★★★
Emily Krill says
Sure!👍
Katie says
I want to make this for my family who isn't on Keto. I'll take out my portion and then add beans to the rest for them. How much should I add?
★★★★★
Emily Krill says
Just dump a (16oz) can of black beans, chili beans, or kidney beans along with the liquid into the chili. Watch the heat if you choose chili beans though, in case the kids don't like it too spicy.
Gail says
Is that cornbread in the pictures? Do you have a recipe for it?
★★★★★
Emily Krill says
It is Keto cornbread with cheese and jalepenos. Here's the recipe: https://www.resolutioneats.com/blog/cheesy-keto-jalapeno-cornbread/
Trudy Cooper says
What is a weekly rotation?
EmilyKrill says
Just the usual recipes that we cycle through each week. My kids don't eat many foods, so we have a weekly rotation of chili, chicken soup, spaghetti, dumplings, meatloaf and tacos.
Laura says
This recipe is terrific. My husband loved it too. It’s in our weekly rotation now.
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Great! It's a classic.