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    Home » Keto, Paleo, or Gluten Free

    Published: Jan 16, 2020 · Modified: Oct 9, 2022 by Angela · This post may contain affiliate links · 42 Comments

    Slow Cooker No-Bean Chili (keto)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This homemade slow cooker beef chili recipe is the best since it is so full of flavor thanks to several spices, smokey bacon, and a rich tomato sauce.  It is a great no-bean ground beef recipe that everyone should make part of their regular easy dinner rotation. This is the best keto chili con carne - it is almost all carne (meat) without frijoles (beans) and it's totally amazing.

    This tasty beanless red chili has simple ingredients that pack in a lot of flavors and it can be adjusted to be mild or spicy. This is one of the quickest ground beef recipes to put together and into the Crockpot. The key to a hearty keto slow cooker beef chili recipe is keeping it low-carb without the beans. Plus it is important to have added fat and protein-rich toppings like bacon, cheese, avocado, and sour cream.

    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili (no beans)
    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili (no beans)

    Slow cooker chili con carne is hearty, chunky, and simmers in rich tomatoes and spices for the most amazing bowl of chili. The perfect chili seasoning mix plus crispy bacon, then add fun and delicious toppings for the ideal low-carb keto chili. You will never miss the beans in your chili again. 

    After all, a classic chili recipe has no beans. It is just hamburger meat, spices, and chili peppers.  This easy chili recipe is perfect for all chili lovers, especially those on a keto, soy-free, gluten-free, diabetic, paleo, or low-carb diet since it is so tasty without any beans or fillers. When I was in college one of my favorite easy fast meals was making a baked potato in the toaster oven and then topping it with this chili & some cheese.

    Jump to:
    • What Meat to Use for Chili
    • Why Enjoy Chili Without the Beans
    •  
    • Ideal Toppings for Chili - Set up a Chili Bar
    • What to Serve with Chili
    • Ingredients for Low-Carb Chili without Beans
    • Keto Chili Seasoning
    • How to Make CrockPot Beef Chili Without Beans
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • How Many Carbs in Chili
    • PIN FOR SAFEKEEPING & SHARING!
    • Slow Cooker No-Bean Chili (keto)

    What Meat to Use for Chili

    My classic chili recipe calls for ground beef but any combination of ground meats will work. If you prefer other ground meats such as turkey, pork, bison, venison, or any mixture, they can all be used in this keto slow cooker recipe. All will work and can meet your dietary or taste preferences.

    You can even brown chunks of beef roast and then add to or replace the ground beef. By the time the slow cooker does its magic, the beef will shred and be so tender (just make sure if you use beef pieces vs ground beef, the slow cooker needs 8 hours on low vs 6 hours on low). This makes the ultimate chili con carne without beans! It would be an award-winning recipe for any friendly chili cookoff, vote for bacon.

    Why Enjoy Chili Without the Beans

    • Fewer Carbohydrates - the carbs in chili without beans is very low, this recipe has only 6 net carbs for a large bowl
    • The original chili recipe refers to meat cooked with red chili peppers. (chili con carne - chili with meat) Chili does not refer to beans.
    • Beans for many people are not an "agreeable food"
    • More meat and flavor when you leave out bland beans (really just a filler)

     

    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili (NO BEANS!)
    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili (NO BEANS!)

    Ideal Toppings for Chili - Set up a Chili Bar

    • shredded cheese
    • sour cream
    • avocado
    • cilantro
    • lime juice
    • crumbled bacon
    • jalapenos, other peppers
    • salsa or diced tomatoes
    • chopped onion or scallions
    • additional hot sauce - for those that want a lot of heat!

    What to Serve with Chili

    Here are some delicious recipes that go well with chili. I have included some keto-friendly and low-carb recipes. Most are also gluten-free and all are fantastic.

    • Air Fryer Frozen Crinkle French Fries
    • Keto Cornbread Chaffles
    • Deep-Fried Sweet Potato Fries
    • Broccoli Apple Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing (no mayo)

    More Recipe Ideas Using Beanless Chili

    Here are great ways to enjoy this chili. These recipes are great for using up leftover chili without beans.

