A paleo and Whole30 chili recipe that is so quick to prep, you’ll be excited to add it to your weekly meal plan. I've got stove top, Instant Pot, and slow cooker instructions for you. This chili is low carb, bean-less, full of flavor, well-balanced, and absolutely delicious!
What's inside this Whole30 Chili?
For this fabulous recipe, you will need bell peppers, zucchini, onion, garlic, grass-fed ground beef, diced green chiles, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, cold brew coffee (optional but highly recommended), bone broth, and a variety of dried herbs and spices.
I really wanted to create an Instant Pot chili recipe that included ingredients that were not difficult to find. I also wanted to heighten flavors and make things a lot more interesting by adding some awesome things like the coffee and cinnamon.
If you don't have these spices and herbs in your pantry already, they will not be hard to find at your local market.
You can absolutely use an alternative ground meat like chicken or pork instead of beef if that is your preference.
I love making and eating chili with a ground meat that has a higher fat content (particularly 85/15) like ground beef, but that decision is absolutely up to you and your taste.
How do I make this chili recipe in the Instant Pot?
I've got you covered here. In case you don't want to spend time at your stove top and get out of the kitchen instead, here's what you need to do.
Turn the Instant Pot on and press the sauté function. Add oil the pot and let it heat up for 2 minutes.
Add vegetables (peppers, zucchini and onion) and the spices/seasonings. sauté for 7-9 minutes, until fragrant and soft throughout, stirring occasionally. Put in minced garlic and sauté with veggies for 1 additional minute.
Add ground beef to the pot and break it up with a wooden utensil, stirring frequently until browned throughout. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
Put in the remaining ingredients and give everything a nice stir. Press "Keep Warm/Cancel." Put the lid on the pot and set it to “Sealing.” Push “Manual” and set the time for just 20 minutes (be sure the pressure is set to high.) The Instant Pot will slowly build up to a high pressure point and once it reaches that point, the chili will cook for 20 minutes.
Once it's finished cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Cautiously change the “Sealing” valve over to “Venting,” which will manually release all of the pressure. Once the pressure has been released, remove the lid and serve. Taste for additional salt and pepper.
Do you want to make this in a slow cooker instead?
Go ahead. Simply follow the same instructions for the Instant Pot, but let it cook for 6-8 hours on low instead.
In my opinion, low and slow is the way to cook and soups and stews in a slow cooker. If you have the time and can let it cook overnight, that is what I recommend!
Want to hear something funny and/or interesting?
I made this recipe over four years ago and at the time, I didn't truly understand what spices I needed in order to make a really fabulous chili recipe. I received many comments about it being too spicy and not everyone's favorite.
Since then, I have remade it umpteen times but it never lasted long enough in the refrigerator for me to retake photos until today.
I actually remade it two years ago. This would be my second time retaking photos. So much excitement.
I know it’s summertime, but I couldn’t resist. Besides, you don't need to turn the stove on if you have an Instant Pot. If you don't though, I can assure you that it will be worth turning your stove on for this goodness.
Besides, before we know it, it's going to be fall and then winter, and you are going to want to eat this chili on repeat!
How do I make this Whole30 chili recipe on the stovetop?
Heat a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat with avocado oil. Once hot, sauté vegetables and spices for roughly 7 minutes until everything gets nice and tender. Add minced garlic and stir for another minute.
Add grass-fed ground beef into the pot. Let this cook until your meat turns slightly brown. Go ahead and drain out the excess fat / liquid if you'd like (using a spoon and carefully tilting.)
Add the chiles, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, cold brew coffee, and broth. Bring this all to a boil, and then bring your heat down to a low simmer. Let this sit and simmer for 2 hours.
Taste for additional salt and pepper. Serve with fresh, chopped herbs, diced avocado and more onions!
Is the coffee and cinnamon inside necessary?
The secret to this chili recipe is the cinnamon and cold brew coffee inside. Just wait until you try it!
In fact, if you share it with others, I guarantee they’ll be asking why it tastes so much better than any other chili they’ve had.
I can’t wait to hear your feedback on this recipe. I know that coffee is not something that is traditionally found in chilis, but just trust me on this one.
