Make this rich and flavorful gluten free chili and serve up a warm bowl of this classic beef and tomato dish that’s packed with flavor and texture, and spicy but not too hot.
This rich, delicious gluten free chili is made with lean ground beef, bright and flavorful vegetables, the right combination of spices, and beans for taste and texture. Feed a crowd on a cold day with a bowl of warm chili!
Why you’ll love this chili recipe
One of the best things about making a classic dish like chili at home is that you can make it your own. If you love your mother-in-law’s chili, but it’s just too spicy for your family, you can dial it back without sacrificing flavor. This recipe is special, and here’s why:
- It’s quick, but still has plenty of flavor. It takes more time than just combining some canned beans and tomatoes in a pot, but it comes together quickly.
- It’s versatile, and there are tons of substitution suggestions below. Make it without ground beef, or even without beans.
- It has depth of flavor, because every ingredient pulls its weight and adds layers of taste and texture.
Recipe Ingredients
To make a pot of good, satisfying chili, you’ll have to do some chopping and a bit of cooking. The vegetables, including onion, will be cooked down, and you’ll brown the ground beef.
But there are also a bunch of ingredients that don’t get cooked. They just get added and simmered down. Here are all the ingredients you need:
The ingredients that you cook
- Carrots and bell peppers: for sweetness, color and some texture
- Diced onions and minced garlic: they give your chili a lot of background umami flavor, and a touch of sweetness from the onion.
- Tomato paste: concentrated tomato flavor without any added moisture
- Chili seasoning: Our taco seasoning is the the perfect combination of chipotle chili pepper, salt, smoked paprike, dried onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano to make authentic tasting beef chili.
- Ground beef: adds lots of flavor; I use 90% lean so there’s little rendered fat to drain but lots of meat.
The ingredients that aren’t cooked
- Black and kidney beans: Kidney beans are traditional in chili as they’re larger beans, making them creamier. If you don’t like them, use more black beans or even chickpeas. I use canned or this whole endeavor becomes a day-long affair.
- Canned tomatoes: I used a combination of crushed and diced tomatoes, but you can use whole peeled and roughly chop them, fire roasted, etc.
- Extra virgin olive oil: so the vegetables don’t burn in the pot, and for added flavor.
- Beef stock: adds lots of robust umami flavor to enhance the taste of ground beef.
How to make this gluten free chili recipe
- Brown the ground beef in a large, heavy bottom pot (here a Dutch oven), breaking it up as you go. Remove the beef and set it aside, draining any excess grease.
- Cook down the vegetables (onions, carrots, peppers) until tender. Make sure the onion is translucent or it will have an unpleasant texture.
- Cook the garlic, tomato paste, and add the spices. Don’t overcook the garlic or it will burn.
- Add back in the ground beef, then the canned beans, tomatoes, and beef stock. Simmer until thickened.
Recipe additions & substitutions
I have made chili many ways in my time, but I haven’t tried all of these recommended substitutions in precisely the way described. These are my educated guesses for how you might customize this chili to suit your dietary needs:
Chili without beans
I have one child who simply will not eat beans. I don’t usually make chili unless she’s not around that night, but you can replace the beans with something else that adds flavor, bulk, and hopefully some creaminess.
Some suggestions: peeled sweet potatoes cut into a large dice and cooked with the vegetables, more ground beef or other meat, chopped mushrooms (extra points for shiitake, which are very very meaty; be sure to remove the stems!).
Vegetarian chili
To make this recipe vegetarian, you need to eliminate the beef entirely. See the suggestions above for replacing beans, but ignore the suggestion to add even more beef! You’ll also need to replace the beef stock, and vegetable stock works great.
Beef-free chili
You can use any other type of ground meat in place of the ground beef, like ground veal, turkey, sausage, or pork. Each add a different flavor profile, and some will have less flavor (especially pork and turkey).
In place of beef stock, use whatever your favorite type of stock is, even chicken stock. If you’d like to use ground chicken in your chili recipe, the texture will be less tender and the dish will have less depth of flavor.
GF Chili FAQs
Yes! Most chili recipes are naturally gluten free since they don’t usually contain any flour or other ingredients that are typically gluten-containing. Just be sure to source your ingredients carefully and read those labels!
Yes! You can easily make this in your instant pot, but I’m honestly not sure why you would! You’ll still have to brown the ground beef and sauté the vegetables manually, and it doesn’t take that long to cook everything down.
If you’d like to use your instant pot, set it on low pressure for 10 minutes after you’ve added the final ingredients and let it release naturally for a few minutes until you can safely release the pressure without a lot of spatter.
I like to add diced avocado when it’s perfectly ripe but still somewhat firm. Otherwise, the avocado can melt into the dish. Shredded cheese always adds some flavor and melty texture. Chopped fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley add freshness. Sour cream provides some tang, creaminess, and offsets the heat.
I make my own taco seasoning recipe, and use it in everything that I want smoky, spicy, rich Mexican-style flavor. If you have a favorite taco seasoning, you can use a packet of your favorite gluten free blend.
Since this is a cooking recipe, not baking, you can let your taste be your guide. If you prefer more heat, add extra chili powder. Less heat or even none, adjust accordingly.
What gluten free chili can I buy?
