If you’re looking for a filling meal to put on the table with minimal effort, this savory chili without tomatoes is an exceptional choice. Combining canned goods and fresh ingredients makes this recipe simple and easy.
This no-tomato chili is a non-traditional recipe I created years ago when I was following an anti-inflammatory diet and couldn't have tomatoes. The formula is straightforward and has exceptional flavor thanks to the spices and roasted poblanos.
If you want a traditional chili recipe, try my gluten-free chili. Or you can check out my recipe for Instant Pot white chicken chili. It takes advantage of frozen chicken thighs – no thawing required!
Overview: How To Make Chili Without Tomatoes
Roast the poblanos
- Roast the poblano peppers directly on your grill or on top of your gas stove burner, directly over the flame, until they are black and charred.
- Place in a medium-sized mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam (this will sweat the skin and make peeling the peppers easier). Steam for at least 10 minutes.
- Hold the top of the pepper and use a large kitchen knife to scrape off the blackened skin. Next, cut the peppers open and remove the stem and seeds, and then chop.
Make The No Tomato Chili
- Brown the meat in a Dutch oven, or another 6-quart pot
- Add seasonings, onions, and poblanos
- Stir in the kidney beans and beef broth
- Simmer for about 30 minutes
What To Serve With Gluten Free Chili
With chili, I always serve a green salad and either gluten-free crackers, gluten-free cornbread, or gluten-free biscuits on the side.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Poblanos - The level of heat in this recipe depends on the poblanos. I've had mild ones, but I'll get a spicier one every once in a while. If this recipe isn't spicy enough, you can easily add some cayenne or red pepper flakes. Or you can even serve it with jalapeno slices as a garnish!
- Bacon Grease - I prefer to use bacon grease because of the added flavor, but if you don't have any on hand, you can use whatever mild flavored oil you have (olive oil, avocado oil, etc.).
- Onion - I call for yellow onion in this recipe, but you can also use sweet onion.
- Garlic - I can't get enough of fresh minced garlic. It imparts exquisite flavor.
- Spices- If you enjoy a smokier flavor, you can use up to 2 teaspoons of ground cumin in this recipe.
- Kidney Beans - Feel free to swap them out for black beans, pinto beans, or whatever you have. Dried beans can be used instead of canned beans; they must be cooked first.
- Ground Pork and Ground Beef - You can use one kind of ground meat, or even sub one or both, for ground turkey.
Is Chili Powder Gluten Free
Many brands of chili powder are not labeled gluten-free but contain no gluten ingredients. I’ve used McCormick’s Chili Powder with success, but please get in touch with the company directly to determine if it is the right product to use for your family.
This recipe was originally published in October 2011 under "Tomato Free Chili with Fire Roasted Poblanos." Photos and blog post updated March 2022. A recipe card and notes were added, but the original recipe remained unchanged.
Chili Without Tomatoes
If you’re looking for a filling meal to put on the table with minimal effort, this savory chili without tomatoes is an exceptional choice. Combining canned goods and fresh ingredients makes this recipe simple and easy.
Ingredients
- 4 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, and chopped (directions below)
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease
- 1 pound lean ground pork
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups beef broth
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
To fire roast the poblanos:
- Roast the poblano peppers directly on your grill or on top of your gas stove burner (directly over the flame) until they are black and charred.
- Place in a medium-sized mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam (this will sweat the skin and make peeling the peppers easier). Steam for at least 10 minutes.
- Hold the top of the pepper and use a large kitchen knife to scrape off the blackened skin. Next, cut the peppers, remove the stem and seeds, and then chop.
To make the chili:
- In a large Dutch oven, warm the bacon grease over medium-high heat—Brown the ground pork and beef and lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the chopped poblanos, onions, garlic, kidney beans, and beef broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes, depending on how thick you like your chili. The longer it simmers, the thicker it will become.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Kidney Beans – Feel free to swap them out for black beans, pinto beans, or whatever you have. Dried beans can be used instead of the canned beans – they must be cooked first.
- Poblanos – This recipe's heat level depends on the poblanos. I’ve had mild ones, but I’ll get a spicier one every once in a while. If this recipe isn’t spicy enough, you can easily add some cayenne or red pepper flakes. Or you can even serve it with jalapeno slices as a garnish!
- Ground Pork and Ground Beef – You can use one kind of ground meat, or even sub one or both, for ground turkey.
Chili Without Tomatoes Variations:
Lately, when making this recipe for my family, I've added 4-8 cups of beef broth to make a soup vs. a thicker chili. We like this variation, but you can do whatever you want.
Did you make this recipe? If you did, please give it a star rating and leave a review or comment below! And remember to take a pic and share it on social! Tag @allergyfreeak or #allergyfreealaska on Instagram!
myspork says
This sounds amazing. I've been trying to come up with a tomato-free tomato soup and a tomato-free chili, however, I can't do peppers, either. Any ideas on a replacement? I was toying with the idea of a bit of roasted sweet potato, roasted onions, and....?
http://aminerecipes.com
MAID in Alaska says
The poblanos do help flavor the chili quite a bit... maybe you could add a bit of ground coriander? I'm sure sweet potatoes would be good too though!
myspork says
That's a great suggestion! I will give it a try. Been dying to recreate more tomato dishes (sans tomato, of course). My ultimate challenge? I want to make a tomato-free tomato soup, and a cheddarless grilled cheese sandwich. O_O
MAID in Alaska says
Now THAT would be difficult, but "where there's a will, there's a way!!" 😉 Hope you have a great weekend! 😉
April White says
I have recently started making butternut squash soup (roasted squash, celery, and onions blended with chicken broth) and adding to pot of cooked Graziano's medium Italian sausage and a can of red kidney beans. Big hit here!
