Have I got a warm and cozy fall recipe for you today! This whole 30 chili recipe is soooooo good! You’ll want to make it even when you’re not trying to eat a Whole 30 lifestyle.
Why Whole 30?
I first heard about Whole 30 in 2012 from a friend who was doing it. After leaving a high stress, long hour job on a ship in the Navy, I finally had a little more time to focus on my health.
So once I was at a new job with more time I started looking into the eating reset. My first thought was holy crap, this eating plan is so restrictive!
But when it comes to food, diets, eating plans etc. I’m either 100% in or 100% not. And I liked that it seemed as if I would be eating 100% of nothing, haha!
Once I read more about Whole 30 (this is the best book to start with), I realized there is actually a ton of things you can eat. And the best part about the eating plan is that it totally resets your body with good for you whole foods.
The key with Whole 30 is total commitment, lots of planning and meal prep, an accountability partner, and focusing on all of the non-scale victories.
So I enlisted another friend to join me on our Whole 30 journey in October of 2012. I saw my accomplice every day at work, so there were a lot of discussions on the successes and cravings we were going through. But without having someone do it with me, I don’t know whether or not I would have completed it.
I am happy to say that I did 30 days with no grains, dairy, sugar, legumes, alcohol, and processed food.
My non-scale victories were many. Less bloating, the flattest stomach I’ve ever had, my skin totally cleared up, I felt like I could conquer any food situation, no more sugar cravings (this was huge for me), less feelings of being constantly hungry, getting full faster when eating, and many others.
It didn’t hurt that I also lost 10 pounds, but don’t tell the Whole 30 coaches, because I weighed myself at the beginning and end of the 30 days.
One of the biggest take aways from doing Whole 30 were the recipes I found when figuring out what to make for dinner. We still use many of them heavily in our rotation of dinners. Even though I may not be doing Whole 30 all the time now, it’s super hard to maintain constantly; I’m much more cognizant to incorporate Whole 30 compliant meals into our every day.
One of those meals is this Whole 30 chili recipe.
A friend sent it to me on Pinterest and said I had to try it. I was surprised by one of the ingredients in the recipe, but made it anyway and she was right, it’s delicious.
So do you want the recipe? Have I convinced you to look into Whole 30 more? Are you going to try it?
I think the best months to do it are January, September, and October. January to start the year off right. September to reset after a summer of BBQ, vacation, and ice cream. And October to prep yourself for upcoming holiday eating.
It really will change your thoughts and relationship with food, which is perfect right before the holidays and endless treats.
Ok, now onto the recipe!
Whole 30 Chili Recipe
I make my recipe pretty much following this recipe to a T.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (here’s that surprising ingredient that had me like, Whhaaaattttt, that seems weird, but it’s delicious)
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted, chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken or beef broth
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Heat a large, deep pot over medium-high heat, then add the coconut oil. When the oil is melted, add onions, stir with a wooden spoon and cook until they’re translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and as soon as it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the ground meat into the pan, mixing with the wooden spoon to combine. Continue to cook the meat, stirring often, until it’s no longer pink.
- In a small bowl, add oregano, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, allspice, and salt. Stir together, then add to the pot, mixing it into the meat really well. Add tomato paste and stir until combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes with their juice, beef broth, and water to the pot. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered for at least two hours. I know two hours sounds like a lot of time, but do it anyway. It really helps develop the flavor.
- Serve!
Whole 30 Chili Bar Ideas
I like to serve my whole 30 chili with a bunch of toppings. Whole 30 compliant toppings include avocado, chopped up onions, jalapenos, cilantro, green onions, or radishes.
When I’m not doing Whole 30 I top my Whole 30 chili with a lot of those things above, but also cheese and sour cream.
I’m pretty sure my kids only eat this chili because it has cheese and sour cream on it. But the biggest win is that they are eating chili, that’s made with whole foods and good for them!
I love making this Whole 30 chili recipe on Halloween. It’s kind of become our tradition to do a big chili bar with our neighbors before heading out to trick-or-treat. I will certainly miss our Colorado neighborhood, but am excited to host in our little English village.
If you want more ideas on how to build community in your neighborhood try throwing a neighborhood harvest party this fall. Plus this Whole 30 chili recipe would be perfect to serve. No one will even know that it’s good for them, hehe!
I hope you’ll give this recipe a try, or at least look into the Whole 30 lifestyle a bit more. I promise if you try it, it will be hard, but so worth it in the end!
Happy fall, happy cozy dinners, and Happy Halloween in about a week!
