No Bean Chili Freezer Friendly

Updated April 06, 2021

A chili with no beans? Is that even possible? Yep! This is a meat lovers chili and perfect for people who don’t like beans or can’t eat them for dietary reasons. I personally love my vegetarian chili, but this No Bean Chili recipe gets two thumbs up from all of the guys in my house. It’s perfect for game day, a cold winter day, or easy entertaining. This recipe gets all of its flavor from beef, sausage, bell peppers, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and the most incredible blend of spices.

Tips for Making No Bean Chili

Josh likes to use ground beef AND sausage, instead of all beef. His secret ingredient? Maple breakfast sausage. The hint of maple adds great flavor to the chili. Of course, you can use any sausage and if you don’t care for ground beef, you can use ground turkey. The recipe calls for a green bell pepper and a red bell pepper, but you can use your favorite color of peppers. Orange and yellow would be good too! Use fire roasted tomatoes, they are so flavorful! Let the chili simmer so the spices can come to life! Stir occasionally to make sure the chili doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. If you like spicy chili, feel free to add a jalapeño. You can make the chili in advance. I think chili is always better the second day after the flavors have had time to hangout. So this is a great recipe for meal prepping!

Chili Toppings

I love to put lots of topping options on the table so everyone can customize their own bowl. Here are a few favorites:

Sour creamTortilla chipsGreen onionsSlices of avocadoShredded cheeseJalapeño slicesChopped cilantro

What to Serve with Chili

Chili is perfect for weeknights, cold days, or anytime you need good old-fashioned comfort food. Here are a couple dishes that go well with no bean chili:

Easy Cornbread (a MUST if you ask me!) Buttermilk Drop BiscuitsEasy Green SaladChips and Guacamole

Freezing Chili

You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about five days. You can also freeze the chili for up to two months. Chili is the perfect freezer meal, just make sure you label and date it so you know what it is. Defrost, heat, and enjoy!