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    Home » Course » Main Course

    Healthy Chili with Ground Pork

    Published: Feb 2, 2015 · Modified: Jan 2, 2023 by Erin Carter · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    A bowl of healthy chili with ground pork topped with sour cream.

    You are going to love this chili recipe! This healthy chili with ground pork is loaded with vegetables and has the most incredible flavour. It's easy to make and makes great leftovers so is perfect for meal prep. It's gluten free, paleo and Whole30 compliant.

    A bowl of ground pork chili with a spoon in it and garnished with fresh cilantro.

    Why you will love this recipe:

    • The flavour! This homemade chili is so delicious and tasty! The combination of spices blends perfectly and the chili powder adds the perfect amount of heat.
    • It's really simple and easy to make and is ready in 45 minutes.
    • This chili is healthy and full of vegetables including tomatoes and sweet bell peppers.
    • This chili recipe is made with pantry staple ingredients and because it's made with ground pork instead of ground beef it's a more affordable chili option.
    • It makes great leftovers and is perfect for meal prep.
    • This chili is made with no beans and is gluten free, dairy free, keto, low carb, paleo, and Whole30.

    Taste and texture:

    This chili tastes amazing. It has the best flavour with a little spice which is balanced by the tomatoes, coconut milk and cacao powder. The herbs and spices also blend perfectly to give this chili so much flavour. Because of all the vegetables, this is a chunky chili.

    Key ingredients and substitutions:

    The ingredients needed to make a healthy chili with ground pork separated into bowls.
    • Ground pork - ground pork is the base of this delicious chili recipe. You could also swap this for any other ground meat including ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey.
    • Tomatoes - I use canned diced or chopped tomatoes to make this chili. You could also use fresh tomatoes which you chopped yourself.
    • Coconut milk - coconut milk is added to help give this chili a unique flavour and give it a rich and creamy texture. I recommend using full fat coconut milk rather than low fat coconut milk which is higher in water and more runny.
    • Cacao powder - I love adding cacao powder to chili recipes. It helps enhance the bold flavours of the chili. You could also use cocoa powder.
    • Chili powder - I use pure ground chili powder rather than a chili powder blend to make this chili. Add as much or as little as you like depending on how spicy or mild you like your chili.
    • Bell peppers - sweet bell peppers add healthy vegetables to this chili and give it a nice, chunky texture. You can use any color of sweet bell peppers that you like.

    How to make:

    Step one:

    First, place a large pot on the stove on medium heat and add the cooking oil.

    A large black ceramic pot on the stovetop with oil in it.

    Step two:

    Once the pot is hot and the oil is melted, add the ground pork and cook it until it's browned, breaking it apart as you cook it.

    A pot on the stovetop with ground pork in it.

    Step three:

    Once the pork is cooked add the chopped onion to the pot and cook it for a few minutes, until it's translucent.

    A pot on the stovetop with cooked ground pork and chopped white onion in it.

    Step four:

    Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir everything well to combine.

    A large pot on the stovetop with the ingredients for making chili in it.

    Step five:

    Turn down the heat and let the chili simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables have the consistency you prefer.

    A large pot on the stovetop with a healthy chili in it.

    To make this chili in a slow cooker or Crockpot:

    If you prefer to make this chili in a slow cooker or Crockpot, first you will need to brown the meat on the stovetop. Then add the chopped onions to the pan with the meat and cook them for a few minutes, until the onion is tender. Next, transfer the pork and onion mix to your slow cooker or Crockpot, add the remaining ingredients, and mix everything well. Turn the slow cooker onto low heat and cook for approximately 4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have the consistency you prefer.

    Tips and variations:

    • For a less spicy chili, add only one teaspoon of chili spice instead of two.
    • Feel free to add more vegetables - some great options include carrots, celery, zucchini, peas, cabbage or spinach.
    • You can use any type of ground meat that you like to make this chili including ground pork, ground chicken, ground turkey or ground beef.
    • If you prefer beans in your chili, add a can of black beans or white beans (or another bean of your choice).
    • To make this chili even higher in protein you can add cooked, chopped sausage.
    • This chili freezes really well so feel free to make a double or triple batch and save some for later.

    How to make chili less spicy:

    If you accidentally made your chili too spicy there are a few ways you can tame down the heat including adding more tomatoes to dilute the chili, adding coconut milk, adding a bit of honey or maple syrup, adding sour cream, cream or milk, or adding plain yogurt.

