The Only Carnivore Chili Recipe You’ll Ever Need: Rich, Bean-Free Perfection
When the soul craves nourishment that garden greens can’t satisfy, this three-meat carnivore chili steps in with a depth of flavor so profound, you’ll wonder why beans were ever invited to the party.
Here’s the thing about a truly great bowl of chili: it doesn’t ask for permission to change your day. It arrives—steaming, fragrant, unapologetically rich—and suddenly, the world outside your kitchen window doesn’t matter quite so much.
This isn’t just any chili. This is a celebration of simplicity, a rebellion against bean-studded conventions. It’s chili distilled to its most primal essence: meat, fat, broth, and if you’re feeling adventurous, a whisper of spices.
When you remove the beans and vegetables—all those things we’ve been told are essential—something magical happens. The meat speaks. And trust me, dear friend, it has volumes to say.
From Garden to Pasture: A Homesteader’s Approach to Carnivore Cooking
For those of us who embrace the complete cycle of food—from soil to table—this carnivore chili represents an important part of the sustainable food equation.
While your garden beds rest under winter mulch or spring seedlings reach toward the sun, this hearty dish celebrates the animal portion of a well-rounded homestead.
The Recipe That Changed My Relationship With Chili
Details
- Makes: 6 generous bowls (enough to share, though you may not want to)
- Preparation Time: 15 minutes of mindful chopping and searing
- Cooking Time: 1 hour of simmering and kitchen meditation
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes of your life well spent
- Equipment Needed: Large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or deep cast iron pot (at least 5 quarts), wooden spoon, sharp knife
The Cast of Characters
For the Heart and Soul:
- 1½ pounds grass-fed ground beef (from your own pasture-raised cattle or a trusted local farmer)
- 1 pound ribeye or chuck steak, cut into chunks that require the satisfying commitment of a proper bite
- 8 ounces thick-cut bacon (home-cured if you’re at that level of homesteading! )
- 2 tablespoons bone marrow fat or tallow (saved from previous cooking—waste not, want not)
- 2½ cups beef bone broth (made from bones you’ve carefully saved)
- Sea salt (the kind you can feel between your fingers)
- Black pepper (optional, but there’s poetry in its warmth)
- Smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne (all optional—homegrown and dried if your garden produced them last season)
For the Finale (Should Your Heart Desire):
- Aged cheddar (perhaps from your own dairy animals or a neighboring farm)
- Sour cream (cultured from raw cream if you’re dairy-inclined)
- Extra bacon bits (because when has more bacon ever been wrong?)
- A raw egg yolk from one of your backyard chickens that just laid this morning
The Sacred Process
- Begin with Bacon Oh, the alchemy of bacon rendering in a heavy Dutch oven! Cut it into pieces that will surprise you later, and cook it slowly until it surrenders its crispness. Remove these treasures with care, saving some for the final flourish. The fat that remains is your first layer of flavor—liquid memories that will infuse everything that follows.
- The Dance of Meat and Fire Add more fat to the pot—yes, more—because this is not a timid dish. Season your steak chunks with salt, then lay them in the hot fat where they will sizzle and sing to you, browning deeply on each side. This isn’t just cooking; it’s transformation. Remove them before they’re fully cooked—they have more to give later.Now, the ground beef joins the party, breaking apart under your wooden spoon. If you’re using spices, this is their moment to bloom in the heat and fat, releasing aromas that will make you close your eyes for just a moment.
- The Coming Together Return the steak to the pot, invite three-quarters of the bacon to join (restraint is difficult here, I know), and pour in your broth. Watch as it bubbles up, carrying the promise of what’s to come. Lower the heat, partially cover the pot, and let time do what only time can do—meld these individual players into a harmonious chorus.For 45 minutes, your home will be transformed. The scent will wind through rooms, cling to curtains, announce to anyone who enters that something profound is happening in your kitchen.
- Final Moments of Creation Taste and ponder. Is it speaking to you yet? Does it need another whisper of salt? A little more time to reduce and intensify? Trust yourself here. Your senses know what your soul is craving,
- The Sacred Serving Warm your bowls—cold bowls are an insult to hot chili. Ladle this liquid satin into each one, making sure every serving gets its fair share of different meat textures. Crown each bowl with the reserved bacon pieces. Add cheese that melts into rivulets, or a spoon of sour cream that slowly surrenders to the heat. For the brave and the true believers, crack an egg yolk on top and watch as it creates a sauce of indescribable richness when stirred in.
