Keto 30-Minute Chili with Olives - Whole30 and Paleo

Keto 30-Minute Chili with Olives - This is the Best Classic Chili made Keto, Whole30 and Paleo with the elimination of beans and the addition of olives. This traditional chili recipe is just like your childhood favourite without beans and without a full day in the slow cooker! A simple homemade blend of chili seasonings, ground meat, tomatoes and then the secret addition of olives, makes this one of my husband’s favourite meals (and I love it because it’s easy to make)!

30-Minute Chili Recipe

There have got to be over a billion (ok...maybe I am slightly exaggerating!) chili recipes on the internet.  Ranging from paleo, Whole30, gluten-free, vegetarian, pumpkin, vegan, keto...I could go on forever but you get the point. 

A good friend of mine makes the most INCREDIBLE chili.  I'm not kidding...I am pretty sure it could be award-winning.  With that being said, I thought I would pick her brains to come up with delicious chili.  She kindly shared her recipe with me and as I read through the ingredients and steps involved, I realized there was not a chance that this was going to be something I would make.  Her wonderful recipe would take over half a day just trying to gather the list of ingredients and then another day making the chili! 

Wanting some chili on this dreary cold wintery day (yes...that's right...it is actually only 45 degrees F and is drizzling here in the beach village of Siesta Key, Florida!) but not having a ton of time and also not wanting to step foot outdoor, I decide to create a chili recipe that is RIDICULOUSLY simple, requires no special ingredients and is Keto, Whole30 and Paleo-approved!

I knew I had to start with the fundamental ingredients, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to call it chili!  I opened the pantry, pulled out my supplies and got to work.  Within 30 minutes, I had a satisfying and unique chili that I could call my own!

Keto, Whole30 and Paleo Chili

Creating a chili that was approved by all 3 diets was not very difficult. Whole30 chili could pretty much contain any "whole" ingredient that did not contain any additives. Like Whole30, Paleo Chili needed to be free from beans as well as additives. Finally, taking into account the keto diet I follow, I needed to keep the carbs as low as possible.

So, this Keto 30-Minute chili is without beans but absolutely not without flavour!

Keto 30-Minute Chili Ingredients

Like I mentioned earlier, I wanted to keep this recipe super easy.

Meat - You can use any ground pork, turkey, chicken or beef. I have not tried it yet, but I would assume you could use any market plant-based ground meat product as well. Just note that I am pretty sure that plant-based meats are NOT Whole30 or Paleo approved.

Tomatoes - Canned diced tomatoes are used in this recipe to keep things uber simple. You can use any style or type, including fire-roasted or diced tomatoes that have chilis included. For Whole30 chili, you should look as the ingredient list to make sure that the tomatoes do not contain any additives.

Cauliflower - Although this may seem like a weird ingredient to add to a 30-Minute Chili recipe, by using a bag of pre-riced frozen cauliflower, it was easy to add and also added some extra nutrition to the whole30 chili. If you have never added riced cauliflower to chili, I urge you to try it. You can't even taste the cauliflower as it soaks up all the keto spice mix flavours. Even Mr. Grumbles, who is VERY picky couldn't detect the cauliflower! If you don't want to add cauliflower or don't have any, simply replace the cauliflower with more ground meat.

Onion - I used a small yellow onion but you could use a sweet onion or shallots instead.

Spices - I used a Keto spice mix for my chili as well as some additional hot sauce, coconut aminos (or soy sauce) and cocoa powder.

Olives - I used organic sliced green olives. You will pretty much need an entire small jar (about 5-7 oz). Don't drain the olives as the olive juice is added to the chili to give the chili a slight "briny" flavour. You are only going to add the actual olives at the very end of the recipe. The juice is added at the beginning but if you add the olives at that time, they will fall apart before the chili is ready.

Homemade Keto Spice Mix for Chili

This is my "go-to" keto spice mix for chili. You can absolutely modify this recipe and make it spicier to suit your tastes. If you want to make this for Whole30 chili or Paleo chili, use date paste instead of the sweetener for Whole30 and use coconut sugar for Paleo chili.

• 2 ½ tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons sweetener
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or more depending on taste)

30-Minute Chili Recipe Directions

• In a large pot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Once the oil has heated, add the ground meat
• While the meat is browning, dice the onion
• Add the onion to the meat and stirred it until the onion becomes translucent.
• Next, add the crushed tomatoes, coconut aminos, juice from the olives, riced cauliflower (here is a link to make your own if store bought is not readily available), the chili spice mix and stir until all the ingredients have been incoporated.
• Allow the chili to simmer for about 20 minutes
• Remove the pot from the heat source and stir in the olives

In under 30 minutes, I had a unique and creative chili that required no crazy, hard to come by ingredients and could fit into any keto, Whole30 or paleo diet.

To Thicken Chili

When making chili on the stove, I simmer it uncovered which allows the chili to naturally thicken without having to add cornstarch or flour. While thickening chili by simmering is the best option, you may not always have time to let it reduce. If you don’t have time to simmer it to thicken, you can remove some of the hot liquid and whisk in about ⅛ teaspoon of xantham gum. Once the xanthan gum has dissolved, place the thickened liquid back into the chili and stir to incorporate. Xantham gum is not Whole30 approved but is Keto approved.

However, if you can spare a few extra minutes, just let it simmer uncovered and any extra liquid will evaporate.

Tips for this Keto 30-Minute Chili Recipe

Spice Level - This chili is just right for our liking but you can increase or reduce the spice level to your liking. For extra heat, add a few dashes of hot sauce or a sprinkle of chili flakes.

Ground Meat - Any ground meat will work in this recipe from chicken to turkey. If your meat has a lot of fat, be sure to drain it before simmering.

Beer - You can always add about 1 cup of beer to the chili. If you use Michelob Ultra Pure Gold, it will only add about 1.5 grams of carbs. I love the depth of flavour that a bit of beer adds but feel free to omit it.

Swap the Spices-Spice up your chili any way you’d like. To make a tex-mex chili, toss in a packet of taco seasoning.

Keto Chili Toppings

In addition to the chili ingredients listed in this recipe for chili, you may also want to have these things as toppings.

• shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• sliced green onions
• keto crackers
• diced avocado
• Whole30 and Paleo Tortilla Chips
• Roasted Pork Rind Croutons

Can You Freeze Chili?

100% yes!!!

Chili freezes and reheats beautifully. We freeze it in single-sized portions for lunches or in freezer bags for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

Defrost in the fridge overnight and heat in a saucepan (or the microwave) to serve.

More Chili Recipes You’ll Love

• Whole30 Vegan Chili Verde - Pegan
• Quick 8-Ingredient Whole30 Chili
• Easy Whole30 Brisket BBQ Chili
• Whole30 Chili Dog Casserole - Quick and Easy

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