Low Sodium Chili with Beef Recipe (No Salt Added)
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Jump to RecipeThis low sodium chili recipe is a delicious salt-free dinner, a healthier take on this classic dish with meat, veggies, and spices. This chili is loaded with flavor, and slow simmered for a delicious bowl of comfort food.
Making your own low sodium chili is simple to do with a few ingredient swaps! Use salt free bean, 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!
This low sodium chili recipe is one of our go-to winter dinner ideas for chilly nights. Its 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, lots of spices, and beans for extra fiber to keep you full.
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. I use ground sirloin which has an incredible flavor from using really good quality meat. A great hearty dinner with none of the salt of canned chilis.
This Low Sodium Chili Recipe is
- Hearty
- Spicy
- Smokey
- Packed with Vegetables
- Earthy
- A Great One-Pot Meal
- Easy to batch cook, meal prep, or make ahead
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Sirloin – I like to use good quality ground sirloin (95% lean ground beef) in my chili recipes, which make the dish leaner and more flavorful. You can also use lean ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Carrots, Celery, Onions
- Bell Pepper – I like using a mix of green pepper and red pepper strips.
- Black Beans: Use no salt added or low sodium beans for better flavor and control of the salt in your chili. You can also use pinto beans if desired.
- No Salt Added Kidney Beans
- Diced Tomatoes: I only use no salt added diced tomatoes, these boxed tomatoes are really great to stock up on and have 10 mg of sodium per serving! You could also use a salt free tomato paste or tomato sauce instead.
- Chili Powder: for a really nice flavor in this dip – the chili powder isn’t spicy but will give you a rich and bright flavor.
- Oregano: a spice I always put in my chili, tacos, or fajitas! This dried oregano has a bright and earthy flavor, and goes so well with the roasted vegetables.
- No Salt Added Beef Broth or Chicken Broth
- Red Pepper Flakes: for a little heat! I like to add a few shakes to this recipe to give this dish a nice complex depth of flavor. Optional if you like spicy foods.
- Lime – the secret to making the flavors pop!
- Black Pepper
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.
How To Make This Recipe
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, add the ground sirloin. Break it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon and brown ground beef over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes until all the pink is gone. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat, and drain most of the grease from the bottom of the pot. Leave about 1 tablespoon to sauté the vegetables.
- To the pot, add the onion and garlic and sauté for 7 or 8 minutes until soft. Add the celery and bell peppers, and sauté for 3 more minutes.
- Add the black beans and kidney beans to the pot. Then add diced tomatoes with juice, and add the cooked meat back into the pot.
- Add spices to the pot: Chili powder, oregano, parsley, cumin, and chili flakes. Simmer all on low for 1 hour until veggies are tender.
- Before serving squeeze fresh lime juice in the chili. Serve with your favorite chili toppings (I like red or green onions, and sour cream) and fresh chopped cilantro or no salt added tortilla chips.
- Store leftover chili in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
A Great Make-Ahead Salt Free Dish for Entertaining
This low sodium chilli 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.
More Low Sodium Dinners You’ll Love
Low Sodium Meat Sauce for Pasta Recipe (No Salt Added)
No Salt Added Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Low Sodium Steak Recipe (No Salt Added)
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Low Sodium Chili with Beef
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or large pot
- Slotted Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground sirloin or other lean ground beef
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 2 bell pepper I use green and yellow
- 1 13- ounce can black beans
- 1 13- ounce can kidney beans
- 28 oz No-Salt-Added Diced Tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 limes juiced
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, add the ground sirloin. Break it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon and brown the sirloin over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes until all the pink is gone. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat, and drain most of the grease from the bottom of the pot. Leave about 1 tablespoon to sauté the vegetables.
- To the pot, add the onion and garlic and sauté for 7 or 8 minutes until soft. Add the celery and bell peppers, and sauté for 3 more minutes.
- Add the black beans and kidney beans to the pot. Then add diced tomatoes with juice, and add the cooked meat back into the pot.
- Add spices to the pot: Chili powder, oregano, cumin, and chili flakes. Simmer all on low for 1 hour until veggies are tender.
- Before serving squeeze fresh lime juice in the chili. Serve with your favorite chili toppings (I like tomatoes and sour cream) and fresh chopped cilantro. Store leftovers for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used, it may vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify 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?
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