Yes! As of this writing, the only allergens listed in the nutrition facts for Wendy’s chili are milk and soy. If you visit Wendy’s online menu, you can click through to any individual menu item and check nutrition facts to see a list of ingredients and what allergens are present.
Yes, many types of Hormel brand canned chili are gluten free. Some carry a gluten free label, and others have a contains statement that indicates only milk and soy. Be sure to read the label on whatever can of chili you’re buying, though, even if you’ve bought it before as ingredients change!
How to store leftover chili
Store in the refrigerator
The good news is that any leftovers taste even better the next day! Each of the 4 generous servings that this recipe makes is about 4 cups, and I like to store anything left over in 32 ounce plastic storage containers.
Chili in a well-sealed storage container will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. That is the maximum amount of time it’s recommended to eat cooked ground beef (source: USDA). Reheat your leftovers over low heat in a large pot, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave on reduced power.
Store in the freezer
To preserve leftovers or even a whole recipe of chili for longer, you can freeze the chili. I don’t recommend using the same plastic containers, though, since those aren’t air tight enough, which will lead to freezer burn.
Instead, I recommend using quart-size zip-top freezer bags, and sealing them well after squeezing out as much air as possible. Lay the bags flat on a baking sheet (it’s fine to stack them) and freeze them like that.
Defrost the frozen chili in the refrigerator and heat over low heat in a pot, stirring occasionally. You can also defrost it in the microwave on reduced power so you don’t cook the beef when you just mean to warm it through. Be sure it’s covered, though, or the chili could splatter.
Gluten Free Chili | Hearty and Spicy
Make this rich and flavorful gluten free chili and serve up a warm bowl of this classic beef and tomato dish that’s packed with flavor and texture, and spicy but not too hot.
Yield: 4 people
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 carrots peeled and cut into a large dice
- 1 bell pepper seeded and cut into a large dice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes canned
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes canned
- 15 ounces kidney beans canned drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces black beans canned, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) beef broth
Optional garnishes
- Diced ripe avocado
- shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack)
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sour cream
Instructions
-
In a large cast iron Dutch oven or another large, heavy-bottom pot, place the ground beef over medium heat.
-
Cook, breaking up the beef into crumbles, until it’s beginning to brown and there’s no pink remaining (about 6 minutes).
-
Transfer the browned ground beef to a separate small bowl, and set it aside. Drain off and discard any remaining fat from the beef.
-
In the same pot, place the olive oil, diced onion, carrot, bell pepper and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrots and peppers are tender (about 5 minutes).
-
Create room in the center of the pot and add the minced garlic, taco seasoning, and tomato paste, and cook until the garlic is just fragrant (about 2 minutes). The tomato paste may begin to darken in color a bit.
-
Mix the garlic and tomato paste into the other vegetables to combine.
-
Return the cooked ground beef to the pot and add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, and broth, and stir to combine.
-
Taste the chili and add more salt, stirring it in well, until the flavors taste bright.
-
Increase the heat to high until the mixture begins to boil, then reduce the heat until the chili is at a slow simmer.
-
Bring the mixture to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened as much as you’d like (usually about 10 minutes).
-
Spoon the chili into 4 serving bowls, add the optional toppings, and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition facts are per serving, do not include the optional toppings, and are approximate.
Nutrition
Calories: 644kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1282mg | Potassium: 2053mg | Fiber: 23g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 9232IU | Vitamin C: 67mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 11mg
Gluten Free Chili | Hearty and Spicy
Make this rich and flavorful gluten free chili and serve up a warm bowl of this classic beef and tomato dish that's packed with flavor and texture, and spicy but not too hot.
Yield: 4 people
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 carrots peeled and cut into a large dice
- 1 bell pepper seeded and cut into a large dice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes canned
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes canned
- 15 ounces kidney beans canned drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces black beans canned, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) beef broth
Optional garnishes
- Diced ripe avocado
- shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack)
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sour cream
Instructions
-
In a large cast iron Dutch oven or another large, heavy-bottom pot, place the ground beef over medium heat.
-
Cook, breaking up the beef into crumbles, until it’s beginning to brown and there’s no pink remaining (about 6 minutes).
-
Transfer the browned ground beef to a separate small bowl, and set it aside. Drain off and discard any remaining fat from the beef.
-
In the same pot, place the olive oil, diced onion, carrot, bell pepper and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrots and peppers are tender (about 5 minutes).
-
Create room in the center of the pot and add the minced garlic, taco seasoning, and tomato paste, and cook until the garlic is just fragrant (about 2 minutes). The tomato paste may begin to darken in color a bit.
-
Mix the garlic and tomato paste into the other vegetables to combine.
-
Return the cooked ground beef to the pot and add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, and broth, and stir to combine.
-
Taste the chili and add more salt, stirring it in well, until the flavors taste bright.
-
Increase the heat to high until the mixture begins to boil, then reduce the heat until the chili is at a slow simmer.
-
Bring the mixture to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened as much as you’d like (usually about 10 minutes).
-
Spoon the chili into 4 serving bowls, add the optional toppings, and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition facts are per serving, do not include the optional toppings, and are approximate.
Nutrition
Calories: 644kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1282mg | Potassium: 2053mg | Fiber: 23g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 9232IU | Vitamin C: 67mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 11mg
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