If you like your chili loaded down with meat and no beans, this one’s for you. This Easy No-Bean Chili combines ground beef, country breakfast sausage, and minute steak meat with onions, jalapeños, garlic, chipotle, beer, and our new Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning.
We’ve got about four and a half pounds of meat in this pot, so it’s a hearty batch that’s made for feeding a crowd. The chipotle brings in a smoky depth without ever having to fire up the smoker, and our Chili Seasoning makes it easy to get plenty of flavor into the pot without pulling out a cabinet full of spices.
Easy No-Bean Chili | Heath Riles BBQ
There are a lot of opinions out there about what does and doesn’t belong in chili. We already made our version with beans, so this time we’re going the other direction and making an all-meat chili.
For the meat, I’m using a combination of ground beef, country breakfast sausage, and minute steak meat. Then we’re building flavor with onions, jalapeños, garlic, chipotle, Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning, and a beer.
The result is a thick, meaty chili with plenty of smoky flavor from that chipotle. It’s an easy one to throw together, put a lid on, and let all those flavors marry.
Why This Recipe Works
The biggest difference with this chili is all that meat. Instead of relying on beans to bulk up the pot, we’re combining different cuts and textures of meat to make a hearty chili.
The chipotle is another big part of this recipe. It isn’t there to make the entire pot overly spicy. Instead, it adds smokiness and depth to the chili without having to cook it on a smoker.
Then there’s the Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning . I started with about five to six tablespoons for this batch. You can always taste the chili after everything has had time to come together and add another tablespoon if you want more seasoning. You can add more, but you can’t take it back out.
The Ingredients
- Ground Beef. This makes up the base of our all-meat chili. I used about 2½ pounds of good ground beef from Primos Meat Market.
- Country Breakfast Sausage. One pound of country breakfast sausage adds another layer of savory flavor and a different texture to the chili.
- Minute Steak Meat. About one pound of minute steak meat rounds out the 4½ pounds of meat and makes this chili extra hearty.
- Bacon Up Bacon Grease. Used to get everything started in the pot and add some extra savory flavor.
- Onions. Three medium onions go into the pot to build our flavor base.
- Jalapeños. I used two medium jalapeños, seeded and diced.
- Garlic. A couple tablespoons go in once the onions have started to soften. Let it cook until you get that fragrant garlic smell.
- Chipotle Sauce. One can adds smoky depth without making the entire batch overly spicy. You can also chop up chipotle peppers instead.
- Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning. I started with about five to six tablespoons for roughly four and a half pounds of meat. You can always add more after the chili has had time to simmer.
- Beer. I used a Miller Lite in this batch to add some extra liquid and flavor as everything cooks together.
Cooking Setup
You don’t need to fire up the smoker for this recipe. Everything comes together right in a pot, making this an easy chili to cook when you want something hearty without a complicated setup.
Have your onions and jalapeños diced and your ingredients ready to go before you start. Once everything is in the pot, we’ll bring it to a rolling boil, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for 2–4 hours.
The Process
Start the Onions and Jalapeños
Get your pot ready with some Bacon Up Bacon Grease, then add three medium onions.
As soon as the onions go down, add two medium jalapeños that have been seeded and diced. Let those cook until the onions start to soften.
Add the Garlic
Once the onions have started to soften, add a couple tablespoons of garlic.
You don’t want to overcook the garlic. Stir everything together with your ThermoWorks spatula and cook it until you start getting that fragrant garlic smell.
Add the Meat
Next, start building the all-meat base of the chili. I’m using about 2½ pounds of ground beef, 1 pound of country breakfast sausage, and 1 pound of minute steak meat for roughly 4½ pounds of meat total.
Get everything into the pot and work the different meats together so you get a little of everything throughout the finished chili.
Add the Chipotle
Once the meat is in, add one can of chipotle sauce. If you don’t have the sauce, you can also use chipotle peppers and chop them up.
The goal here isn’t to make the chili overwhelmingly spicy. That chipotle gives us a smoky depth of flavor without having to put the chili on a smoker.
Season the Chili
Now it’s time for our Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning.