    How to serve:

    This chili is delicious served as is but you could also top it with chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, crushed crackers, or grated cheese. Chili also pairs perfectly with coleslaw, biscuits, corn bread, garlic bread and toast. You could also serve it on a bun and eat it like a sandwich or serve it over rice, cauliflower rice, or zucchini noodles.

    How to store:

    Store any leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This chili also freezes really well in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition info:

    One serving of this chili has approximately 413 calories, with 7 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of net carbs, 21 grams of protein and 34 grams of fat. This chili is healthy, gluten free, dairy free, paleo, keto, Whole30 and low carb. It is not a low fat or low calorie chili recipe.

    A bowl of chili topped with sour cream and garnished with fresh cilantro.

    Frequently asked questions:

    What can I add to chili to make it healthier?

    Adding vegetables to chili is a great way to make it healthier. Some options include bell peppers, spinach, carrots, celery or peas.

    Is chili good for weight loss?

    Weight loss is a complex issue, but yes, this chili is a healthy complete meal that would be a great recipe for anyone trying to lose weight.

    Can I make this chili vegan?

    Yes! To make this into a vegan chili use a vegan ground meat instead of ground pork.

    Other recipes you will love:

    • Healthy sloppy Joe's
    • Healthy meat sauce
    • Healthy meatloaf
    • Chili with blueberries
    • Easy Stuffed Peppers
    • The best hamburger recipe

    Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Facebook where I share even more recipes and healthy living tips! And don’t forget to leave this recipe a star review before you go!

    A bowl of healthy chili with ground pork topped with sour cream.

    Healthy Chili with Ground Pork

    You are going to love this chili recipe! It's full of flavour, packed with vegetables and so easy to make. It's the perfect healthy meal.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 hours 35 minutes
    Total Time: 5 hours 45 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 413kcal
    Author: Dr. Erin Carter

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoon cooking fat (avocado oil, coconut oil, butter or ghee)
    • 2 lbs ground pork
    • 4 cans diced or chopped tomatoes (equivalent to ~1600mL)
    • 1 white onion, diced
    • 4 bell peppers, diced
    • 3/4 cup full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1 tablespoon organic cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
    • 1 tablespoon organic oregano
    • 2 teaspoon hot chili powder Feel free to add more or less depending on how spicy you like your chili
    • 1-2 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
    • 1 teaspoon ground organic cumin
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (more or less to taste)

    Instructions

    • Place a large pot on the stove on medium heat and add the cooking fat or oil.
    • Once the oil is melted, add the ground pork and cook until browned, stirring occasionally to break the meat apart.
    • Add the chopped onion and sauté for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent.
    • Add the remaining ingredients and stir everything well to combine.
    • Turn down the heat and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables have the texture you prefer.
    • Remove from heat, serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    1. Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. 
    2. Store any leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 369mg | Potassium: 552mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2038IU | Vitamin C: 78mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @pureandsimpleno or tag #pureandsimpleno!

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    DISCLAIMERS: The statements made on this website have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or Health Canada. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. You assume full responsibility for how you use this information. Always consult with your physician or other health professionals before making any diet or lifestyle changes. This post may contain affiliate links whereby if you purchase these products I receive a small percentage of the sale price. This allows me to keep the blog running and I thank you for allowing me to do that!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michele Spring

      February 03, 2015 at 2:58 am

      You didn't miss too much by not seeing the commericals. Most of them made me cry! Sappy sappy. haha. But this chili recipe doesn't want to make me cry. I am excited to try it!

      Reply
    2. Erin Carter

      February 03, 2015 at 5:11 am

      Michele that's so sad about the commercials! usually there are some really funny ones. Oh well I guess I didn't miss anything then 🙂

      Reply
    3. Rachel

      February 03, 2015 at 5:24 am

      Whoops, trying to share from the icons at the bottom but they all turn into Pinterest each time!

      Reply
    4. Erin Carter

      February 03, 2015 at 3:35 pm

      Oh thanks for catching that Rachel! I will have to get that fixed

      Reply
    5. alanna dB

      February 10, 2015 at 6:30 pm

      I miss chili too! I love my mom's recipe, so maybe I'll just make it without the beans & add some extra vegetables. Her secret ingredient was always a sweet addition too. I think it balances the tomatoes (I find cinnamon does that too!)Definitely going to try this when it cools down again. It seems like a nice weekday meal. I've been really lazy with meal planning lately. Oops!

      Reply

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    Hi everyone! My name is Dr. Erin Carter and I am so thrilled you are here. I am a physician with specialities in both internal medicine and rheumatology, and I believe that food and healthy living are forms of medicine. In my spare time I share health information and delicious, healthy recipes here on Pure and Simple Nourishment.

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