Go Back
+ servings
a bowl of chilli con carne topped with cheese and sour cream
Print Recipe
4.84 from 18 votes

Healthy Chilli Con Carne

This healthy chilli con carne is a simple, nourishing and flavour-packed family meal that is sure to become a regular in your weeknight dinner rotation. Ready in just 20minutes, it is an easy one-pot meal that can be customised with your favourite protein and toppings. Keep it mild for the kids or spice it up to suit your tastes!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: dinner, healthy, lunch
Cuisine: American
Servings: 5
Calories: 310kcal

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic crushed or finely chopped
  • 600 grams extra lean ground beef or use turkey or chicken mince instead!
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 3 teaspoons paprika
  • ½ - 1 teaspoons chilli powder Or to taste. This ingredient optional and can be skipped if a milder chilli is required.
  • ½ teaspoons Cayenne powder Or to taste. This ingredient optional and can be skipped if a milder chilli is required.
  • ½-3/4 teaspoon salt optional
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 cups canned diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ cup liquid chicken stock
  • 1 ½ cups black beans

Serving suggestions...

  • 3-4 cups steamed brown or white rice optional
  • light sour cream
  • Mexican cheese, shredded
  • fresh coriander
  • chopped avocado
  • tortilla chips to crumble over the top

Instructions

  • In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sautee the onion and garlic until fragrant and soft.
  • Add your preferred meat of choice (ground beef, turkey or chicken) and the spices (cumin, paprika, oregano and chilli/cayenne and salt) and stir until the meat has browned.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. During this time, the liquid will reduce slightly.
  • Serve hot over steamed rice and add your favourite toppings of choice. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Lean beef mince – is my protein of choice, as I usually have some in the freezer. But you can also use chicken or turkey mince for an even leaner option. Or swap for quorn mince if you want to make it vegetarian.
  2. Black beans –canned black beans are packed with antioxidants, fibre and protein. You can swap them for a can of lentils, chickpeas or kidney beans.
  3. See the post above for serving suggestions and topping ideas.
  4. For even more vitamins, add 1-2 cups of your favourite veggies. Some great options are corn, red capsicum and spinach leaves.
  5. If you’re budget conscious, add an extra can of lentils or beans. It will bulk out the chilli and make it stretch further for minimal extra cost. If you’re making a double batch, you can halve the meat and bulk it out with beans and veggies instead.
  6. Slow cooker option; while this makes a speedy dinner on the stove top, the ingredients can also be added to a slow cooker for even more richness and flavour. To make in a slow cooker, brown the onion, garlic and meat in a pan, then add all of the ingredients into the slow-cooker bowl. Cook for 6 hours on low. 
  7. This chilli tastes even better the next day and can be frozen in a batch or individual portions for easy grab-and-go lunches or weeknight dinners. Leftover chilli con carne can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. It can also be frozen whole, or in individual serves for up to 3 months and re-heated as required. To thaw, leave the chilli container in the fridge overnight, or set individual serves out at room temperature for 1-2 hours. It can also be thawed and re-heated in the microwave.
  8. If your kids are fussy with spices and heat, simply reduce the amount of chilli and cayenne powder used to adjust the heat. The chilli can be left out until the kids are served and then added at the end to taste for those who like a little spice kick.
  9. Please note that the nutrition information is based on the chilli being served into 5 bowls, with one bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional rice or toppings served with the chilli.
  10. This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 548mg | Potassium: 978mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1094IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 6mg