BEST EVER Slimming Friendly Chilli Con Carne - an all time classic family friendly recipe. Pure comfort in a bowl!!
Classic Chilli Con Carne
Depending on your location, you might call it "Chilli Con Carne" or simply "chili." In the UK, it's usually the former; across the Atlantic, the latter.
It's a staple dish, a family favorite, versatile in its serving options.
This recipe of mine has evolved over years to reach what I believe is perfection. I might be a bit biased, but to my family, it's the ultimate chili—rich, flavorful, and irresistibly delicious. It never fails to impress, with everyone asking for the recipe.
The Slimming Eats Cookbook
This Best Ever Chilli Con Carne recipe is also featured on page 222 of the Slimming Eats Cookbook in the blog favourites section.
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Calories in Chilli Con Carne
This recipe makes 6 hearty filling servings of Chilli at 264 calories per serving
If you're looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you'll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of 200+ calorie recipes
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie intake using a reliable calorie calculator. Please note that the calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary based on specific ingredients and serving sizes. Personalizing your calculations is essential to meet your individual needs. By using a calorie calculator, you can make informed choices and stay on track with your dietary goals.
Toppings for Chilli
Here are some of my favorite chili toppings:
- Avocado slices or homemade guacamole
- Sour cream, or for a lighter version, mix fat-free yogurt with lemon juice and a pinch of salt
- Freshly chopped tomatoes
- Chopped spring onions or regular onions
- Cilantro (also known as coriander)
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- A handful of tortilla chips for crunch
- Sliced jalapeños for those who enjoy an extra spicy kick
And there are plenty more options to explore!
Chilli Con Carne Pasta Bake
That's right – if you're a chilli con carne enthusiast with leftovers, you're in luck! This mouthwatering pasta dish is an absolute must-try.
Mexican Pasta Bake
Spice things up with this delectable Mexican Pasta Bake - a scrumptious twist you won't resist saying "yum" to!
Pasta, chili, and cheese – a trio the whole family will adore. What's there not to love?
Hidden Vegetable Chilli
The choice of vegetables to enhance your chili is yours to make. I often opt for peppers, carrots, and jalapeños. The jalapeños add a vibrant, fresh kick that you just don't get from chili powder. Occasionally, I'll toss in some zucchini (courgette) as well.
Dealing with picky eaters? Finely chop the veggies in a food processor. The kids won't detect them, making it a victory for the whole family.
Adding butternut squash or sweet potato is also a fantastic idea, especially if you're looking to use up what you have on hand. There are no strict rules about what goes into your chili, aside from the spice blend that brings the classic flavors of chilli con carne to life.
Moreover, butternut squash or sweet potato contributes a delightful natural sweetness that complements the spices beautifully—simply delicious!
Favourite Chilli Recipes
Traditionally in chilli con carne, most use ground beef (extra lean being the choice of course for slimming), but don't stop just there, lean stewing beef or beef chunks can produce a really hearty meal or if you want to make a really healthy version use ground chicken or turkey, like this delicious Turkey Chilli.
You can even mix up the beans - instead of kidney beans, try some black beans or even a 6 bean medley, like in this Beef and Six Bean Chilli.
Love Chocolate? Then this Chocolate Chilli is also deliciously rich and flavoursome
I love this with rice and topped with fat free yoghur or sour cream, cheddar and fresh chopped cilantro (coriander)
and my absolute favourite for any kind of leftover chilli is these amazing Layered Chilli Cheese Fries - perfect for sharing or not!!
Slow Cooker & Instant Pot Guide
You can make this Chilli Con Carne in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot (pressure cooker).
- Slow Cooker Method: Reduce the stock to approximately 300ml, brown as instructed in the recipe, and then let it cook on low for 6-8 hours. If necessary, you can add a bit more stock.
- Instant Pot Method: Utilize the sauté function to brown, then cook under high pressure for 15 minutes with a natural pressure release. Given that liquid doesn't evaporate as much in the Instant Pot as it does on the stove, it's advised to use 400ml of stock (about 2 cups). If needed, switch to sauté mode after cooking to reduce the sauce further.
Curious about the Instant Pot? It's essentially a versatile 7-in-1 appliance that can slow cook, pressure cook, sauté, and has settings for soup, chili, rice, porridge, and it can even make yogurt (which I've yet to try).
It's one of my best purchases, and I find myself using it almost daily for various tasks. It's fantastic for boiling eggs too – they peel so easily.
For more, explore my collection of Instant Pot Recipes
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More Ground Beef (Mince) Recipes
looking for some more ground beef recipes to try? check out some of these:
- Sloppy Joes
- Mini Cottage Pies
- Nasi Goreng – Indonesian Rice
- Pastitsio
- Keema Curry
- Crispy Potato Topped Meat Pie
- Best Ever Bolognese Pasta Bake
- Best Ever Spaghetti Bolognese
- Beef Lasagne
- Mustard Beef with Mushrooms
or if you would like more recipe ideas or sides to make with this recipe - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.
All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.
FAQ for Chilli Con Carne
Yes, you can freeze chili con carne. Make sure it's cooled down to room temperature before transferring it to airtight containers or freezer bags. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 4-6 months. When ready to eat, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it on the stove or in a microwave until it's hot all the way through.