Erika says
Okay, just one (really dumb sounding I know) question. What in the HECK is a poblano (sp) pepper? Is that like a hot pepper or is it just like a regular bell pepper or what? Yes, I am produce inept *laugh*.
MAID in Alaska says
Erika,
The poblano is... well... Wikipedia probably has the best explanation! Try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poblano
🙂 Megan
Laura says
Can you eat goat cheese or feta on the anti-inflammatory diet?
MAID in Alaska says
Hi Laura!
I do eat goat and sheep milk cheeses. Are you on the anti-inflammatory diet too?
🙂 Megan
Laura says
Yup, I am. I feel much better but I am still tempted by s good cheese steak sandwich!
MAID in Alaska says
Oh I hear ya!! 😉 Glad you are also feeling better on the diet. It makes all the difference in the world for me, and I'm glad to hear others also are finding relief!
Hope you have a great Sunday!
Megan
Mary Hudak-Colllins says
Tomato is also an allergen for my daughter. I have been working on a line of tomato free products and have done just about everything that we normally eat that includes tomato. This sounds like it is really tasty and will definitely give it a try. It will be interesting to see the difference in taste 🙂
Kallyn Lang says
We can eat tomatoes here, but since the last two recipes of yours I tried were fabulous, I thought I would partake in making this. YUM! It is great, and you don't miss the tomatoes one bit. I did have to alter it a bit, as we can't get organic ground pork here, but WOW! It is excellent! Thank you for the great recipes!! We are gluten and dairy free here, and trying to avoid soy. You make it truly easy!
MAID in Alaska says
Aww... thank you so much, Kallyn!! What a HUGE compliment! 🙂
xo
Megan
Angie Lockard says
Hi Megan! First of all, THANK YOU!!! After a bout of reflux-type symptoms, my husband has been avoiding tomatoes and we have really missed chili. I am so excited to try this recipe! One question though. I cannot find anywhere a beef broth that is free of all corn products & derivatives (citric acid, dextrose, dextrins, etc). Do you know of any, or do you think chicken or veg broth will substitute okay? Thanks! 🙂
Megan says
Hi Angie!
I use the Pacific Natural Food brand of beef broth - you can generally find it in the organic/natural food section of Fred Meyers here locally. However, it contains yeast extract (I think I remember you telling me your hubby couldn't have yeast either). You can try vegetable broth. I don't think the vegetable broth will give it that depth of flavor the beef broth does though. I'd suggest adding another poblano or two... just to give it a bit more flavor? Just a thought. You'll have to let me know how it turns out!
Hugs,
Megan
Danie says
Could you make this in a slow cooker if you, say, put all the ingredients in after browning the beef and pork?
Kyle says
Headline is misleading. Chili does not contain beans. >:(
😉
Megan says
Not technically, but this one does! 😉
Fooddude says
This chili is among the best I've had.
I have to avoid tomatoes for now and I figured I'd never eat chili again but this recipe is better than what I was eating before.
Thanks!!!
Megan says
Awe, awesome! Thank you so much. 🙂 I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
Larissa says
How much heat/spicy level is this with 2 poblano peppers? I don't do well with very spicy foods but want to give this recipe a try as tomatoes are a trigger for reflux so this would be perfect for me.
Mēgan says
Hi Larissa,
That's an excellent question. It honestly just depends on the poblano. I've gotten some that are fairly spicy, and others that aren't at all. More that aren't spicy vs. those that are. What you might do, is roast them, and then eat a sample from each one. Then you can choose how many you'll add to the chili. Hope that helps!
Donna says
Hi Megan, I live in New Zealand. It's winter here and we don't get fresh poblanos anyway. I can't eat tomatoes due to osteoarthritis and bell peppers gross me out. I can sometimes get dried poblanos, would they work?
Also, is your chili powder just ground dried chilis or is it a blend? Sometimes product names don't mean the same things 😊
Thank you!
Mēgan says
Hi Donna,
I honestly don't know if dried poblanos will yield the same result, as I've never used them before. I use McCormick's chili powder!
Naomi Lane says
Hi! I'm working on trying to find meals that are super hearty and nutritious and also have minimal tomato in it... I enjoy tomatoes but my husband... does not, lol. And I was wondering, is there any way that I can can this recipe? Do you happen to know what pressure cooker requirements this recipe would take? I'm new to the whole thing and but this would be the perfect way to get a tasty chili, use up my half bushel of poblano peppers, and have a quick, healthy canned meal!
Thank you very much!
Mēgan says
Hi Naomi,
These are all great questions, but unfortunately - I'm not a canner, so I can't answer them!