Oh, how I love a good bowl of chili…rain or shine! My husband keeps telling me to stop making chili when it is sunny outside but I just can’t help myself. When I have a craving for chili it is impossible for me not to make a big pot! And this Whole30 + Paleo Approved Chili is great during a Whole30 Challenge.
During the Whole30 challenge, chili is a great choice for lots of reasons:
- it is delicious
- it is filling/satisfying
- it freezes well! Since this recipe feeds a lot of people, I will just make it for my husband and I and freeze the rest for a rainy day…or sunny, whatevs 😉
I have two other chili recipes on the blog because, well, I like chili obviously. Here I have our classic bean-filled Gameday Chili. I also have a Curried Chili, which Clayton said is the “best chili he’s ever had.” It has wonderfully deep and unique flavors! It can also be another Whole30 option if you remove the chickpeas. But this Whole30 + Paleo Approved Chili remains my favorite way to Whole30 Chili: lots of veggies, lots of meat, lots of spice — just how I like it! Enjoy!
For more soups and stews, be sure to check out this recipe round-up!
Whole30 + Paleo Chili

Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. avocado or olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 poblano pepper seeded and diced
- 1/2 jalapeno seeded and diced (optional for added spicy!)
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 lbs grass-fed ground beef
- 1 [15-oz] can tomato sauce
- 1 [15-oz] can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1.5 tbsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions, bell peppers, poblano pepper, zucchini, and garlic. Season, to taste, with kosher salt and pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Turn heat down to low when they are tender.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, Add your meat and season with plenty of salt and pepper for flavor. Cook, while breaking up the meat with the back of a spoon, until it is no longer pink. Drain off excess fat then add cooked meat into the pot with the sauteed veggies.
- Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, chili powder, and paprika to the pot. Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil, then reduce heat so that the chili is just simmering.
- Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for at least 1 hour (I sometimes cook it for up to 4 hours, the longer the better!). The chili should reduce a bit and thicken (if you like yours more soupy, simmer it covered).
18 Comments
Stefani
September 28, 2022 at 8:19 pmWhat is the purpose of cooking the meat separately? I’d love to use less dishes if possible! Can I sauté the veggies and then add the raw meat, cook it, and drain off the excess grease? Thanks!
Alex
September 29, 2022 at 5:06 pmYes you can absolutely do that. I have no clue why I thought that was a good idea, this is a very old recipe haha
Prue Brito
October 29, 2021 at 10:40 pmTruly our favorite Chili! I substitute ground turkey for beef and chicken bone broth for beef. Do you have the nutritional information on this recipe?
Kristen
October 18, 2021 at 2:30 pmI do love this recipe, but was curious where the gameday chili recipe disappeared to? I just bought the ingredients for it, and now cannot seem to find it.
Thanks!
Alex
October 18, 2021 at 9:32 pmThe gameday recipe was updated– and you can find it here:
https://thedefineddish.com/beef-chili-with-beans/
Bill
October 27, 2021 at 2:09 pmI was coming with the same question 🙂
Melissa
September 27, 2021 at 10:46 pmThis is SO good! I finally know the recipe by heart and it is favorite in the rotation of meal prepping! Thanks Alex!
Sally
February 2, 2021 at 2:48 pmI make this recipe usually every other month! There’s ALWAYS some of this in my freezer — I LOVE it!
Lisa
January 23, 2021 at 3:01 pmCan you make this in a crockpot?
Andi C.
November 7, 2021 at 9:12 pmI would really love to know the nutritional facts for this recipe! Great healthy recipe for a staple Autumn/Winter favorite!
Taryn
January 29, 2022 at 7:43 pmI’m curious about this too!
Kristin
January 29, 2023 at 5:43 pmand/or an instant pot?
Brenna
January 15, 2021 at 4:23 pmThis is delicious! Truly a staple in our home. Do you happen to know the nutritional info per serving?
Cassie
December 11, 2020 at 2:48 pmCould I add pinto beans to this? Maybe sub out some of the ground beef (0.5lb?) for a can? Let me know if beans go well with the rest of the flavor profile!
Alex
December 11, 2020 at 7:27 pmYes! You can definitely add beans to this recipe! I just omit beans here to keep it Whole30.
Dana Leigh
December 3, 2020 at 6:29 pmI love this recipe! We make this so much now, since trying it a few months ago. Looking forward to trying this tonight with our smoked turkey leftovers instead of the beef. Thanks for posting!
Lisa
November 29, 2020 at 7:10 pmYour chili is a favorite in our house! I’m making it tonight. It sounded perfect for a cool, cloudy day after days of Thanksgiving food and leftovers!
Erin Denyer
October 21, 2020 at 3:42 pmIs it ok to simmer longer than 4 hours? Like 5?