Butternut Squash Chili without beans is the perfect paleo chili recipe! This easy weeknight chili recipe is loaded with flavor and Whole30 compliant!
Beef Chili is a rite of passage in our house. A predictable way to mark the beginning of Fall and really start to embrace it. You know I fight that transition and hang on to every last bit of summer for as long as possible, but there comes a time (hello reality) when I must accept that cooler weather is here to stay.
For me, chili is a “Fall” food and just reminds me of wearing sweatshirts, falling leaves, and crisp air. It is the perfect bowl of warm goodness to help brush off the slight chill that comes with this time of year.
Beef chili is my go-to and since we don’t eat very many beans these days, I had been looking for a bean replacement that would give my chili texture and bulk but not water it down like so many vegetables have a tendency to do. This paleo chili recipe was just what I was looking for!
It’s based on my Everyday Beef and Bean Chili with a lot of the same great flavors, just a new and fun twist added to it!
I love that the butternut squash balances out the heat, adds just the right amount of bulk and texture and doesn’t water down the chili at all.
Ingredients
Most of these ingredients will get combined together in just a few short steps. The moment you begin cooking you’ll see just how easy this recipe is!
- Extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)
- Garlic
- Yellow Onion
- Celery
- Jalapeno
- Ground Beef
- Mexican Chili Powder
- Ground Cumin
- Oregano
- Kosher Salt
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Dried Bay Leaves
- Crushed Tomatoes
- Tomato Sauce
- Broth
- Green Bell Pepper
- Frozen Cubed Butternut Squash
How To Make Beanless Chili
- If you have a food processor, use it to save time. Place peeled garlic cloves and quartered onion in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse until chopped. (Photo #1)
- Remove from the processor bowl and add roughly chopped celery and jalapeno. Process until chopped. (Photo #2)
- Clean bell pepper and cut in half. Remove ribs and seeds and cut into 1/4″ pieces. (Photo #3)
- Measure and combine spices in a small bowl (chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes and bay leaves). (Photo #4)
- If not using frozen, cubed squash, peel squash and cube until you have 1 lb.
- Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil. Add in chopped garlic, onion, celery and jalapeno. Saute until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes. (Photo #5)
- Add in ground beef and use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up into pieces. Saute until meat is browned and cooked through (If you are using extremely fatty meat, you may want to drain the meat and veg mixture to remove some of the grease and return to pot).
- Next, add in spices and stir to coat meat.
- Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. (Photo #7)
- Once boiling, add chopped bell pepper and cubed squash. Partially cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes. If you are using fresh butternut squash, you may need to cook a touch longer until it’s tender. (Photo #6)
- Remove bay leaves and discard. Remove from heat and adjust salt if necessary. Serve warm with your favorite toppings and Enjoy! (Photo #8)
Butternut Squash Chili Tips
- When buying celery, it is usually priced per pound. You do not have to buy the whole cluster. You can just pull off two or three pieces and buy what you need for a recipe (as long as it is not pre-packaged). My mom hipped me to this – what a money saver!
- To save time, I used frozen, cubed, organic Butternut Squash.
- As for spiciness, if you want this Chili MILD, omit the jalapeno, only use 3 tablespoons of chili powder and 1/8 teaspoon of the crushed red pepper flakes. If you want it MEDIUM, keep the jalapeno but don’t use the ribs or seeds. If you want it SPICY, use the whole jalapeno including seeds and ribs.
- If you think the ingredient amounts look large in my pictures, your eyes are not deceiving you. I was making a double batch (one for the freezer!) in these photos!
More Butternut Squash Recipes
Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash
Chicken Meatballs with Pesto Butternut Squash Noodles
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Butternut Squash Chili without beans is the perfect paleo chili recipe! This easy weeknight chili recipe is loaded with flavor and Whole30 compliant!
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)
- 5 medium cloves garlic chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 medium celery stalks chopped
- 1 small jalapeno chopped
- 1.5 pounds ground beef
- 3.5 Tablespoons Mexican chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup broth (beef, chicken or vegetable)
- 1 medium green bell pepper ribs removed, cut into 1/4" pieces
- 1 pound frozen cubed butternut squash
If you have a food processor, use it to save time. Place peeled garlic cloves and quartered onion in bowl of food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse until chopped.
Remove from processor bowl and add roughly chopped celery and jalapeno. Process until chopped.
Clean bell pepper and cut in half. Remove ribs and seeds and cut into 1/4" pieces.
Measure and combine spices in a small bowl (chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes and bay leaves).
If not using frozen, cubed squash, peel squash and cube until you have 1 lb.
Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil. Add in chopped garlic, onion, celery and jalapeno. Saute until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add in ground beef and use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up into pieces. Saute until meat is browned and cooked through (If you are using extremely fatty meat, you may want to drain the meat and veg mixture to remove some of the grease and return to pot).