    • Poach an egg, then put both on a grain-free keto roll, recipe HERE
    • Top a hot dog or hamburger
    • Top zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash
    • Add to baked potatoes or make chili cheese fries
    • Use a topping on nachos or in a burrito

    Ingredients for Low-Carb Chili without Beans

    There are only a few ingredients needed for this chili.  The slow cooker and the perfect spices work the magic to turn plain ground beef into a bowl of comfort. Besides a blend of spices, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, ground beef, and bacon are needed for this high-fat & low-carb chili recipe.

    Slow Cooker & Ingredients
    Slow Cooker & Ingredients

    Keto Chili Seasoning

    To keep away from grains or other unnecessary ingredients that are in premade seasoning packets, make your own. This is ideal for the low-carb diet when you want to know all the ingredients going into your meal. This homemade seasoning blend includes chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, minced onion, salt, & pepper.

    How to Make CrockPot Beef Chili Without Beans

    I love my Crock-Pot for many quick recipes but the #1 reason I use the slow cooker, is to make meats tender and infuse flavor slowly into them.  Chili is just the sort of thing that begs for the meat to infuse with the other ingredients and there is no better way than to slow-cook it for hours in a variety of spices. Cooking low-carb chili in the crockpot is so basic and the most flavorful recipe by far.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Crumble and brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat.  Once browned, DO NOT DRAIN!  You want fat, aka flavor. Plus if you are on a keto diet, you really want that fat.

    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili
    browned ground beef

    Add the ground beef and fat to the insert of your slow cooker. Next, add the spices and minced dry onion.

    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili
    Beef and spices in the slow cooker insert

    Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.  Stir to combine evenly.

    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili
    Ready to close the lid and cook

    Close the lid and set the timer to 6 hours on LOW. The meat is already cooked so you wonder why so long. This step is all about infusing the spices into the meat and keeping it tender and juicy in the acidic tomatoes.

    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili
    Close the lid and set the timer for 6 hours on LOW

    Now for the BACON!!!

    I bake my bacon in the oven. I have done this since my first job at a burger place where large baking sheets of bacon were baked up every morning. To this day a bacon cheeseburger is one of my favorite foods. Ok, back to the bacon - crisp it up as you like. We like our bacon extra crispy.  Then crumble.

    tray of crispy cooked bacon
    Crispy bacon ready
    Crumbled crispy bacon, set aside for later
    Crumbled crispy bacon, set aside for later

    Once the Beef and Bacon Chili is ready - spoon into bowls and bring out all the toppings you want, including the bacon.  Stir the bacon into the chili.  The reason I do not suggest adding the bacon any sooner is that the crispy bacon will now soften and not have the same texture we love with bacon.  The crispiness of the bacon balances the velvety meat and the soupy tomato base.

    Next, add any of the toppings I listed above or your own favorites. On this night I had shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, and avocado. I usually love cilantro too but just didn't have it tonight.

    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili
    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili

    How Many Carbs in Chili

    Each recipe or premade chili you buy at the store will have a different carb, fat, and protein count. This recipe keeps macros that are important for a keto diet. A full detailed list of nutritional information is shared in the recipe card below.

    However for a snapshot of the carb count in this homemade chili without beans, here is the main breakdown. For ⅙ of this recipe, if you use ground beef that is 80/20 there will be 6 net carbs per large bowl. It packs almost 16g of fat but top with some avocado and cheese to add to that count.

    PIN FOR SAFEKEEPING & SHARING!

    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili (no beans)
    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili (no beans) PIN

    Product Recommendations for this Recipe:

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    Slow Cooker Beef & Bacon Chili featured

    Slow Cooker No-Bean Chili (keto)

    Angela
    Velvety slow-cooked beef is simmered in spices and finished with crispy bacon for the ultimate keto comfort food. This recipe without beans is so easy and cooks in the CrockPot.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 6 hrs
    Total Time 6 hrs 20 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6

    Equipment

    • Slow Cooker

    Ingredients
      

    • 1.5 pounds ground beef (or other meats, see above comments)
    • 6 slices bacon
    • 15 ounces can diced tomatoes
    • 15 ounces can tomato sauce
    • 3 TB chili powder
    • 1 TB minced dry onion
    • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1.5 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper Optional - for added heat

    Instructions
     

    • Crumble meat into a large skillet and saute on medium until meat is browned and cooked all the way through.
    • DO NOT drain the fat. Transfer meat to the insert in your slow cooker.
    • Add both canned tomato products and remaining ingredients – not the bacon- and stir. Close the top and set the timer to 6 hours on LOW.
    • Bake bacon in a single layer on a baking sheet in the oven at 425°. Cook until desired crispness, we like it super crispy which takes about 20-25 minutes.
    • Drain bacon on a paper towel-lined plate. Once cool, crumble into bite-sized pieces.
    • Once the chili is done, spoon into serving bowls and stir in bacon. Top with desired toppings. See above for a great list of chili topping options.

