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The best comfort food for fall – no bean chili! This hearty and flavorful beanless chili recipe combines ground beef and vegetables. Instead of using beans, butternut squash provides a wonderful flavor without overpowering the dish. It’s a nice compliment of texture and flavor with tender ground beef and warming spices that takes around 30 minutes to make.
As a Texan, I’m really fond of chili without beans, and this is my go to recipe when I want a fast, weeknight recipe that pairs well with corn chips, nachos, or just to serve on it’s own.
The butternut squash provides extra fall flavor! It’s a great way to sneak in some extra vegetables and really easy to cook.
Freeze this beanless chili for leftovers or meal prep, or use it during the week many different ways. It would pair very well with an apple fennel salad, pumpkin cornbread muffins, or on top of nachos.
Table of Contents
- Chili without Beans
- 30 Minute Chili Recipe
- Best Meat to Use
- Ingredients
- How to Make Beanless Chili
- Substitutions and Adjustments
- Cooking Tips
- Toppings
- What to Serve with No Bean Chili
- Slow Cooker Option
- Low Sodium Information
- Storage Information
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Chili and Stew Recipes
- Beanless Chili Recipe
Chili without Beans
If you’re a fan of my traditional Texas Chili post, you know that I can’t stand beans in my chili. Let me inform you there are a lot of “Texas chili” recipes on google that are masquerading as the real thing. This recipe is NOT Texas chili, it’s just a great, easy chili without beans.
What’s the difference? Texas chili is usually made with boneless beef chuck roast, no tomatoes, and no beans. It’s all about really good meat and flavorful spices. This also requires a long simmer time to get the meat really tender.
What I love about this beanless chili recipe is it’s quick and hearty. I wouldn’t classify it as butternut squash chili because it uses meat. So here we are…no bean chili!
30 Minute Chili Recipe
You’ll love this beanless chili recipe because:
- Easy and fast – Unlike traditional Texas chili, this version is a quick 30-40 minute meal.
- Hidden veggies – Adding butternut squash sneaks in some health benefits, but it doesn’t overpower the recipe!
- Great for nachos – Perfect for game day!
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Paleo and Whole30 diet friendly, as well as migraine diet friendly.
Best Meat to Use
If you’re looking for a thick and hearty recipe that is real Texas chili (with boneless beef chuck), see my post for no tomato chili. This is a quick beanless chili recipe, so ground meat is used.
Ground beef – For the best flavor, I highly recommend using a higher fat ground beef like 85/15 or 80/20. 90/10 and up gets a little lean and will offer a little less flavor, plus be less tender and more rubbery in texture.
Ground turkey – Ground turkey could also be used for this recipe, but the same rule applies. Try to find a ground turkey with a little more fat content.
If you’re watching calories, then lower fat options will work too, they just won’t be as flavorful or tender.
Ingredients
- Ground beef – As recommended above, I prefer to use one with a little more fat content for the best flavor, but use what works best for you. Ground turkey will also work.
- Shallots – Not only are shallots a more brain-friendly alternative to onions, they really elevate the flavor of chili. A more complex flavor, they provide a more subtle onion and garlic-like flavor without big chunks of onion.
- Butternut squash – I love to buy the pre-cubed butternut squash, which makes life easier! If you’re not a fan of butternut squash, you can also leave it out and add another pound of ground beef.
- Chopped tomatoes – I used Carmelina canned chopped tomatoes, but any favorite brand will work. I just recommend using one without spices or seasonings added.
If you’re looking for a chili without tomatoes, don’t miss my award-winning Texas No Tomato Chili. - Broth – For this recipe I like to use a basic chicken, beef or vegetable broth. I recommend homemade if you can, or Butcher’s Bone Broth and Trader Joe’s Hearty Vegetable for store-bought. Preferably one without “yeast extract”, “natural flavor”, or “msg”.
- Chili Powder – These can vary greatly in spice levels. Two things I try to avoid in the ingredients are onion powder and cocoa powder. Morton & Bassett and Frontier are two favorites that I personally don’t find overly spicy…but I’m also from Texas.
