Nightshade-Free AIP chili made with ground turkey, pumpkin puree, ginger, vegetables and more. This bean-less chili recipe is low-inflammatory, easy to prepare, and so comforting!
If you follow an Autoimmune Paleo diet (AIP), or are cognizant of the amount of inflammatory foods you eat, this chili recipe will please you silly!
It has that same comforting, filling essence as regular chili, but is made nightshade-free and bean-less.
This low-inflammatory rendition of chili hits your essential macronutrients and leaves you feeling so pleasantly full.
For anyone who enjoys a clean, home-cooked meal, this AIP chili recipe is fantastic! You don’t need to follow a strict diet like AIP, paleo, or Whole30 in order to enjoy this delicious chili recipe!
It is guaranteed to please all the palates.
So what do we need to do in order to make chili AIP-friendly? WELL…
How to Make Chili AIP-friendly:
Nightshades like chilies, tomatoes, and bell peppers provide a mild heat, tang, and acidity in chili.
In order to replace them and still make a chili that’s nice and thick and flavorful, with the sweet tang, I use pureed pumpkin, ginger, a lot of dried herbs, onion, garlic, lemon juice, and coconut aminos.
When all is cooked together, you still end up with a chili that has a natural sweetness, a tiny kick, big bold flavor, and that tang.
Other ingredients you can use to make an AIP chili are beet puree (for thickness, sweetness, and color), cider vinegar (to mimic the acidity of tomatoes), and nutritional yeast (for cheesy/creamy flavor).
Because beans can be pro-inflammatory and are usually avoided on AIP, Paleo, and Whole30, we replace them with chopped veggies.
I use carrots, zucchini and yellow squash, but you can choose any low-inflammatory (AIP-friendly) vegetable you would like.
So let’s make this recipe!
How to Make Nightshade-Free AIP Chili:
Heat the avocado oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it has softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and carrots and continue sautéing another 2 minutes.
Scoot the vegetables off to one side of the pot and add the ground turkey, ginger, oregano, basil, parsley, turmeric, and sea salt. Brown the turkey for 2 to 3 minutes, flip, then brown on the other side for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the meat into smaller pieces and stir it into the vegetables.
Add the remaining ingredients, cover the pot and bring to a full boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, until the vegetables have reached desired done-ness and the turkey is cooked through.
Serve chili with fresh chopped parsley, chives, and/or your choice of toppings.
Is This Recipe Low-FODMAP?:
As you know, I discuss gut health quite a bit on this site, and the majority of the recipes I make are Low-FODMAP. This recipe is not low-FODMAP due to the onion and garlic.
The onion and garlic are pretty pivotal when it comes to providing flavor to this recipe, since we are already omitting tomatoes, bell peppers, and chilies.
If you follow a Low-FODMAP diet, you may certainly omit the onion and garlic and add something else to replace the tang, such as 2 to 3 tablespoons of dijon mustard (if you don’t follow a strict AIP diet, as mustard is not allowed on AIP), more lemon juice, and/or cider vinegar.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Make recipe Low-FODMAP by omitting the onion and garlic.
- Replace the canned pumpkin with two cups mashed butternut squash and/or mashed/pureed beet.
- Add more onion, garlic, lemon juice, etc to taste.
- Replace the ground turkey with ground beef, pork or chicken.
- Add your favorite vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, celery, parsnips, turnips, celeriac, or bok choy.
More AIP Recipes:
- AIP Salmon Curry
- Nighshade-Free AIP Curry
- Turkey, Beet, and Zucchini Hash
- Zucchini and Ground Turkey Skillet
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
Enjoy this big bowl of protein and veggie bliss!
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If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
AIP Chili Recipe
Bean-free chili recipe made without tomatoes, chilies, or bell peppers for a low-inflammatory meal.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil, or cooking oil of choice
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 Tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp sea salt, to taste
- 2 small yellow squash, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini squash, chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp coconut aminos, optional
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until it has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and carrots and continue sauteing another 2 minutes.
- Scoot the vegetables off to one side of the pot and add the ground turkey, ginger, oregano, basil, parsley, turmeric, and sea salt. Brown the turkey for 2 to 3 minutes, flip, then brown on the other side for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the meat into smaller pieces and stir it into the vegetables.
- Add the remaining ingredients, cover the pot and bring to a full boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, until the vegetables have reached desired done-ness and the turkey is cooked through.
- Serve chili with fresh chopped parsley, chives, and/or your choice of toppings.
Nutrition Information
Yield 5 Serving Size 1 of 5Amount Per Serving Calories 335Total Fat 15gUnsaturated Fat 0gCarbohydrates 18gFiber 6gSugar 11gProtein 24g
Jackie
Tuesday 21st of March 2023
This is delicious! I just started the AIP diet and this is so satisfying. I made a couple vegetable substitutions based on what I had on hand. Thank you for the recipe!
Julia
Friday 24th of March 2023
That's exactly how I felt when I was eating an AIP-ish diet - I found this curry to be so comforting! I'm so happy you enjoy the recipe, Jackie! xo :)
Shauna
Thursday 23rd of February 2023
Wow! This was yummier than expected. My husband and I are both following the API diet and both loved this recipe. I read the reviews before making it and reduced the broth and used rutabaga instead of some of the squash. Delicious! It was surprising how it had a chilli flavour without having the usual ingredients! Even better leftover!
Julia
Sunday 26th of February 2023
I'm so thrilled you and your husband enjoy it, Shauna! Thanks so much for reporting back! xo
Jane
Saturday 28th of January 2023
Can this be made in an instant pot? I love this and have made it on the stove top several times.
Julia
Sunday 29th of January 2023
Hi Jane! I bet it can! I would saute the veggies in the instant pot, then pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, allow it to naturally release for 5 to 10 then release the remaining pressure. Let me know how it turns out! xo
Kinsey bruno
Friday 20th of January 2023
I make this all the time with some gf cornbread. Especially fall / winter. Really good but I change the turkey for ground beef, add way more salt (the og, recipe tastes like there’s none almost …, and add a shitload of quinoa Bc it’s a soup consistency with of recipe. I usually cook the quinoa separate and add it at the end. Over all four stars ⭐️ thanks for the post
Jen
Thursday 5th of January 2023
I’m so thrilled I found this recipe! It’s become a staple recipe in our household, even though I found it doing the AIP diet. However, i don’t think it’s comparable to a chili, as it’s much thinner and the ginger flavor is far different than chili flavor. We call it turkey ginger soup, and everyone loves it! Thanks again!!
Julia
Monday 9th of January 2023
My pleasure, Jen! Thank you for the feedback - this is very helpful to others who want to try the recipe :)