    Notes

    As made directed above with ground beef 80/20 blend.  
    Nutrition Facts
    Servings: 6
    Amount per serving  
    Calories 357
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 15.9g 20%
    Saturated Fat 5.4g 27%
    Cholesterol 122mg 41%
    Sodium 1508mg 66%
    Total Carbohydrate 9.3g 3%
    Dietary Fiber 3.3g 12%
    Total Sugars 5.2g  
    Protein 43.5g  
    Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
    Calcium 32mg 2%
    Iron 23mg 129%
    Potassium 1045mg 22%
    Keyword crock pot, dairy-free, diabetic, easy, gluten-free, grain-free, keto, low carb, paleo, potluck, slow cooker, spicy

    Did you make this The Short Order Cook Recipe?

    Tag @theshortordercookblog (Instagram & Facebook) or @shortorder_cook (Twitter). 

    I would love to see your latest creations and kitchen adventures.

    « Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop #360
    Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop #361 »

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Brad says

      January 16, 2020 at 6:54 am

      Chili with no beans.👍 Not draining off the fat. 👍 Bacon? Hell yes!👍 This looks delicious.

      Reply
      • Angela says

        January 16, 2020 at 7:49 pm

        The three main food groups, right .... beef, bacon, and fat!

        Reply
      • Holly says

        January 27, 2020 at 9:11 pm

        I love chili without beans so I am really excited to try this recipe!! Thank you!

        Reply
        • Angela says

          January 28, 2020 at 6:24 am

          Great, I hope you love it. Come back and let me know what you think and how you top yours!

          Reply
    2. Caroline says

      January 16, 2020 at 11:15 am

      Wow! This must immediately go on the list for this weekend at my house!

      Reply
      • Angela says

        January 16, 2020 at 7:48 pm

        Great, enjoy it especially during this winter weather.

        Reply
    3. Jere Cassidy says

      January 21, 2020 at 6:32 pm

      No beans in the chili would make my kids happy. I love you added bacon to this soup. It's definitely some good comfort food,

      Reply
    4. Liz says

      January 21, 2020 at 6:44 pm

      Beef and bacon that's sounds like a delicious dream to me.

      Reply
      • Angela says

        January 21, 2020 at 7:13 pm

        Dreams do come true - it is a delicious reality!

        Reply
    5. Raquel says

      January 22, 2020 at 3:57 am

      This was such an informational post about chili. I didn't think there was much to learn about the dish, but there really is! I appreciate how you listed the multiple ways to enjoy chili (:

      Reply
      • Angela says

        January 22, 2020 at 3:11 pm

        Thank you. That was only a few ways to enjoy chili, I am sure I will add to this post as more recipes develop. Stay tuned.

        Reply
    6. Beth says

      January 22, 2020 at 4:46 am

      We all like beans in our chili, especially the toddler, but I've never added bacon to mine. I'm also in the crisp-bacon camp! I can't wait to try it in my chili, mmm.

      Reply
      • Angela says

        January 22, 2020 at 3:11 pm

        You are missing out if you have never had bacon!

        Reply
    7. Christy Boston's Kitchen says

      January 22, 2020 at 3:05 pm

      I love all the suggestions for toppings and ways to serve this chili. The addition of bacon is something I need to try. I bet it add a nice smoky flavor to the chili.

      Reply
    8. Jacqueline Debono says

      January 23, 2020 at 1:05 am

      I was actually planning to make a classic chili today with beans but I think I'm going to try this one with bacon instead! Looks so good!

      Reply
    9. Simone says

      January 23, 2020 at 2:07 am

      What a great idea to set up a chili bar! Great for parties & game days... no why didn't I think of that? lol

      Reply
    10. Sonila says

      January 23, 2020 at 3:40 am

      Add bacon to anything and I know I will love it, this chili with no beans sounds so goooood. Plus, slow cooker...that's the solution for every busy mom!! Thank you for this recipe:)

      Reply
    11. Nart | Cooking with Nart says

      January 23, 2020 at 8:08 pm

      Finally! A chili with no beans YAYYYYYY! I'm so gonna love this 😀

      Reply
      • Angela says

        January 23, 2020 at 8:09 pm

        Yes, it is a wonderful thing!