If you’re very sensitive to spice, consider cutting back on the amount added. Do not substitute chipotle chili powder unless you like serious heat and different flavors. - Smoked Paprika – I love using smoked paprika in this for the flavor profile. It really creates an awesome depth that
- Honey or sugar – This small amount balances the spice in the chili and also highlights the butternut squash.
How to Make Beanless Chili
Step 1: Cook the beef
In a large, heavy pot or a dutch oven, add garlic and shallots, sauteing till softened and fragrant – about 1-2 minutes. Add in beef and cook over medium heat until brown and cooked through. (Pictures 1 and 2)
Tip – If you have a lot of excess liquid leftover, instead of dumping it out, use a paper towel at the end of a wooden spoon to soak up the liquid. Just be careful you don’t take a lot of garlic, shallots, and beef with it.
Step 2: Add the seasonings and butternut squash
Add the butternut squash, tomato paste, honey, and spices, stirring all together. Then pour in the broth and tomatoes. Use a wood spoon to stir everything together. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat. (Picture 3)
Step 3: Simmer
Allow the chili to simmer for at least 30 minutes, adjusting the heat level as needed. There should be small bubbles forming around the edges of the pot as it simmers, not large bubbles throughout – this is boiling. (Picture 4).
Stir occasionally and serve warm!
Substitutions and Adjustments
- Butternut squash – If you don’t want butternut squash, add another pound of ground beef. This will make a very meaty chili that’s good for frito pie or nachos. And great to mix into queso.
- Smoked paprika – Regular paprika can be used, but highly recommend smoked for the best flavor.
- Thin chili – This chili is fairly thick as written (as you can see in the pictures). Add more broth to thin chili and make it more soup-like.
- Vegetarian chili – Double the butternut squash for an all vegetarian chili.
Cooking Tips
- Draining the beef – Use a wooden spoon and a paper towel to wipe the pot instead of trying to balance a heavy pot to drain the excess fat. Just make sure you don’t take a lot of beef and shallots with it!
- Watch the heat – Don’t boil the chili, just simmer. You may need to adjust the heat setting a few times during the 30 minutes. There should be small bubbles around the edges, but not large bubbles throughout.
Toppings
There’s so many toppings you can add to a chili without beans! A few of my favorite ones are:
- Chopped green onions
- Grated American Cheese – good quality ones are Andrew & Everett and Boar’s Head.
- Crushed tortilla chips or corn chips. I really like the corn chip dippers at Trader Joe’s.
- Chopped red radishes
- Whipped cottage cheese – a great substitute for sour cream.
Or make the chili a topping itself! Add to nachos instead of the spiced ground beef.
What to Serve with No Bean Chili
Here are a few of my favorite side dishes to pair with this butternut squash beanless chili.
- Pumpkin Cornbread
- Apple Fennel Salad
- Rocket and Pear Salad
- Simple salad with Ranch Dressing
- Creamy, cheesy cauliflower
- Chips and Caramelized Shallot Dip
Slow Cooker Option
Here’s how to make beanless crockpot chili:
- Add the ground beef to a medium pan and sauté over medium heat, cooking until all brown. Drain any excess grease. Add in garlic and shallots to the pan. Then add in spices, tomatoes, and all other ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the chili to a slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or high heat for about 2-3 hours.
This works best with a high fat ground meat so the meat doesn’t dry out.
Low Sodium Information
For those looking to watch their sodium intake, it’s no problem for this recipe.
Make sure you check your broth, tomatoes, and chili powder for added sodium. Those are the only things you really need to watch for. The suggested chili powder brands above have no added sodium.
For broth, I highly recommend homemade. I have a recipe online and in my first cookbook, The Dizzy Cook. Just omit added sodium. Tomatoes without sodium are fairly easy to locate!
Storage Information
Refrigerator – Chili should keep well in the refrigerator, covered in an air-tight container, for 3 days.
Freezer – This no bean chili also freezes extremely well. Just pack flat in a ziplock freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. It’s a great postpartum recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions
Often you don’t even need a replacement for beans and can make a chili with meat only! But if you do want to add some more vegetables, I recommend butternut squash or sweet potatoes.
