Name: Chili Without Beans Recipe
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 lbs. Halal ground beef; 1 red onion (diced); 1 green bell pepper (diced); 28 oz diced tomatoes (1 can, undrained); 2 cups beef broth; 2 bay leaves; salt and ground black pepper; 5 cloves garlic (4 Tbsp.) (minced); 2 tbsp chili powder; 2 tsp onion powder; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp paprika; 6 oz tomato paste (1 can)

This “white” chili contains no beans at all! Making a creamy white chili, it’s important to not overcook the ground meat. You’re looking for a very even consistency and finished in the oven at about 375 degrees until it’s falling apart. Once the chili starts to bubble, you’re ready to serve.

Red Chili vs. White Chili

There are a few key differences between making a creamy white chili and a traditional red chili. The recipe we offer is one of many white chilis we have tested. Although our “creamy” white chilis all sound like they’d be the same, each recipe has its own unique characteristics, such as: Sauce: a rich, spicy red-style chilis will have a sweet-salty sauce that rivals that of a classic roast beef or turkey chili.

Why Does Texas Chili Have No Beans?

Chef and cookbook author Aarti Sequeira has a pretty simple explanation: “In Texas, if you cook beans, you’re not from Texas.” But, she says, we Texans may be a bit more compassionate to those who don’t grow or consume beans the way we do, and we’re more lenient with recipes that call for a little less spice. We asked Aarti why so many people think beans are an essential part of chili, and whether she’d change her mind. Here’s what she had to say:

What’s The Secret To A Great Chili?

It’s a combination of beans, and cooking down the tomatoes to make it rich and chunky, and to start to caramelize the sugars. But my personal favorite is chili without beans. I love the density, but I don’t have to adjust the seasoning to compensate for it.

How To Make Chili Without Beans

Let’s talk beans. Anyone who grew up in Texas will tell you that no “chili” (besides perhaps chicken-noodle soup) is complete without beans. Though you can eat your chili without beans, it’s missing a lot of the flavor and is ultimately less satisfying. There is debate on whether beans are necessary at all, and certainly some chili purists say you can make the dish with just beef or turkey and hot sauce.

But for those of us who come from corn-growing New Mexico, beans are a staple, and a necessary ingredient in any hearty chili. No Texas chili is complete without them. To a Midwesterner, beans are an acceptable and often welcome part of any dish. Beans add heft to any dish, and they’re generally inexpensive and abundant in canned form.

How Much Carbs Are In A Chili Without Beans?

If your chili without beans recipe is primarily based on tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers, then that’s fairly low-carb. However, the meat itself can pack onto the carbs. A pound of lean ground beef or chicken has 5 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein per cup, so it’s not a bad way to go.

But if you’re using beans, you’ll have to watch that you don’t end up topping a bowl of chili with bread or rice, and adding an extra three to five grams of carbs. There is one more factors in play here: fat. All that fat in a heaping spoonful of chicken or beef chili will turn into a puddle of grease in your bowl. But a cup or two of beans won’t.