Wisdom Gathered Along the Way
On Choosing Meat
The animals that provide this nourishment matter. For the home gardener who understands the relationship between soil health and food quality, this principle extends naturally to animal foods. If you raise your own livestock, you already know the difference in flavor and nutrition.
If not, seek beef that had a life worth living—grass-fed, finished on pasture, raised by farmers who understood the contract between human and beast.
Visit your local farmer’s market and ask questions. This isn’t just ethics; it’s flavor. Happy animals make transcendent chili.
The Truth About Broth
Garden-to-table enthusiasts understand that nothing goes to waste. Bones from your Sunday roast transform into Monday’s broth, which becomes Tuesday’s chili. The real secret to exceptional bone broth is patience and respect for the process.
A properly made broth should quiver when cold, rich with gelatin and minerals that not only enhance flavor but provide deep nourishment.
To make your own: save bones in a freezer bag until you have 2-3 pounds, then roast them at 450°F for 20 minutes before simmering with 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and just enough water to cover for at least 12 hours (24 is better) .
Strain through cheesecloth for clarity. This liquid gold will elevate your chili from good to transcendent while making use of resources that would otherwise be discarded,
Fat as Philosopher
Fat isn’t just an ingredient; it’s the storyteller in this dish. Just as compost enriches your garden soil, good fat enriches your cooking.
Save drippings from roasts and bacon in small jars in your refrigerator. These become cooking fats that carry history and flavor from one meal to the next, rounds out sharp edges, brings comfort to every mouthful.
Be generous with it. This isn’t the place for restraint.
The Spice Question
There will be purists who say spices have no place in a true carnivore dish. I understand their position. But I also believe in the personal journey of taste.
If you grow herbs and spices in your garden, a pinch of your own dried oregano or homegrown chili peppers might find their way into this pot.
If they bring you joy without bringing you digestive distress, who am I to stand between you and that happiness?
Why This Chili Will Change You
Most chili recipes try to distract you with beans and tomatoes and things that crunch and things that burst. This chili does something braver—it asks meat to stand alone in the spotlight and deliver a monologue worthy of your attention.
And oh, how it delivers. The first spoonful is a revelation—deeply savory, profoundly satisfying, with a richness that seems to touch parts of your hunger you didn’t know needed feeding.
The different textures create a landscape in each bite: tender ground beef, substantial steak chunks, crispy bacon moments. It’s a complete experience, asking nothing of side dishes or accompaniments.
Keeping the Magic Alive
The miracle of this chili—beyond its immediate pleasure—is how it transforms overnight. Like certain friendships and most good love stories, it deepens with time.
Store it lovingly in glass containers, not plastic that might impart unwanted notes. It will wait for you in the refrigerator for up to five days. It will endure in the freezer for three months, though I’ve never managed to leave it untouched for so long.
When reheating, be gentle. Add a splash of broth to revive it, warm it slowly, respect what it has become in your absence.
Nutritional Notes for the Curious
For those mindful of such things, each bowl offers approximately:
- Calories: 450-550 (depending on your choice of toppings)
- Protein: 35-45g of complete animal protein
- Fat: 30-40g of nutrient-dense animal fats
- Carbs: Virtually none (unless you add spices, which contribute trace amounts)
This makes it perfect for those following keto, carnivore, or low-carb healing protocols, without sacrificing an ounce of pleasure.
What This Meal Really Offers
This isn’t just dinner. It’s an invitation to reconsider everything you thought you knew about what makes a dish complete.
For the gardener who normally celebrates plant harvests, this is a chance to honor the other half of traditional food production—the animals that complete the circle of homesteading life.
For those walking the carnivore path, it offers practical nourishment—complete proteins, essential fats, minerals in their most bioavailable forms. But beyond nutrition, it offers belonging—connection to culinary traditions that predate the separation of garden from pasture, a time when homesteaders understood the complementary nature of plant and animal foods.