If you’re searching for a low carb chili or one without tomatoes, I highly recommend my no tomato chili recipe which is more like a traditional Texas chili and has won a few Texas chili cook off awards!
No, this is a quick chili recipe, but just because it doesn’t have beans, it doesn’t automatically qualify for Texas chili…..even though a lot of food bloggers not from Texas like to think it does. This is just an easy weeknight chili recipe!
I’d recommend using ground turkey for the best substitute. A higher fat content will always taste better, but this recipe is pretty flavorful. You can probably get away with using whatever you like!
I would recommend testing out different chili powders first to find one that fits your taste preference. Also do not substitute another kind of chili powder (like chipotle). If you’re particularly sensitive to spicy food, start with just 1 tablespoon and increase as needed. Adding more honey can help balance (just don’t add too much and make it sweet).
Chili and Stew Recipes
For hearty beef recipes like this beanless chili, check out these posts.
Beef
Chili Without Tomatoes (Texas Chili)
Beef
Dutch Oven Pot Roast without Wine
Beef
Oven Short Ribs and Creamy Polenta
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Beanless Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1½ tablespoons chili powder
- 1½ tablespoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 cups chopped butternut squash, roughly 1/4-1/2" pieces
- 1 14oz can chopped tomatoes, * I used Carmelina
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar (optional)
- 1½ cups broth or stock of choice
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- radish and green onion for topping
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a heat heavy bottomed pot, like a dutch oven, over medium heat. Add chopped shallots and garlic, sautéing for a minute or two until fragrant. Then add ground beef and cook, breaking it up into small bits with a wood spoon. Stir frequently so garlic doesn't burn. If you have leftover liquid/fat from the beef, I like to take a paper towel and stir it around the pot with a wooden spoon to soak up some excess liquid.
- Once the beef is cooked, add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, honey (or sugar), and smoked paprika. Stir to combine, still over medium heat. Then add butternut squash and chopped tomatoes, plus broth, with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir again and bring the dish to a simmer (small bubbles on top).
- Allow to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes then serve warm.
Notes
- This recipe freezes really well, just use some broth to reheat it in a dutch oven.
- For all meat chili, omit the butternut squash and add another pound of ground meat.
- To make this vegetarian, omit the meat and double the butternut squash, or sweet potatoes can also be used.
- For whole30/paleo, use honey or omit the sweetener. Just be careful with how spicy you make it because the sweetness balances spicy.
- For low sodium, see post for suggestions on broth. Omit added sodium.
- Serve this with tortilla chips with some cheese, radish, green onions.
- See post for slow cooker instructions.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally written December 6, 2018 as butternut squash chili and reposted as beanless chili with new photos and tips. Below is an original photo.
Made this for dinner last night. It was very good and definitely spicy. I did roast the squash first for added flavor.
This is another hit, “make again” delicious easy meal! Even our Granddaughter, age 11 loved this and did not mind the squash ingredient. She had 2nds, as we all did! Served it with some Trader Joes “Fritoes” type corn chips – Fabulous!
Thank you Kathy!! Did you find this spicy? If not, can you please add the chili powder you used? I don’t find this spicy but I use Central Market chili powder.
My husband likes a little more “zip” to his chili, and I can go either way. So instead of 1.5 TBSP of Chili Powder I used 2.5 TBSP. I use “Simply Organic” brand of spices and herbs. I also put in a pinch, (1/8 tsp. of Cayenne powder, and 1 tsp. Smokey Paprika. It was not HOT, and was not too spicy for our 11 year old Granddaughter, but she is also a good eater, not picky at all. Someone mentioned roasting the squash first but I did not try that….yet. Mmmm, just taking about it makes me want a bowl for lunch.
So comforting and good!!
Any guidelines on brands of American cheese that are ok??
People usually enjoy Boar’s Head or Andrew and Everett!
This is amazing! I doubled the chili powder, but other than that, it was just perfect for my tastes!
At what point do you add the Butternut Squash? 🙂
Oh my goodness, I’m sorry about that. I add it after the beef is cooked! Thanks for the catch.
Delicious! Lots of flavor and easy to cook!