Ninja Foodi Chili (keto + low carb recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What to eat with chili that is low-carb? ›

Is chili keto-friendly? Classic bean-based chili is not keto-friendly, as beans are high in carbohydrates. Luckily you can still make a keto-friendly chili without the beans. All of the traditional chili spices, such as chili powder, ground cumin and smoked paprika, are great flavor-boosters for keto foods.

Don't share any of your delicious chili with the cringers. A low-carb thickener for chili could be xanthan gum or glucomannan powder. Both of these are low-carb, keto-friendly thickeners that can be used in small amounts to thicken chili without adding carbs.

Ground meat: adding extra meat to a chili recipe is an excellent low-carb bean substitute for chili. You'll want to add ½ lb of ground beef, turkey, or chicken per can of beans. Chopped veggies: cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, and butternut squash are terrific too!

Highest and Lowest Carb Beans

Among these, black soybeans and green beans have the lowest carbs, potentially making them better for a keto diet. On the other hand, chickpeas, pinto beans, and navy beans have high carbs. You might want to avoid these if you're strictly following a keto diet.

Even savory dishes like chili can contain sugar from ketchup and tomatoes, and tons of beans that are packed with carbohydrates. Even some spice mixes come with fillers that can increase the carb count of your meal.

Chili without beans, with meat, homemade (1 cup) contains 12.8g total carbs, 8.1g net carbs, 10.6g fat, 16.6g protein, and 206 calories.

Severe carb limits can cause your body to break down fat into ketones for energy. This is called ketosis. Ketosis can cause side effects such as bad breath, headache, fatigue and weakness. It's not clear what kind of possible long-term health risks a low-carb diet may pose.

Complications such as heart arrhythmias, cardiac contractile function impairment, sudden death, osteoporosis, kidney damage, increased cancer risk, impairment of physical activity and lipid abnormalities can all be linked to long-term restriction of carbohydrates in the diet.

Not only will tomato paste add a tangy flavor to the dish, but it will also act as a thickening agent. For this purpose, you can use homemade or store-bought tomato paste. Add 1 can of the paste to your pot of chili, stir the mixture, and let it cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes.

Should chili be thick or soupy? ›

Ideally, chili should simmer low and slow. This allows some of the liquid to evaporate and results in a thicker consistency and deeper, more complex flavor as the aromatics and spices release their superpowers.

Most beans are too high in carbs to be staples on the keto diet. However, with careful planning, you can include small servings of beans occasionally. Always be sure to check labels for added sugars, though.

When looking to add more slow-burning carbs to your diet, you can't go wrong with legumes, which include mature beans and peas. Kidney beans, butter beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, navy beans, lentils and yellow split peas all make good choices.

Best Kidney Bean Substitutes by Common Use

Black beans, garbanzo beans, and cannellini beans will work best in chili and soups where you want the firm texture of a bean. If you do not mind the beans breaking down a bit, pinto beans will also work well.

Replacing up to 2 cups chopped vegetables is a great choice and one of the best substitutes – Cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, bell pepper, white or portobello mushrooms, sweet peas or split peas, carrots, zucchini or butternut squash.

Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes. Baked potatoes and chili is a classic combination that everyone loves. Chili also pairs well with baked sweet potatoes, roasted potatoes, potato wedges, fries, and more.

If you're still stuck on what to eat chili with, why not go with a tried-and-true classic? Corn bread, that is! My family loves to eat Jiffy cornbread with chili, and I'm sure we're not alone.

cornbread

This is most commonly served with chili because you can never go wrong with a classic! The slightly sweet corn taste compliments chilis' spiciness. Plus, it is heavenly crumbled on top to scoop up with the beef and kidney beans. However, there are many different cornbread recipes to choose from.