I made this chili for the first time after a long day of garden work, when my body craved deep nourishment that my early spring greens alone couldn’t provide. This simple pot of meat and broth and fat honored both the garden that would feed me tomorrow and the animals that would sustain me today.
Make this chili on a winter evening when your garden sleeps under snow. Make it when spring planting has depleted your energy. Make it to celebrate the full cycle of your homestead—the careful raising of animals alongside your tender cultivation of plants.
Make it when you want to remember that sometimes the most extraordinary experiences come from the most ordinary ingredients .
Your kitchen will smell like promise. Your body will recognize what it’s being offered. And for a moment—a warm, simmering moment—everything will be exactly as it should be on your homestead.
FAQ: Questions from Fellow Homesteaders and Meat Enthusiasts
Q: Can I make this in a slow cooker?
A: Absolutely! Brown the meats as directed, then transfer everything to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. This is perfect for busy days when you’re tending to garden beds or other homestead tasks.
Q: I don’t have bone marrow fat. What can I substitute?
A: Any animal fat will work beautifully—tallow, duck fat, lard. Even butter or ghee will serve you well. Each brings its own character to the dish. If you process your own animals or save fat from cooking, this is the perfect place to use those treasures.
Q: How can I make this spicier without adding many plants?
A: If you grow hot peppers in your garden, a tiny amount of dried, homegrown cayenne adds significant heat. Certain pepper-based spices like black pepper are often tolerated even by strict carnivores. Start with small amounts and see how your body responds. Alternatively, a bit of raw horseradish (if you grow it) can add heat without the common inflammatory triggers.
Q: How does this meal fit into seasonal eating as a gardener?
A: This hearty dish is perfect for late fall and winter when your garden production slows but your freezer is full of harvested meats. It bridges the seasons—using the bones and fat you’ve saved throughout the year while your garden rests under snow or winter cover crops.
Q: Can I use homegrown bone broth that has vegetable scraps in it?
A: For strict carnivore diets, use a pure bone broth without vegetable additions. However, if you’re simply looking to emphasize animal foods rather than follow a strict carnivore protocol, your regular garden vegetable-enhanced bone broth works beautifully here.
The essence of homesteading is adaptability and using what you have.
Carnivore’s Delight: Bean-Free Chili Bursting With Meaty Goodness
Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or deep cast iron pot (at least 5 quarts)
- Wooden spoon
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds grass-fed ground beef from your own pasture-raised cattle or a trusted local farmer
- 1 pound ribeye or chuck steak cut into bite-sized chunks
- 8 ounces thick-cut bacon
- 2 tablespoons bone marrow fat or tallow
- 2½ cups beef bone broth
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper optional
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika optional
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder optional
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, for heat
- Optional Toppings
- 4 ounces aged cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoons full-fat sour cream
- Extra crispy bacon bits
- 2 pasture-raised egg yolks to stir in for extra richness
Instructions
- Cut bacon into ½-inch pieces and cook in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy (about 8-10 minutes).
- Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add bone marrow fat or tallow to the pot.
- Season the cubed steak with a pinch of salt and brown on all sides (about 2-3 minutes total) – don’t cook through completely.
- Remove steak pieces and set aside.
- Add ground beef to the pot and break apart with a wooden spoon.
- If using spices, add them now to bloom their flavors in the fat.
- Cook until beef is browned but not overcooked (about 5-7 minutes).
- Return the seared steak pieces to the pot with the ground beef.
- Add three-quarters of the cooked bacon (reserve the rest for topping).
- Pour in the beef bone broth and bring mixture to a gentle boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If the chili becomes too thick, add a splash more broth.
- After simmering, taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- For a thicker consistency, continue to simmer uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Serve hot, garnished with reserved crispy bacon pieces and optional toppings.
Notes
– This chili can be made in a slow cooker: brown meats as directed, then transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
– Stores in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
– The flavor improves after a day in the refrigerator as the flavors meld together.
– If using home-raised meats, this is an excellent way to use various cuts and maximize your freezer inventory.
– Bone broth should be gelatinous when cold for the best results and nutrition.
protein is my go-to food group to feel full and watch my calories. I also try to avoid beans due to my stomach. This recipe is the answer