Low Sodium Chili with Beef Recipe (No Salt Added)
This low sodium chili recipe is a cozy and delicious dinner made with ground beef, veggies, spices, and no added salt! Follow our step-by-step photos below, and make chili that is loaded with flavor, and slow simmered on the stove.
Making your own low sodium chili is simple to do with a few ingredient swaps! Use salt free beans, good-quality ground beef, and bold spices for a bright and flavorful dish. Serve with a slice of low sodium cornbread for a tasty meal!
Want more tasty low sodium chili recipes? Try our low sodium white chicken chili and our low sodium turkey chili for variations!
Kelly’s Note: I updated this recipe 10/13/25 to include step-by-step photos, new photography, modified spice list, FAQs, and a more helpful additions and substitutions section!
This low sodium chili recipe is one of our go-to winter dinner ideas for chilly nights. It’s absolutely delicious and has an incredible flavor, and it’s one of our favorite comfort foods. I like loading my chili with vegetables, lean protein, salt-free spices, and of course, lots of toppings!
Homemade chili is a great option for entertaining or to serve on a game day. I love to make a big batch of delicious chili so we can enjoy it for a few dinners during the week. A great hearty dinner with BIG flavor, and none of the sodium of canned chilis.
Notes From Our Kitchen
- This chili is hearty, spicy, and a little smoky!
- It’s packed with lean meat and vegetables in each bite.
- This chili is thick – I’ll add a note below to thin it out using no-salt broth.
- It’s a cozy one-pot meal, great for entertaining, tailgating, or just a comforting weeknight dinner.
- Easy to batch cook, meal prep, or make ahead
- Anyone can successfully make this chili by following our step-by-step photos and directions below!
Ingredients You’ll Need
I use lean ground beef (93% or 95% lean ground sirloin) in my chili recipes, which makes the dish leaner and more flavorful. You can also use lean ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
This chili is packed with veggies like onions, celery, and bell peppers. They add a wonderful flavor and a nice crunchy texture. I also add in no-salt-added tomato paste and no-salt-added diced tomatoes which give this chili a nice acidity I use both no-salt-added kidney beans as well as black beans for texture and color.
Our no-salt-added spice blend makes this chili super flavorful without salt! I use chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, balsamic vinegar, oregano, and cocoa powder. While these aren’t all traditional spices, they give this chili such a nice depth of flavor.
My favorite part of chili are the garnishes! I like adding fresh lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno peppers, and a little sour cream. But garnish as you wish!
Additions and Substitutions
For a little extra heat, you can add in 1 sliced jalapeno pepper or 1/4 teaspoon extra chili flakes or some low sodium hot sauce!
Mix up your beans! You can add in light or dark kidney beans, pinto beans, lentils, or even chickpeas for different textures. Just be sure they are no-salt-added varieties.
Other great garnish ideas are crushed unsalted tortilla chips, green onions, or a bit of low sodium shredded Swiss cheese would be great options.
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
No Salt Canned Beans Versus Homemade
While I love the convenience of no-salt-added canned beans, I also love cooking dry beans from scratch in my pressure cooker – the texture is better and it’s more economical. The Instant Pot works wonders for cooking dried beans fast, no soaking required!
While canned beans are convenient, normal varieties are often high in added salt and sodium. If you buy canned beans, I always recommend using a no salt added variety so you can control the amount of sodium in your recipes.
Next time you reach for the canned beans, think about investing in a pressure cooker instead! Homemade beans are incredibly cost efficient, and you can add seasonings and spices to the beans while they cook for extra flavor.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions
Step 1: In a Dutch oven or large pot, add the ground beef. Break it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon and brown over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until browned. With a slotted spoon, remove the cooked meat into a separate bowl, and drain all but1 tablespoon of grease to sauté the vegetables in.
Step 2: To the pot with the grease, add the onion and celery and sauté for 7 or 8 minutes until soft.
Step 3: Add the balsamic vinegar and bell peppers, and sauté for 3 more minutes. Then stir in the spices: chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and cocoa powder. Stir well.
Step 4: Add in the tomato paste and the diced tomatoes with the juices.
Step 5: Add the cooked ground beef back to the pot, along with the no-salt-added kidney beans and black beans.
Step 6: Stir well to combine, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, and allow the chili to cook for about 1 hour, until the vegetables are tender.
Step 7: Once chili has simmered, add in the fresh lime juice and cilantro (if using). Stir well to combine.
Step 8: Serve hot, and add your favorite toppings. I like fresh jalapeno peppers, sour cream, and a little more cilantro on mine – enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. I like to store it in individual containers for easy meal prep during the week.
Yes – this chili is perfect to freeze for later! Store individual portions in freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat, and enjoy how when ready.
Yes, you can double or even triple this chili if you are cooking for a crowd – just be sure you have a big enough pot!
A Great Make-Ahead Salt Free Dish for Entertaining
This low sodium chili recipe is fantastic to make ahead of time for a party, potluck, or gathering. Making this recipe in advance allows you to skip any cooking or prep on the day-of. This is a great recipe to entertain with, or bring to an event (hello Superbowl parties). A crowd-pleaser that everyone is sure to love! Check out my other low sodium make ahead meals too.
Expert Tips
This chili is thick! If you like a thinner chili, you can add 1-2 cups of a no-salt-added beef or chicken broth (or just water) to thin it out.
