The Best No Bean Chili with Blueberries

This no bean chili with blueberries is the ultimate in comfort food. This healthy chili is packed with flavour and loaded with vegetables. And yes, it's made with blueberries instead of beans. It may sound crazy but trust me, this chili tastes amazing!

Table of Contents

• Why you will love this recipe: 
• Ingredients and substitutions:
• How to make (step-by-step): 
• To make this chili in a slow cooker:
• To make this chili in an Instant Pot:
• Top Tips:
• Recipe variations: 
• How to serve:
• How to store: 
• Frequently asked questions: 
• Other recipes you will love: 
• Recipe

Why you will love this recipe: 

• The flavour! This is the best no bean chili. It is thick and chunky and isn't too spicy, All the vegetables add a delicious texture and make it so hearty and filling, just like my meat sauce with olives is.
• It is so quick and easy to make and can be made on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, crockpot, or in an Instant Pot. Plus it's made in one pot so the clean up is simple and easy.
• Instead of beans I added blueberries, but don't worry, this chili doesn't actually taste like blueberries.
• This chili recipe is gluten free, dairy free, paleo and Whole30 compliant. 
• It freezes really well and is perfect for meal prep. 

If you love comfort foods like chilis you will also love my creamy dairy-free sun dried tomatoes with chicken!

Ingredients and substitutions:

• Ground beef - ground beef is used to make this delicious meat chili. I use lean ground beef that is grass fed and grass finished but you can use any type of ground beef that you prefer. You could also swap the ground beef for other ground meats such as ground turkey or ground chicken. 
• Blueberries - fresh blueberries are used to make this chili without any beans. They give the similar appearance to beans and also add a unique flavour to this chili recipe. 
• Canned chopped tomatoes - while some chili recipes are made with no tomatoes, this is a tomato based chili and canned tomatoes are used to give it so much flavour! If you prefer to use fresh tomatoes you could swap the canned tomatoes for them instead.
• Vegetables - for this veggie packed chili I use onion, celery, tomatoes, and sweet bell peppers to give it the best texture and taste. You can easily change up the vegetables in this recipe to use up whatever you have on hand.
• Herbs and spices - fresh garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, dried parsley, paprika, sea salt and ground black pepper all blend beautifully to give this chili such an incredible taste. 
• Broth - you can use any type of broth that you like to make this chili including chicken broth, beef broth, vegetable broth or even bone broth.
• Cacao powder - cacao powder adds a unique flavour to chili recipes and helps enhance the flavours of the dish. Instead of cacao powder you could use cocoa powder. 

How to make (step-by-step): 

Step one:

First you are going to cook the ground beef by placing a large pot on the stove on medium heat and adding two tablespoons of cooking fat. Allow the fat to melt and then add the beef to the pot. Cook the beef until it is browned and no longer pink, stirring frequently to break the meat apart. 

Step two:

Once the meat is cooked, add the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir everything well to combine.

Step three:

Turn down the heat and cover the pot with the lid. Let the chili simmer for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have the texture you prefer.

To make this chili in a slow cooker:

First, brown the meat in a pan on the stovetop. Then transfer the cooked ground beef to the crockpot or slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients. Turn the slow cooker onto low heat and cook the chili for 8 hours, stirring every so often to ensure all the ingredients cook evenly.

To make this chili in an Instant Pot:

Step one:

First, turn your Instant Pot on to the sauté function and add the cooking fat, tomatoes and ground beef to the Instant Pot and sauté until the meat is browned and the tomatoes are tender.

Step two:

Then add the chopped celery, carrots, and bell pepper and sauté for a few more minutes, until the vegetables start to become tender.

Step three:

Now add the remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot and stir them well to combine.

Step four:

Next, turn the Instant Pot to the chili function and cook for 18 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10-15 minutes or perform a quick release with the vent. Then serve and enjoy this delicious Instant pot chili no beans!

Recipe variations: 

• Feel free to add other vegetables such as sweet potatoes, zucchinis or corn to this beanless chili recipe. 
• You could add other meat such as bacon or swap the ground beef for ground turkey, ground pork or ground chicken. 
• If you don't have fresh blueberries you can also use frozen blueberries to make this chili.
• You can use any type of broth that you like to make this chili including vegetable broth, chicken broth, beef broth or bone broth.

How to serve:

You can serve chili in so many different ways. Chili goes well with many different side dishes including grain free cornbread, low carb coleslaw, air fried sweet potato fries, air fried potato wedges or my paleo biscuits.

You can also top this chili with fresh chopped cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese, or sliced avocado.

How to store: 

Store any leftover chili in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

This chili freezes really well for up to 3 months.

Frequently asked questions: 

Other recipes you will love: 

• Easy Veggie Stuffed Peppers
• Orange Ginger Chicken Stir Fry
• Grain Free Burrito Bowls 
• Healthy meat sauce

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Recipe