Certainly! If you're looking to swap out kidney beans, which are traditionally used in chili recipes, you have several great options. Black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, or even chickpeas can serve as excellent substitutes. Each of these alternatives will offer a unique flavor and texture profile to your chili, allowing you to customize the dish to your taste preferences.
The generous use of tomato paste in chili is key for its concentrated flavor, which creates a rich, thick sauce. It's crucial to use the specified amount for the right consistency and depth of flavor, while also thickening the chili and enhancing its savory taste.
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Recipe Card
Best Ever Slimming Friendly Chilli Con Carne
Best Ever Chilli Con Carne!!! – an all time classic family friendly recipe. Pure comfort in a bowl!!
Ingredients
- 500g (17.5oz) of extra lean beef mince
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 jalapeno’s, deseeded and chopped (if your jalapenos are small you may want to use a few more)
- 400g can of kidney beans, drained
- 800g (28oz) of chopped tomatoes, canned
- 10.5 tablespoons (156ml) of tomato paste (puree)
- 3 cups (720ml) of beef stock
- 2 teaspoons of paprika
- 2 teaspoons of cumin
- ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper - optional (omit if you don't like too spicy)
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Spray a large casserole dish over a medium high heat with some olive oil spray.
- Add the mince, onion and garlic and fry until browned.
- Add the carrots and fry for a further few mins
- Add the spices, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, red pepper, jalapenos, balsamic vinegar and stock and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to about medium low add in kidney beans, cover and cook for 45 mins -1 hour until sauce has reduced and thickened. (you still want it to lightly bubble so that the sauce reduces, so don't have the heat too low)
- Serve topped with your choice of toppings
- Enjoy!!
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- Gluten Free Friendly - use gluten free stock
- Dairy Free Friendly
- Slow Cooker - reduce stock to about 300ml and brown as per recipe and then cook on low for 6-8 hours. You can always add a little more stock if needed.
- Instant Pot - brown using saute function and then cook on high pressure for 15 minutes with a natural pressure release. (as the liquid doesn't tend to reduce down in the instant as it does on the stove I recommend using 400ml of stock (2 cups). Switch to saute mode after cooking to reduce down further if needed)
- Freezer Friendly ❄️
Tip - ensure you use a large casserole pan/pot for this recipe, so that the sauce can reduce properly. If the pan is too small, the heat won't be even.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 288Total Fat 5.7gSaturated Fat 1.9gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1105mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 9.8gSugar 12.7gProtein 27.1g
Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information.
Mrs B says
Perfect dish for a dieter and her non dieting hubby
Louise McGetrick says
Hi Siobhan, I've only recently discovered your wonderful blog. I've tried lots of slimming world inspired chilli recipes and this beats them all by a mile! Quote from my partner last night - "I've only had 3 mouthfuls and already I give it a 10 out of 10!".
Thanks for all the inspiring posts.
Louise x
wendy says
This Chilli Con Carne recipe is so delicious, and easy to make!
Siobhan your a pure genius, thanks for all your wonderful recipes 🙂
May says
Another big hit! Simply yummy!!
Emma says
I absolutely love your recipes, not had a bad one yet and has made doing slimming world so much easier. Thank you
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
Thank you so much for your support Emma.
Bridget says
Made this for 2nd time today and it was just as nice as the 1st time, Devine!!!
I left out the pepper so it wouldn't be spicy as my almost 2 year old loves your recipes too.
Julia wilks says
Needed a chilli con carne recipe and found your site. Made the chilli' it is lovely. Did a bit of brown rice with it, husband loved it too, and he's not on a diet. Thank you
Maha says
Tried this recipe tonight!! Absolutely delicious!! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
so pleased to hear that, it definitely is a staple in my house.
Jane says
Hi is it a tin of chopped tomatoes? Or fresh, and is it tomato purée?
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
yes canned chopped tomatoes and paste (puree)
Audrey Crowe says
Hi, what size/ weight in a serving of the chilli?
Thanks
Shevy (Slimming Eats) says
the recipe serves 6 people, so divide into 6 portions and one portion is a serving 🙂
Irene says
The best ever!!!!!!
Vivienne Pennington says
My grandchildren say this is better than their mums. My go too Recipe aways some in Frezer
Winner.
Matt says
Looks great! If I was to make a smaller portion, would I just half the ingredients?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
yep just half all ingredients.
Hayley Watson says
Hi,
If I wanted to make this for 30 people, would I just multiply all ingredients by 6?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
Hi Hayley, the recipe serves 6, but those are quite decent servings, so yes you could either multiply by 6 or if you are serving with sides and toppings, multiplying by 4 may be enough for 30 people. Hope that helps.
Debbie says
The title of this dish is no lie. I made this for the family but left out the kidney beans as my boys don't like them. As it was cooking the smell was amazing. I made it with home made chips(fries) and it was really tasty. I will be making this again and again.
Eileen says
The best chilli I have ever made. Makes me cringe at my 1990 efforts! Smells magnificent when it’s cooking and doesn’t fail to deliver on the plate.
Now make it every couple of weeks.
Thanks so much.
Génesis says
The best chilli con Carne, is so good!!❤️
Laura says
I’ve made this many times and it always goes down well. However I can’t locate the slow cooker bit, it now seems to have disappeared. Can you help please?