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    Crockpot Paleo Chili

    Hearty, protein-packed, our Crock-Pot paleo chili is about to become your new comfort food crush.

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    crockpot paleo chili with beef and zucchini and avocado in a bowl

    Minimal Effort, Maximum Flavor—Helloooooo, Paleo Chili!

    Football, falling leaves, and hearty, meaty feasts—chili season, we love you. It was perhaps during our third (or was it fourth) attempt at Whole30 when our chili craving inspired us to create one pot of mighty fine (and completely uncomplicated—thank you Crock-Pot!) batch of no-bean chili. Say hello to our paleo crockpot chili recipe!

    Chili recipe, no beans? Yes, it’s a thing! And it’s actually totally delicious. For our slow-cooker chili without beans, forgoing the magical fruit makes this carb-free bowl of comfort into both a Whole30 chili and a keto chili, too. It’s ALSO a paleo chili recipe, and it has loads of flavor and a healthy serving of veggies (bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms!), making it a completely satisfying homemade chili with no beans at all. And we promise, you won’t miss them!

    ingredients laid out for paleo chili. zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, chili powder, onion, ground beef, jalapeños
    chuck roast cut into 1 inch pieces and browned in a cast iron pan
    ground beef browned in a cast iron pan
    ingredients for paleo chili in a crock pot

    Chili Without Beans?

    Chili recipe, no beans? Yes, it’s a thing! And it’s actually totally delicious. For our slow-cooker chili without beans, forgoing the magical fruit makes this carb-free bowl of comfort into both a Whole30 chili and a keto chili, too. It’s ALSO a paleo chili recipe, and it has loads of flavor and a healthy serving of veggies (bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms!), making it a completely satisfying homemade chili with no beans at all. And we promise, you won’t miss them!

    crockpot paleo chili in a slow cooker with beef, zucchini, onion and chili powder
    crockpot paleo chili cooked in a slow cooker with beef, zucchini, onion and chili powder

    How to Make Our Easy Paleo Chili

    Our beanless chili is—unsurprisingly—all about the meat, so use the highest-quality chuck roast and ground beef you can. Aside from that, this paleo chili takes less than ten active minutes to pull together, so it’s perfect for when you don’t have time to coordinate a fancy meal, but still want something hearty and delicious. It’s quickly becoming one of our favorite paleo ground beef recipes.

    • If you have the time, sear your cubes of chuck to really lock in the flavor of the meat. Resist the urge to stir the beef cubes as they sizzle—you want each side to look browned and glossy before you flip them.
    • Open all of the cans. Dump said cans into slow-cooker. Set timer.
    • Customize the chili with a DIY toppings bar. Set up small bowls of avocado, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno, cabbage, you name it.
    • Try to not eat three bowls in one sitting (as we did).
    crockpot paleo chili cooked in a slow cooker with beef, zucchini, onion and chili powder
    crockpot paleo chili with avocado in a bowl

    Tools You’ll Need to Make Our Low Carb Chili:

    Crock-Pot! In case it’s not yet obvious. You could also very well make this an Instant Pot chili (the Instant Pot sear function means fewer dishes, too). Can opener. Easy chili = lots of cans. We love our Zyliss one because it has a small magnet on top which essentially fishes out the lid for you. Sharp knife. As in sharp enough to cut through meat. That is unless you were lucky enough to score your chuck already-cubed.

    Hungry for More Tasty Paleo-ish Recipes?

    Want more wholly satisfying, paleo-friendly eats like our chili recipe no beans? Check out these other delicious meat-filled feasts.

    slow cooker paleo chili in a bowl with zucchini and avocado. in a bowl

    Is This Your New Favorite Paleo Chili Slow Cooker Recipe?

    Agree this is the best chili recipe no beans about it? Show us your Crock-Pot full of paleo chili goodness and tag us @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy crocking!