Next add in spices and stir to coat meat. Continue cooking for approximately one minute, stirring constantly, until spices are fragrant.
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and broth. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add chopped bell pepper and cubed squash. Partially cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes. If you are using fresh butternut squash, you may need to cook a touch longer until it's tender.
Remove bay leaves and discard. Remove from heat and adjust salt if necessary. Serve warm with your favorite toppings and Enjoy!
- Tip: When buying organic celery, it is usually priced per pound. You do not have to buy the whole cluster. You can just pull off two or three pieces and buy what you need for a recipe (as long as it is not pre-packaged). My mom hipped me to this - what a money saver!
- To save time, I used frozen, cubed, organic Butternut Squash.
- As for spiciness, if you want this Chili MILD, omit the jalapeno, only use 3 tablespoons of chili powder and 1/8 teaspoon of the crushed red pepper flakes. If you want it MEDIUM, keep the jalapeno but don’t use the ribs or seeds. If you want it SPICY, use the whole jalapeno including seeds and ribs.
- If you think the ingredient amounts look large in my pictures, your eyes are not deceiving you. I was making a double batch (one for the freezer!) in these photos!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
UPDATE NOTES: Butternut Squash Chili was originally published in October 2014 and was updated in August 2019 with step-by-step cooking instructions and photos and more helpful recipe information.
Everyone loves this chili, even people who look at you funny when they see there is squash in it. It’s the best chili recipe I’ve come across.
Thanks so much Meg!! I so appreciate that feedback <3
Absolutely my #1 go to chili recipe! It’s Whole30, Keto, Paleo, but most importantly it’s delicious and healthy!
Thanks Kim – so happy to hear that!!! 🙂
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this for our family. We’re never disappointed. We try to substitute ground bison whenever it’s on sale. By far the best chili recipe ever!! It’s great to have a delicious, hearty chili recipe that doesn’t leave you with heartburn.
Thank you SO much Lisa!! I sooo appreciate you taking the time to comment and let me know! 🙂
I will be enjoying this all fall long!
Yay!! so glad to hear it 🙂
Alyssa have you tried adapting this to the Instant Pot? I’m thinking do it all on saute (without bringing to a boil), then cooking on high pressure MANUAL for 15 minutes. Thanks!
I have! I just reduce or omit the broth 🙂
Have you tried to make this in a crockpot/slow cooker?
Hi Amye! Yes, I have. I recommend browning the onion mixture as well as beef and spices and then transferring to the slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT 1 cup broth. Omit this for the slow cooker. Set to low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
Made this recipe and we loved it. Will definitely make it again!
Hi Rosemary! Glad you loved it 🙂
This is the second recipe I made from this site today. Delicious! Just enough spice without having to call the fire department. A great alternative, other than soup, to use up all the butternut squash I have.
Hi Linda! So glad you are enjoying this Chili and thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!
This was so good! We still wanted beans, so I added a can of low-sodium black beans (drained and rinsed). It turned out really good and is just as good reheated. We will be trying with sweet potatoes next I think. Thanks!
Hi Annie! I have subbed sweet potatoes and the taste is great but they tend to fall apart a bit more so the texture is a bit different. Glad you liked it!
Is tomato sauce or paste used in this recipe? The ingredient list says one but the directions say the other.
Thank you!
Hi Jana! It’s “tomato sauce” – sorry about the confusion. I’ll update it now. Thanks so much 🙂
Although I love beans in chili, I usually don’t want to add too many. We sometimes add squash, too! It works really well. So do sweet potatoes — really worth trying, if you haven’t. I love chili weather! And yours looks great — thanks.
I love chili weather too!
I made this just for me and a friend, cutting the down the quantities but still having good portions for greedy people 🙂 with plenty left over. It worked great and tasted really authentic even though I substituted what I had with a few additions, I used mixed fresh ready chopped squash and sweet potato (the only fresh option in the store in England) which was delicious and yes, did take a while longer to cook through.
So glad it worked out with the changed Penelope!
I love making and eating chili but have never made some with squash before! Definitely something that I need to add next time. Thanks for the idea!
It is surprisingly tasty and not in a “oh, there is squash in here way”. It’s just good Thalia!
Agree with Jeanette’s comment.
Butternut squash is one of my favorite squashes.
Have you ever tried squash in Chili Norma? If not, you have got to make this – so easy and really delish!
Great idea – substituting butternut squash for beans as an alternative!
I was surprised at well it worked and everyone in the family loves this version!
It looks great! This may be a silly question but do you need to defrost the squash before you add it?
Not silly at all Penelope! You do not have to defrost it, just toss it in. I’ll update the recipe instructions now. Thanks 🙂
I love the sweet and spicy pairings in this chili! So much great flavor in every bite!!
Thanks Joanne! 🙂