High-Protein Chili
This recipe was created before I started documenting my recipes online, so there isn't a photo or video for it yet. But I've made it, loved it, and wanted to share it with you anyway. 🤎
A big cozy pot of chili made for slow weekends, hungry families, and leftovers that somehow taste even better the next day.
There are few things better than making one big pot of chili and knowing dinner is handled for the next couple of days.
This one is thick, hearty, loaded with beef and beans, and packed with flavor. Make it on Friday and you've got easy lunches, lazy Saturday dinners, or something warm waiting in the fridge when nobody feels like cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup beef bone broth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Optional: 1/2–1 tsp cayenne, depending on how spicy you like it
For Serving
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Diced green onion
- Fresh cilantro
- Avocado
- Jalapeños
- Homemade cornbread or sourdough
Make It
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef and onion. Cook until the beef is browned and the onion has softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add the corn, black beans, kidney beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and beef bone broth.
- Stir everything together and bring the chili to a gentle simmer.
- Reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add cayenne if you want more heat.
- Serve with your favorite toppings and something warm and carby on the side.
Make-Ahead Magic: Chili is one of those meals that gets better after it sits. Let it cool, refrigerate it, and reheat portions throughout the weekend. You can also freeze leftovers in individual portions for an easy dinner later. If the chili gets thicker in the fridge, add a splash of broth when reheating.
My Gym Girlies 💪
This is one of those meals where you don't have to "healthify" anything.
You've already got beef + beans doing the heavy lifting for protein, while the corn and beans bring carbohydrates and fiber to the bowl.
Want to push the protein higher? Add more beef, use extra-lean ground beef, or top your bowl with Greek yogurt and a generous sprinkle of cheese.
And if you're training hard over the weekend, don't be afraid of the cornbread. Protein + carbs + a cozy meal you actually enjoy = a pretty solid post-workout situation.
If you're tracking your food, portion out your chili once it's cooled so you know exactly what you're getting for each serving.
My From-Scratch Girlies 🌿
Oh, this is a pantry girl recipe.
This is where all those things you've grown, canned, preserved, or made from scratch get to come together in one pot. Use your own canned tomatoes, preserved summer corn, home-canned beans, garden onions, garden garlic, local ground beef, homemade bone broth, homemade chili seasoning.
And if you're the kind of girl who makes a giant batch of chili just so you can pull out a jar of homemade cornbread mix from the pantry six months later… I see you.
You don't need a perfect homestead pantry for this to count. Even swapping one store-bought ingredient for something you made yourself is progress.
For Both Girlies 🌿💪
This is the kind of meal that makes both sides of life feel a little easier.
The gym girl gets a protein-packed, filling meal that can be portioned out for the week. The from-scratch girl gets a big pot of cozy food made from pantry staples that can feed the family and stretch across several meals. And everyone gets to sit down with a hot bowl of chili.
That's my kind of meal prep. Strong body. Full pantry. Cozy home.