This low sodium chili recipe is make-ahead friendly! You can cook this up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate, then reheat for guests, a party, a game day gathering, or just a weeknight dinner.
More Low Sodium Beef Recipes
- Low Sodium Teriyaki Beef and Vegetables Recipe
- Low Sodium Salisbury Steak Recipe
- The best Low Sodium Meatballs Recipe
- Low Sodium Beef Bourguignon Recipe
- Low Sodium Southwest Steak Bowls Recipe
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.
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Low Sodium Chili with Beef
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or large pot
- Slotted Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef I used 93% lean
- 1 large onion chopped, Use red or yellow
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 3 bell peppers I used red, yellow, and green, seeds removed and chopped
- 1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 28 ounces no-salt-added diced tomatoes with juice
- 6 ounces No-Salt-Added Tomato Paste
- 28 ounces no-salt-added beans I used kidney beans and black beans
- 2 limes juiced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro optional, chopped
- 2 cups no-salt-added beef or chicken broth optional, see note below
- Optional toppings sour cream, jalapenos, or cilantro
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, add the ground beef. Break it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon and brown over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until browned. With a slotted spoon, remove the cooked meat into a separate bowl, and drain all but1 tablespoon of grease to sauté the vegetables in.
- To the pot with the grease, add the onion and celery and sauté for 7 or 8 minutes until soft.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and bell peppers, and sauté for 3 more minutes. Then stir in the spices: chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and cocoa powder. Stir well.
- Add in the tomato paste and the diced tomatoes with the juices.
- Add the cooked ground beef back to the pot, along with the no-salt-added kidney beans and black beans.
- Stir well to combine, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, and allow the chili to cook for about 1 hour, until the vegetables are tender.
- Once chili has simmered, add in the fresh lime juice and cilantro (if using). Stir well to combine.
- Serve hot, and add your favorite toppings. I like fresh jalapeno peppers, sour cream, and a little more cilantro on mine – enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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A great addition and so tasty
I’m cooking for my elderly parents and as my dad is in heart failure sodium is on a budget. He is limited to 2000mg per day and 1 can of chili from the store is 990mg. It is CRAZY how much salt is in everything. I don’t use much salt in from scratch cooking anyway so it isn’t a big deal bit chili is challenging because of the salt in canned beans. I didn’t realize how many people interpret the “reduced sodium” on some products as low sodium they are mutually exclusive. Reduced means the company dropped some of the sodium content from the original. There is no regulation on reduced sodium labels; for a product to qualify as “LOW SODIUM” it must have no more than 360mg. I avoid the center isles at the store in most instances with very few exceptions. This recipe is great and as I’m not buying pre-ground beef anymore (too many upset tummies with store ground beef) I get to grind steaks in my Ninja blender. I swear to the stars it is Russian Roulette to serve my parents ground beef from the store. I will check out more of these low sodium recipes. I love cooking and have a long list of dishes I am more than proficient at but it is always handy to add to my repertoire.
Thank you so much for your review – and I completely agree, navigating nutrition labels can be so frustrating! I always make my recipes from scratch when I can too, and I adapted this chili recipe from one that my family uses to make it more “low so” friendly. You’re doing an amazing job cooking for your parents, it’s no small feat and I’m glad this recipe was a winner 🙂
Love the look of this recipe but do you have an option for no salt at all? The Chili Powder looks to have salt?
I make my own chili powder.
2 tbs paprika
2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste (optional)
Does this freeze well?
A complete tasty meal
Are you using no salt added black beans and kidney beans????
Hello Kris – yes, all beans I use are no-salt-added. I can usually find them canned at my local grocery store, but if I can’t then I make my own from scratch using my pressure cooker.
– Kelly
A great one pot delight
It turned out pretty good, but I did cheat a little and used these that I found a Walmart https://www.instacart.com/products/3244037-s-w-chili-beans-pinto-low-sodium-15-oz? Pretty low in Sodium.
This is a great mixture of flavors. Very very tasty
HI this looks great for my mom who is on a strict diet due to heart failure. Can you tell me how much is in one serving?
thank you
Hello Louri,
The nutrition information is at the bottom of the recipe card, which shows 113mg sodium per 1 serving (the full recipe makes 6 servings total). The sodium content will vary based on the ingredients you use (make sure to use no-salt tomatoes, ground beef with no added sodium, etc.)m- I hope that helps!
Thanks,
Kelly
An thinking of trying this for my 99 year old father. Can you tell me where the high potassium comes from?
Thanks!
Hi Debra,
I use a nutritional calculator app for this site, and it is showing me the potassium is mainly coming from the quantity of ground beef, bell peppers, canned beans, and tomatoes. I’d recommend going with the potassium content on the ingredients you are using, which may vary from mine.
Let me know if you make this and how it turns out!
– Kelly
You mention at the top you’ll need no salt added beef brother or chicken brother. But in the ingredients/recipe it does not mention adding any broth.
Hi Connor! I just updated the post with step-by-step photos and instructions, and also made the note about the optional beef broth. You can add it in if you like a thinner chili, but I listed it as optional so I hope the post is more clear now.
Thanks, Kelly
Can this recipe be cooked in a crockpot
Hi Launa, yes you can make this in a crockpot – I would recommend cooking it for 8 hours on low heat, or 6 hours on high (or until the meat and vegetables are cooked through). If you do make it in a crockpot, let us know how it goes!
– Kelly