Be sure to add this fabulous recipe for paleo whole30 chili to the rotation. I love me some one pot meals as much as the next person, but there is really special about this chili (ahem, probably that cinnamon and coffee) that really tickles my fancy.
By the way, if you do plan on making this chili on the stove top, go ahead and let it simmer for at least 2 hours. The longer you let it simmer, the more delicious and GLORIOUS it becomes, I promise.
More easy soup recipes you're sure to love:
Thai Chicken Zucchini Noodle Soup
Whole30 Instant Pot Seafood Gumbo
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-less Soup
Paleo Whole30 Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 bell peppers diced into 1" chunks
- 2 cups zucchini diced into 1" chunks
- 1 white onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pound grass-fed ground beef see notes
- (1) 4-ounce can diced green chiles
- (1) 14-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup cold brew coffee
- 3/4 cup bone broth
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on and press the sauté function. Add oil the pot and let it heat up for 2 minutes.
- Add vegetables (peppers and onion) and the spices/seasonings. sauté for 7-9 minutes, until fragrant and soft throughout, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and sauté with veggies for 1 additional minute.
- Add ground beef to the pot and break it up with a wooden utensil, stirring frequently until browned throughout. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients and give everything a nice stir. Press "Keep Warm/Cancel." Put the lid on the pot and set it to “Sealing.” Push “Manual” and set the time for just 20 minutes (be sure the pressure is set to high.) The Instant Pot will slowly build up to a high pressure point and once it reaches that point, the chili will cook for 20 minutes.
- Once it's finished cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Cautiously change the “Sealing” valve over to “Venting,” which will manually release all of the pressure. Once the pressure has been released, remove the lid and taste for additional salt and pepper.
- Serve with fresh, chopped herbs, diced avocado and extra onions.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! I’m Monica – recipe developer, matcha addict and lover of all things chocolate, kombucha and any & all puns. I am also the blogger, real food lover, & bonafide hustler behind the blog ‘The Movement Menu.’ I’m so excited to welcome you to my happy space, where my appreciation of creative recipes and healthy & mindful eats come together to inspire you to live a healthy, balanced life.
WAY TOO MUCH CINNAMON!
Can I ask what the coffee does for the recipe? My curiosity has been piqued.
Hi. It's really just a preference / flavor enhancer!
Just made this and it's delicious! The only thing I added...and it might sound weird...is a little nutmeg to taste. I felt like it needed a little tangy something something and that did the trick! I am doing Whole30 and I know nutmeg has been debated and there is no clear answer as to it being complaint or not, but I don't feel I used enough to really matter either way. Anyway, THANK YOU for this fabulous recipe!
You're so welcome. Adding nutmeg sounds like an incredibly delicious idea... I'm going to need to try that!
Any experience/thoughts on simmering covered vs uncovered?!
I haven't experimented with both... if you leave the lid off, you'll be all good!
I made this two nights ago, its delicious. Simple and so hearty and filling.
That makes me so happy to hear!!! 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Loved this! I used one red, yellow, and orange bell pepper. Also added a can of no salt kidney beans and black beans. I don't love spicy food, but found I added almost the full amount of chili powder. Yum!
Hi Jen, that sounds so awesome. Love the inclusion of beans for extra protein!!
Any idea what the nutrional info is for this recipe?
Hi there. Sure, I can tell you. I choose not to post nutritional information because I don't believe in counting calories, as I only use whole food ingredients. 405 calories per serving: 31p/26f/8c
This was delicious!! I had to make a few changes to the recipe-- Firstly, I didn't have ghee, so I sauteed my veggies with olive oil instead of a butter substitute to keep it Whole30 compliant. Secondly, I only added one large yellow onion as opposed to 3, and that was good enough for me. Thirdly, they didn't have compliant cold brew at my grocery store, so I used leftover coffee and added an extra ounce or two to make up for the different brewing process. Lastly, I made it in my crock pot since I didn't have a large enough pot to cook it on the stove top. It turned out GREAT!! I was skeptical because of the cinnamon and coffee, but I love it. Great suggestion! I'll definitely be making this again, maybe with some extra veggies like carrots and celery in there.
Hi Jessica, wow that sounds delicious. I'm so happy to hear that you were able to improvise with what you had and that it turned out so well! 🙂 Enjoy!