        Reply
    12. Lathiya says

      January 25, 2020 at 2:09 pm

      I have seen lots of chili recipes using beans. This one without beans sounds and looks fabulous.

      Reply
    13. Stephanie says

      January 27, 2020 at 8:13 pm

      So being a vegetarian I sure love beans, peppers, tomatoes, and onions in my chili. I love the toppings and different ways to eat the chili. And yay to crock pots doing the cooking for you! 😊

      Reply
    14. Charlotte says

      January 27, 2020 at 8:34 pm

      All meat sounds great, but then you added bacon. My stomach is growling thinking about it! Can’t wait to try the recipe out.

      Reply
    15. Lisa says

      January 27, 2020 at 11:32 pm

      We have tried different variations of chili and would have never thought to add bacon! We will be adding that to our next batch. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

      Reply
    16. Eva says

      January 28, 2020 at 5:08 am

      Of all the things I've put in my chili through the years (rice, pasta, cheese, sour cream, chives, cinnamon, potatoes), I have never thought to put bacon in it. Great idea and I love that it's keto. Definitely adding it to my upcoming menu. Thanks, Angela!

      Reply
      • Angela says

        January 28, 2020 at 6:24 am

        Yes, there are so many choices when it comes to topping chili and what to eat with your chili. I am glad I opened your eyes to the best of all - bacon!

        Reply
    17. Sydney Delong says

      January 28, 2020 at 7:09 am

      This looks so good! Printing the recipe to try it out soon!!

      Reply
    18. Miz Helen says

      January 28, 2020 at 1:35 pm

      This will be a delicious slow cooker full of chili, we will love it! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
      Miz Helen

      Reply
    19. Allison says

      January 28, 2020 at 1:53 pm

      How would this taste without the bacon? I have a bacon intolerance so I haven't eaten it in years.

      Reply
      • Angela says

        January 28, 2020 at 7:44 pm

        It would be just fine, enjoy.

        Reply
    20. Shirley says

      January 28, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      I love chili but my hubby does not. He is not a big bean eater. So I bet he will live this chili! Thanks for sharing. I cant wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Angela says

        January 28, 2020 at 7:44 pm

        I hope you both enjoy it.

        Reply
    21. Kat says

      January 28, 2020 at 6:41 pm

      This looks delicious. love the bacon idea.

      Reply
    22. Shirley says

      January 30, 2020 at 5:09 am

      I'm going to try this for Super Bowl Sunday!

      Reply
      • Angela says

        January 30, 2020 at 4:11 pm

        Great - enjoy the chili, game, and commercials!

        Reply
    23. Melissa Jones says

      February 02, 2020 at 7:33 pm

      I love having new slow cooker recipes!!!

      Reply
    24. Gina says

      February 19, 2020 at 7:17 am

      My husband would love this. He hates beans in chili and picks them out and who doesn't love bacon?

      Reply
      • Angela says

        February 19, 2020 at 7:28 pm

        He sounds like a good man! lol

        Reply
    25. Dee | Grammy's Grid says

      March 04, 2020 at 6:45 am

      Yummy chili! Thanks so much for linking up with me at #AThemedLinkup 12 for Crock Pot and Instant Pot Recipes, open February 28 to March 10. All entries shared on social media if share buttons installed.

      Reply
    26. Douglas Jasper says

      July 13, 2020 at 6:08 pm

      This looks awesome. Will definitely try this one. We love beef and bacon so this definitely works.

      Reply
      • Angela says

        July 13, 2020 at 6:37 pm

        Beef & bacon for me is like other people's PB&J - haha!

        Reply
    27. Becky says

      July 16, 2021 at 10:13 am

      5 stars
      Yes! This is my new favorite keto dinner. I have made it twice this month including for fourth of july and everyone agrees with me. It is so good. I cannot wait to try your other keto recipes now.

      Reply
      • Angela says

        July 16, 2021 at 3:31 pm

        I am so glad you found a new keto recipe to love. Let me know what you think of the other keto recipes on my site that you try.

        Reply

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