Slow Cooker Chili Recipe With No Beans

Published: Feb 27, 2019 · Updated: Feb 9, 2024 by Laura Fuentes · This post may contain affiliate links

This Slow Cooker All Meat and Veggie Chili recipe has no beans, is super hearty and makes the perfect Paleo and Whole30 approved chili.

5 from 27 votes

This chili recipe is a retake of one of the most popular recipes on my blog, my Paleo Chili has no beans and it’s 100% paleo-approved. I think it’s about time we made the slow cooker version, don’t you?

Who doesn’t love a big bowl of chili? I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter what time of year it is, my crew is always game for this healthy Chili.

I’ve always preferred more meat, and fewer beans when it comes to chili so after testing and tweaking recipes I found the perfect compromise. It’s been quite a success. People have even won chili cook-offs with the recipe after finding it on my site. It’s literally award-winningly delicious.

What goes in Paleo Chili?

We all love a good, thick hearty chili and it’s possible to make without beans! Just like regular chili, you’ll find tomatoes, chili spices, and beef but instead of beans, we use diced zucchini and carrots to really up the ante on this chili. The veggies add volume, fiber, and make this it super filling.

If you’re doing paleo, Whole30 or the Family Kickstart program this recipe is exactly what you need to get that chili fix. It’s been one of the most popular recipes on Kickstart and many have added it to their regular meal routine.

If you haven’t heard about Family KickStart yet, it’s the 30-day program I created to help busy families ours to eat real food together. It includes recipes, meal plans, and shopping lists to make the whole process painless for you and the whole family. Learn more about the Family KickStart Program and grab your free trial here!

Best Vegetables to Put in Chili instead of beans

I’m all about loading on the veggies for bean-free chili. I always start with zucchini and carrots but those aren’t the only options.

You can use diced sweet potato, eggplant, bell peppers, summer squash, sauteed mushrooms, or cauliflower to beef things up even more. If you plan on making this recipe on the stove top, make sure to saute your veggies with the ground meat for extra flavor and a thicker chili.

While my kids aren’t fans of raw vegetables, they’ll gladly scarf down a big bowl of this chili, no questions asked!

Ingredients

Beef, veggies, and seasoning make this slow cooker chili an epic recipe that will have everyone asking for seconds! Check out the ingredients list:

Olive oil: for cooking.
Ground beef: a classic chili ingredient to add protein. If you want to use chicken, check my Chicken Chili recipe.
Garlic: chopped garlic cloves add tons of flavor.
Yellow onion: diced.
Celery: a great aromatic for any stew.
Carrots: make this chili colorful, nutritious, and filling!
Seasonings: chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, and salt.
Cayenne pepper: this seasoning is optional for extra heat.
Zucchini: adds volume and fiber.
Canned tomato sauce: adds delicious flavor.
Tomatoes: your favorite canned diced tomatoes.

You’ll find the measurements in the recipe card below.

How to make Healthy Chili in the Slow Cooker with No Beans

Here’s where we make the original Paleo Chili Recipe even easier with the help of a slow cooker! All you need to do is brown the beef, transfer it to a slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients, cook, and just like that, dinner is taken care of.

Just three simple steps:

Brown beef and aromatics
In a large pan, brown the beef, garlic, and onion over medium meat, until the beef is cooked through.

Combine
Transfer the meat mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker with the celery, carrots, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, cayenne pepper, zucchini, tomato purée, and diced tomatoes.

Cook
Cover and cook on high for 4 or 6 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours, until the chili is thickened.

More Ways to Make this Recipe
Ground Chicken Chili | Ground Turkey Chili | Lower Carb Chili

Slow Cooker Times for Meat & Vegetable Chili

Depending on how quickly you want a bowl of chili, cook 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. After that, it’s ready to be topped with corn chips, cheese, sour cream, and avocado – depending on your dietary restrictions.

How thick is Slow Cooker Paleo Chili

Despite having no beans, this chili is super thick and sticks to your ribs, just like it should be! If you want to make it a little soupier add 2 cups of beef stock to thin it out a bit. And if you’d like the quicker, stovetop version of this Paleo Chili Recipe I have that for you too!

Other serving ideas for Slow Cooker Paleo Chili

We all know the classic, cheese and sour cream topping but would you consider these:

Now, you know how to serve it, I’ll give you one last piece of advice – double the recipe and save some for another dinner or a thermos lunch. You won’t regret it. And if you’re not sure how to best to store it, I will show you how to freeze chili in this post/video combo!

What is your favorite way to eat a big bowl of Paleo Chili with No Beans?