Easy No Bean Chili Recipe

If you don't like beans, it doesn't mean that you have to miss out on all of the deliciousness that a good chili recipe provides. And this chili recipe is proof of that. This no bean chili recipe is just as thick, flavorful, and hearty as any "regular" chili recipe out there - it's jam-packed with ground beef, diced tomatoes, chopped bell peppers, plenty of spices, and much, much more. Plus, it's incredibly easy to make this chili. Just 3 steps are all you have to follow to make it.

Ingredients You'll Need

As far as ingredients go, there's nothing fancy about this homemade no bean chili recipe. It's made with all the usual chili "suspects", so there's a good chance you'll have everything you'll need to make it at home already!

Anyway, here's what you'll need to whip it up:

• 1 pound of ground beef 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 onion, diced finely
• ½ green bell pepper, diced 
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups of beef broth 
• 1 bay leaf

And here are some toppings I like to use on it:

• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Cilantro
• Sour cream
• Jalapeño slices

Pretty simple stuff, right?

By the way, you can use almost all of these ingredients to make my copycat Wendy's chili recipe and my copycat Texas Roadhouse chili recipe. They're a couple of my other favorite chili recipes, however, they do both contain beans.

How To Make No Bean Chili

As I mentioned earlier, this no bean chili is effortless to make.

In fact, all you have to do is add the ingredients to a pot, give it a few stirs, and then let it simmer to perfection.

Sounds pretty simple, right?

Anyway, let's not waste any more time, let's get to cooking!

Step 1: Cook the Beef

First things first, if you haven't done so already, gather - and prep - all of your ingredients.

Also, just so you know, I'm using a Dutch oven for this recipe because I think it does the best job of evenly cooking the chili. But if you don't have a Dutch oven, you can use any heavy-bottom pot, and it will work just as well.

With that said, to start, you'll want to add the oil to the Dutch oven - or pot - and put it over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Let the oil heat for a minute, then add the lean ground beef, diced pepper, minced garlic, and salt and pepper.

Now you'll want to let everything cook together in the pot until the beef has browned on all sides. You can break the beef apart with a spoon, stirring occasionally so it cooks evenly on all sides.

Step 2: Simmer The Chili 

Once the beef is cooked, you can add all of the spices to the pot - that would be the cumin, paprika, and dried oregano - along with the crushed tomatoes.

Follow that by adding the beef broth and bay leaf, and cook everything for about 30 minutes or until the chili thickens. Also, be sure to check on it and stir it occasionally while it's cooking.

Step 3: Serve

Finally, once the chili is done, ladle it into some bowls and top it with your favorite toppings! I like to add shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream, and jalapeño slices to my chili. However, you can add whatever you like to yours.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

What To Serve With This No Bean Chili

This beef chili is hearty enough to stand on its own, but it tastes even better when paired with the right side dish!

Here are some of my favorite things to eat with this:

• Sweet potato cornbread
• Martha White cornbread
• Sweet corn cake
• Air fryer tortilla chips
• Air fryer baked potatoes
• Fried polenta

How To Store The Chili

This recipe will make around 8 large servings of chili. It's usually plenty for a big family dinner, and I sometimes even have some leftovers as well!

If you end up with leftover chili, it will store incredibly well. To store it, let it completely cool down, and then add it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. Stored like this the no bean chili will last for up to 4 days.

However, if you want to keep the chili for even longer, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. To freeze the chili just follow the same steps as above, but instead of storing it in the fridge, store it in the freezer.

How To Reheat The Chili

Now, if you have leftovers, you'll definitely want to reheat them before enjoying them.

The best way to reheat any chili, including this one, is on the stovetop. To reheat it, add the chili to a pot and warm over low heat. Just make sure to stir it occasionally every now and then until it reaches your desired temperature.

Alternatively, to warm it up even faster you can microwave it in 30-second increments. Just make sure to stir the chili between each interval. 

My Final Thoughts

Well, that's how to make chili without beans!

This recipe really is as good as any classic chili out there. I mean, it's super easy to make, doesn't take a lot of time, and the results are as flavorful and hearty as it gets.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chili recipe as much as I/we do!

If you do give it a try, let me know how you liked the recipe by leaving a comment below!

More Recipes To Try

If you're looking for some more dinner recipes to try next, we have a ton on the blog!

Here are some of my favorites:

• Texas Roadhouse country fried chicken
• Texas Roadhouse grilled shrimp
• Carrabba's sausage and lentil soup
• Ham balls
• Chicken pesto pasta
• Panko breaded chicken
• Southern meatloaf
• White chicken chili with cream cheese
• Porcupine meatballs

Also, for even more deliciousness check out our Youtube, TikTok, or Instagram page. We post new recipes every day on them.