    Related Recipes

    Crockpot Paleo Chili

    Originally published: January 27, 2017

    • Serves: 8
    • Prep Time:  20 min
    • Cook Time:  4 hrs
    • Calories: 355
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 1 large onion, diced
    • 2 bell peppers, diced
    • 2 cups diced zucchini
    • 1 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped
    • 5 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
    • 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes, diced
    • 1 (4-ounce) can mild green chiles
    • 2 cups beef stock
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
    • ¼ to ⅓ cup chili powder
    • 2 tablespoons cumin
    • Jalapeños, diced, for serving
    • Avocado, diced, for serving
    • Cilantro, stems removed, for serving
    • Green onions, chopped, for serving

    Method

    1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet (or in your slow cooker if it has a browning mode) over medium-high heat. Generously season the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Once the oil is glistening, add chuck roast to the skillet and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.

    2. Place the beef in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the beef to a colander set over a bowl to drain off the fat.

    3. Add the browned chuck roast and ground beef, onion, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, green chiles, beef stock, bay leaves, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin to the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours on or on LOW for 8 hours.

    4. Stir, breaking up any large pieces of ground beef, and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

    5. Serve family-style with slivered jalapeños, avocados, cilantro, and green onions. Enjoy!

    To make this chili in an Instant Pot: Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and add olive oil. Generously season the chuck roast chuck with salt and pepper. Once the oil is glistening, add the chuck roast to the Instant Pot and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Add the ground beef to the Instant Pot and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, green chiles, beef stock, bay leaves, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin, stir to combine. Cover and secure the lid with the valve set to seal. Using the manual pressure cook setting, cook for 20 minutes. Allow the steam to release naturally for 30 to 40 minutes

    To make this chili on the stove top: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over high heat. Generously season the chuck roast chuck with salt and pepper. Once the oil is glistening, add the chuck roast and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium high. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Pour off any excess fat and discard. Stir in the bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, green chiles, beef stock, bay leaves, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin. Increase heat to high and bring the chili to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 ½ to 3 hours.

    Note: We suggest using a total of 3 cups of beef stock for this stove top version.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories355
    • Protein39 g
    • Carbohydrates16 g
    • Total Fat15 g
    • Dietary Fiber5 g
    • Cholesterol116 mg
    • sodium766 mg
    • Total Sugars7 g

    Crockpot Paleo Chili

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • heather

      1/3 cup chili powder? Also does not say what size crock pot.....

      Yes, that is the correct amount of chili powder. 6 qt or up should do!

    • Jo

      The flavor on this is amazing!! I would cut down a bit on the liquid as it was more like a soup than a chili. Anytime I can get extra veggies in for the kiddos, that's a win.

      Glad you enjoyed it Jo!

    • scott sproat

      how would this taste if i added red wine also?

      We haven't tried it but probably pretty good, let us know how it goes Scott!

    • Mary Jacobs

      I have a 2.25 lb chuck roast - do I need to add another pound of ground beef? Have you tried this with just the roast or is the ground beef pretty important for texture?

      You should be fine to leave it out, hope you enjoy Mary!

    • Karla

      Sounds really good. Can I stretch it be adding beans? When would I add them?

      Hi Karla, you certainly could. Just throw them in with everything else. Hope you enjoy!

    • Jennifer

      Amazing recipe! Everything came together perfectly and was super flavorful! My new go to chili recipe!

      Thanks Jennifer, we are so happy to hear that!

    • Katie

      This was fantastic! Everyone in my family devoured it, even the two teens who don't think they like mushrooms or zucchini. I used lean beef stew meat and it was so tender.

      Thanks Katie, we are so glad the whole family loved it! Love to hear the teens enjoyed those veggies!

    • Debbie

      Another excellent recipe! This was really flavorful and easy to throw together, looking forward to the leftovers. :)

      Thanks Debbie! We are so glad you love it!

    • Rachael Jones

      Delicious!!!!!! I did add chilli seasoning instead of just chilli powder and salt. Next time I'll add the kidney beans back in for fiber....I love the incorporation of veggies into chilli. This will be my ongoing chilli recipe.

    • Paul Favata

      Awesomely delicious!! I actually seared a 2nd batch of chuck roast and ground beef to make a second batch!!

      Excellent! Happy to hear you loved it!