Laura Fuentes

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Eat Healthy
  • Quick Meals
  • Pancakes
  • About
  • Pasta Night
  • Best Chicken Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Cookbooks
  • Contact
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Eat Healthy
  • Quick Meals
  • Pancakes
  • About
  • Pasta Night
  • Best Chicken Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Cookbooks
  • Contact
×
Home » Recipes » Soups

Ground Chicken Chili with No Beans

By Laura Fuentes Updated Jul 11, 2024

5 from 28 votes

Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

A delicious and healthy chicken chili loaded with lean protein, smoky flavors, and veggies. This no bean chili is one everyone will love.

This chili is perfect for every occasion and comes together easily on the stove-top.

ground chicken chili in a bowl

Healthy No Bean Chili with Ground Chicken

No matter if you serve it for a crowd during football season or an easy weeknight dinner, this recipe will be a hit.

It has the perfect blend of smoky flavor and hearty texture without any beans! The ground chicken and diced vegetables give it all the volume it needs.

Ingredients

This recipe is similar to my original paleo chili recipe, but we’re making chili with ground chicken instead of beef. Ground chicken is lower in fat and makes a lighter option that doesn’t lack in flavor or texture. Here’s everything you need to make this healthy chicken chili: 

  • Ground chicken: you can also make this a ground turkey chili by swapping out the ground chicken for turkey instead!
  • Garlic: for flavor and aroma.
  • Olive oil: for cooking.
  • Aromatics: onion, celery, and carrots. Save time chopping them ahead or using fresh or frozen store-bought mirepoix.
  • Spices: chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper.
  • Zucchini: green zucchini or any other variety frozen or in season.
  • Tomato pureé: or tomato sauce if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Diced tomatoes: adds flavor and texture to this amazing chili.

You’ll find the measurements in the recipe card below.

Can You Add Beans?

You can certainly add any variety of beans such as pinto, red kidney, white, or black beans to make this chili more hearty and amp up the amount of protein and fiber. However, since the recipe is already thick, you may want to add 1 cup of chicken broth per can of beans to keep it the right consistency.  

ground chicken chili with vegetables in a bowl

How to Make Ground Chicken Chili

There’s something about a large pot of chili simmering on the stove-top that puts everyone in a good mood. Here’s how to make it: 

  1. Brown the ground chicken
    In a large pot, brown the chicken with the garlic. Remove from the pot and set aside. 
  2. Cook the veggies
    Add the onions, celery, carrots, and seasonings to the pot and cook until the veggies are translucent. Add the zucchini and cook until tender. 
  3. Simmer
    Add the chicken, tomato puree, and diced tomatoes. Stir and bring to a boil before reducing the heat and simmering for 20 minutes. 
  4. Serve
    Once the chili is thickened, remove it from the heat, and serve up with all your favorite toppings.  

Watch how this easy chicken chili comes together in this quick recipe video.

Can You Make Ground Chicken Chili in the Slow Cooker?

You can make this chili in the slow cooker once you brown the meat. I have a slow cooker no bean chili recipe that shows you how; follow the recipe but swap the same amount of ground beef for ground chicken. 

How to Freeze Ground Chicken Chili

I like to freeze leftover chili in 1 ½ cup servings for quick lunches. Of course, you can fill leftovers in a gallon zip bag and freeze them for another dinner.

You can watch how to do this in the video below:

Toppings for Ground Chicken Chili

Just like tacos, chili tastes even better when you load it up with all your favorite toppings. Here are some of my favorite ingredients and ways to serve it: 

  • Sour cream
  • Shredded cheese
  • Corn chips
  • Diced avocado
  • Over a baked sweet potato
  • With cornbread
  • Oven-baked french fries
  • In a chili taco– trust me, it’s amazing!

Ground Chicken Chili with No Beans

bowl of chicken chili
Servings: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 40 minutes mins
A delicious and healthy chicken chili loaded with lean protein, smoky flavors, and veggies. This no bean chili is one everyone will love.
5 from 28 votes
Print Pin

Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds ground chicken
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 ½ cups onion, diced, about 1 large onion
  • ½ cup celery, chopped, about 1 stalk
  • 1 ½ cups carrots, peeled and diced, about 4 medium carrots
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
  • 4 cups zucchinis, diced, about 2-3 medium zucchinis
  • 15 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

Instructions

  • In your seasoned skillet or 5-6 quart large cast iron pot, brown ground chicken and garlic. Cook over medium heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked and browned. Drain off excess fat, set aside.
  • Add oil, onions, celery, carrots, and seasonings to the skillet and cook until translucent over medium-high heat, about 5-7 minutes. Once onions are golden and veggies are midway cooked, add zucchini and cook for 2 minutes, making sure you stir everything well.
  • Add cooked ground chicken, tomato puree/sauce, and tomatoes into the pot and stir well. Bring everything to a boil, stirring frequently, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Check on the amazing mixture every so often and stir. Serve immediately.

Equipment

printed papers of weekly family meal plan
Ad Free Weekly Meal Plan $1
Non-Stick Pan
two sets of maroon souper cubes with white lids
Freezer Soup Cubes
red dinosaur shaped soup ladle
Nessie Soup Ladle

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 731mg | Potassium: 1050mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5055IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 3mg

More Soups

  • a bowl with butternut squash soup and a slice of toast on top
    Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
  • a pot with chicken stew and potatoes
    Chicken Stew with Potatoes
  • a bowl of sweet potato chili
    Sweet Potato Paleo Chili
  • overhead view of a bowl of paleo chili and a hand holding a spoon
    Instant Pot Paleo Chili

Comments

    5 from 28 votes (26 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Sarah says

    October 01, 2024 at 3:07 pm

    5 stars
    The seasoning of this ground chicken chili was spot on. It made up for chicken being naturally bland.

    Reply
  2. Jill says

    January 18, 2024 at 8:36 pm

    5 stars
    This is a great chili recipe. I used turkey instead of chicken but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Delicious!

    Reply

Hi! I'm Laura.
Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, mom of three, and the woman behind the world’s best pancakes—here to help you ditch the mealtime drama with recipes your family will actually eat.

More about me →

Let's Be Social!

Facebook Pinterest Instagram YouTube
5 Secrets to Healthy(er) Family Meals

Fresh Favorites

  • large stack of fluffy pancakes with slice of butter on top
    Best Fluffy Pancakes Recipe
  • rotisserie chicken alfredo
    Rotisserie Chicken Alfredo
  • three hard shell tacos
    How to Make Taco Shells
  • 4 fillets of baked cajun salmon served with roasted potatoes and broccoli
    Baked Cajun Salmon

Trending Now

  • large stack of pancakes topped with a slice of butter. a small bottle of maple syrup behind the stack of pancakes.
    How to Make Pancakes Without Eggs
  • copycat canes nuggets and fries with texas toast and two sauces
    Copycat Cane’s Chicken Recipe with Homemade Cane’s Sauce
  • large plate of freshly baked mixed chicken pieces
    Juicy Baked Chicken Pieces
  • creamy garlic sauce in a large pot with pepper on top
    5 Ingredient Creamy Garlic Sauce

Footer

Browse

  • Start Here
  • Eat Healthy in 30 Days
  • Weekly Family Meal Plans
  • Recipe Index

Useful Links

  • Contact
  • Permissions
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

COPYRIGHT © 2025 LAURA FUENTES · DESIGN BY FUENTES MEDIA

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.