Hi there! How long would you cook this in a slow cooker?
Hi there. I'd probably do low and slow... try 8 hours? 🙂
Can you substitute the coffee with something else, I can’t have coffee?
You can skip it all together!
Hi. My hubby and I are doing our fist whole 30. I made this last night so he can top sweet potatoes with it for lunches this week. I at first reduced the spices as i only had 3 fresh Roma tomatoes. I added a lot more steewed tomatoes to help make up for it and a sweet potatoe. I ommitted the broth as i didn't have any. It was nice and thick, but needed more spice, so I added most of the rest of spice the recipe called for and it was good. I wanna try it next time with cold brew coffee, I used leftover dark brew.
Thanks for something different, and a truly whole 30 recipe.
Hi there!! Wow, these substitutions sound awesome. I cannot imagine having this without broth, it sounds like it would be quite thick and not stew like. I'm really happy to hear it worked out though. Please let me know if you try any other recipes... 🙂
How would you cook this in the Instant Pot?
Hi there! If you were to use an Instant Pot, you should be able to make it the same way. I'd saute your ground beef until cooked through in a skillet and then saute the veggies in the Instant Pot. I know there is a saute function on the Instant Pot. I'd probably cook it on the meat / stew option, which I think is automatically set to 35 minutes. Release the pressure an voila!
Probably because in step #4 it says to sprinkle cheese on top. I wondered the same thing.
Sorry about that! The cheese is personal preference. If you're Whole30ing, obviously not but I had revised and rephotographed this chili recipe from years ago, and I totally forgot to remove the step about the cheese. Thank you for letting me know!!!
I adjusted to 25 servings, but how many ozs are you considering a serving here?
Hi there. I'm not totally sure how many ounces exactly. I adjusted the serving sizes based on what makes me feel full. Since there are 2 pounds ground beef, I made each serving have about 1/4 pound of beef. Does that make sense?
If you increase the coffee and broth by 50%, it comes out to 12 oz a serving. I also added more pepper and used poblano along with bells.
How is it? That sounds wonderful!!!! If you liked the recipe, can you do me a favor and rate it (using the 1-5 star rating system towards the bottom of the recipe post)? That helps me out a ton! 🙂 Your modifications sound wonderful!
I thought that you could not have cheese on this particular diet? I'm going to try the chili for sure tomorrow. What are your thoughts on cheese. I cannot find this in the book
Hi there. Yes, cheese is not permitted on Whole30...! Why do you think there is cheese in the recipe?
Because you sprinkled goat cheese over the top. 🙂
You'll have to excuse me. I totally forgot there was cheese used as a garnish in the photos! Ha.
Just made this chili and it's tasty but super spicy- not sure if it was because we used ancho chili powder instead of regul chili powder- but I'd start with maybe half of the chili powder and see how you like the heat once you've done some simmering. Pretty tasty aside from the burning lips.
Hi Becky, Thanks so much for letting me know. Sometimes, I forget that my heat preference is quite a bit higher than most peoples'. I will edit this right now... thanks so much again for your suggestion! Enjoy 🙂
Hi! I'm just starting the Whole30 but live in the UK so can't get the specific bone broth you list. Any others you think I could use? Also, what sort of tomato sauce did you use here? Homemade I'm assuming as store bought always has added sugar...? Thanks! x
Hi there! You can use any type of low sodium chicken broth/beef broth, too! As for the tomato sauce, I used a no sugar added canned tomato sauce... is that helpful?
Made this chili tonight. After last step I transferred it to my crockpot. I can;t wait to try for dinner tomorrow. Thank you for a great recipe!
Ah, you are so welcome. Please let me know what you think... hope you love it!
What is that that you've topped it with? It looks so good! Beautiful photography.
Aw thank you, I shredded raw goat's milk white cheddar cheese!
I would imagine you could also make this in a slow cooker, no?? Looks fantastic!
I'm sure you could, yes! If you do, please let me know how it turns out!
I came home on lunch and just threw everything in a crockpot on high for 3 hrs. It was perfect!
That makes me so happy to hear!!!! Please enjoy it 🙂 🙂 🙂