With this being an all-meat chili, I went in with about five to six tablespoons. I generally like to start around a tablespoon per pound of meat, but how much you use is completely up to you.
Don’t feel like you have to get all the seasoning in there at once. Let everything cook together, taste it, and then add another tablespoon later if you think it needs it.
Add the Beer and Let It Cook
The last thing going in is a beer. I used a Miller Lite for this batch.
Give everything another good stir, then bring the chili up to a rolling boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat, put the lid on the pot, and let it simmer for 2–4 hours. How long you let it go depends on the consistency you like and how much time you want to give those flavors to come together.
Give it a taste along the way. If you think it needs a little more Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning, you can always add another tablespoon.
The Results
This Easy No-Bean Chili is exactly what I’m looking for when I want a big, hearty pot of all-meat chili. You’ve got ground beef, country breakfast sausage, and minute steak meat all working together, so there’s plenty of meat in every bite. After simmering for a few hours, everything has had time to cook down and come together, giving us a hearty, meaty chili with plenty of flavor in every bite.
The chipotle gives the chili a smoky depth without having to put the pot on a smoker, while the Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning brings everything together.
The best part is that you can adjust the seasoning as you go. Start with five to six tablespoons, let everything cook together, and then taste it. If you want a little more flavor or heat, shake in another tablespoon and let it keep cooking.
Perfect Pairings
This no-bean chili is plenty filling on its own, but these recipes can help you turn it into a full game-day or cool-weather spread.
- Honey Hot Jalapeño Cornbread. You can’t go wrong with cornbread and chili. This Honey Hot Jalapeño Cornbread brings a little sweetness and heat that pairs well with the smoky, meaty flavors in this chili. Serve it on the side or crumble a piece right into your bowl.
- Smoked Mac and Cheese. If you want to make chili mac, pair this no-bean chili with our Smoked Mac and Cheese. Spoon the chili right over the top for a hearty combination of creamy, cheesy mac and cheese and all-meat chili.
- Pepper Jack-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped, BBQ-Glazed Brats. If you’re craving chili dogs, these brats are a good place to start. Top them with a spoonful of this no-bean chili for an easy way to turn two recipes into one loaded game-day meal.
- Apple Dump Cake. After a big bowl of chili, finish things off with something sweet. This Apple Dump Cake is simple, warm, and right at home alongside a fall or game-day spread.
Storing Leftovers
A big pot of chili is great for leftovers. Once the chili has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and keep it refrigerated.
When you’re ready for another bowl, reheat the amount you need until it’s warmed through. The chili may thicken as it sits, so you can add a little liquid while reheating if you want to loosen it back up.
You can also put those leftovers to work in another meal. Add them to Smoked Mac and Cheese for chili mac or spoon them over Pepper Jack-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped, BBQ-Glazed Brats for chili dogs.
Tips for the Best No-Bean Chili
- Use a combination of meats. Ground beef, country breakfast sausage, and minute steak meat give this chili different textures and make it plenty hearty without needing beans.
- Let the onions soften first. Give the onions and jalapeños some time in the pot before adding your garlic.
- Don’t burn the garlic. Once the garlic goes in, you’re just looking for that fragrant smell before moving on.
- Use chipotle for smoky flavor. The chipotle adds depth and smokiness without requiring you to cook the chili on a smoker.
- Start with less seasoning. I started with about five to six tablespoons of Chili Seasoning for roughly four and a half pounds of meat. You can always add another tablespoon after everything has had time to cook together, but you can’t take seasoning back out.
- Give everything time to come together. Once everything is in the pot, bring the chili to a rolling boil before reducing the heat. Let it simmer for 2–4 hours to give all those flavors plenty of time to come together before making any final seasoning adjustments.
Final Thoughts
If you’re firmly on the no-beans side of the chili debate, this is the one for you. We’ve got about four and a half pounds of meat in the pot, plenty of smoky flavor from the chipotle, a couple of jalapeños, and our Heath Riles BBQ Chili Seasoning bringing everything together.
It’s simple, hearty, and easy to adjust depending on how much seasoning and heat you like. Make a big pot for game day, feed a crowd, and put those leftovers to work for chili mac or chili dogs the next day.
