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
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
I love recipes that I can make and eat for a few nights. Always looking for something a little different, healthy, and yummy, and this recipe fits all three!
It’s so comforting and filling! xoxo
This was great! It did not turn out as thick as chili usually is (more of a stew), but it was super easy to throw together. I used homemade veggie broth and did not add the coconut aminos due to a dietary restriction. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
I’m so happy you like it, Daina! And my pleasure! It was a pleasure to make and share 😀 Hope you stay well! xo
This has become one of our favorite dinners. We love it.
I’m so happy you like it, Lois! Thanks for letting me know! 😀 xo
I just made this for my family. We’re battling different immune issues and this recipe was something we all could eat. Boy was this tasty!! I’m so happy with the results. I forgot to add lemon juice but the ginger was a great flavor. I will definitely try more of your reciepes as I embark on this AIP journey.
I’m so happy to hear you and your family enjoy the Chili! Best of luck on your health journey, and thank you for the sweet note! xoxo
This was very, very good! It was thin like a soup, so I tried thickening it with Arrowroot Powder, but was afraid of using too much and didn’t use enough. I did add a “Seeds of Change” Organic Quinoa & Brown Rice with Garlic packet to add a little more substance.
I’m so happy to hear you like it, Mary! I like the idea of thickening it. Something I do every once in a while is make the sauce first and let it gently boil to reduce and thicken before adding other ingredients. Love that you added quinoa and brown rice as well…sounds delicious! Thank you for the sweet note! xoxxo
Wow! This is an amazing dish. My adult children loved it as well! I will be making this dish often. Thank you for your outstanding food. Keep it coming 😘
I’m so happy you and your children enjoy the chili, Patty! Thanks so much for the sweet note and for the encouraging words 😀 xoxo
Really happy to find this recipe! My husband has gastro issues and has had to cut back on all nighshades etc. Tried it last night for my family everyone really liked it! Doesnt have the heat level that they have previously been used too but it was still a great substitute during this fall weather. I realized the veggies have a lot of water and probably would thin the chilli. I added tapioca to help thicken it and that did the trick. Yummy!
i made this for my family and it was delicious!! I haven’t had chili in so long due to following a pretty strict aip lifestyle so this was such a treat! it was super filling and comforting!! felt like a nice warm hug for my gut! I am not able to have pumpkin as it doesn’t seem to agree with me so i subbed that for beets. I boiled beets to soften them then added them to blender to puree, i used that in place of pumpkin and it was so delicious and it gave it such a pretty color and helped it to thicken quite a bit. I also cannot have carrots so i subbed sweet potatoes for those which also helped to thicken it a bit so in my opinion it was just like having regular chili, so delicious and so comforting. also hit the spot for pregnancy cravings lol! thanks for sharing this recipe!!!!
Love this recipe. I think it’s better than chili with tomatoes!
Thank you for this recipe. It was easy to make, hearty, and me and my family enjoyed it. I put some daiya and cilantro on top. Definitely will be coming back to this, and bookmarking Roasted Root!
I’m so happy you and your family like it, Andrea! Love the topping ideas! xo
Making this this evening for supper and it is fabulous! I too like it a little thicker so I added some small pearl tapioca to thicken! Will most definitely make this again!
Ooh, I like the idea of adding pearl tapioca! Intriguing! Thanks for the feedback, Janet! xo
THANK YOU! The flavor is so delicious! Great, cozy fall recipe. YUM!!! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes 🙂
Delicious!! Non-AIP partner said he loved it. Winner when we can both eat the same meal!!
Added turnips and less zucchini and less stock. Loved this recipe! Making this again and excited to try others from your collection.
Thank you!
That’s so great to hear, Kelsey! I love the idea of adding turnips and zucchini…I’ll do this for my next batch! Stay well! 😀 xoxo
I love this recipe – I’ve made it a couple of times and always is great. I was curious about how you could do this in an instant pot? Any suggestions are welcome! 🙂
Hi Morgan! I’m so happy you like it! For Instant Pot, I would saute the veggies first, then brown the meat for a couple of minutes. Add the liquid, secure the lid, and cook on high for 25 minutes. I’d allow it to naturally release for 15 minutes. Let me know if you try it!
@Julia, I just made this in our IP!
Sautéed the onion/garlic/carrots, then did the meat + ginger and seasonings, then added everything else and hit the chili button but put the time down to 15 and did a quick release as soon as it was done – cooked perfectly!
Yuuuum! Sounds amazing!! I’m definitely making it in my IP next time! xoxoxo Thanks lady!
I was looking for an AIP recipe to put some leftover shredded pork in and this was AWESOME! I used the pork instead of turkey. I had to leave out the lemon juice but otherwise followed the recipe and it tasted great.
Ooooh, I LOVE the idea of using pulled pork! Thanks for the inspiration..I’ll try this soon! xoxo
Is there a particular brand of chicken broth that can be used while doing AIP
Hi Susan,
I use Kettle & Fire or Pacific Foods bone broth. You can also use homemade broth, vegetable broth, or even beef broth 😀
How much cider vinegar is recommended if added?
Hi Crystal!
1 to 2 tablespoons to taste! xoxox
Can this recipe be made in a crockpot?
Hi Rebecca!
Absolutely! I would just toss everything in and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 to 8. You can also sauté the onion first before adding it to the crock pot for more flavor. Hope you enjoy! xo
Very interesting recipe thank you!
My pleasure!
I never comment on recipes, even though I cook a ton, but this was INCREDIBLE!! One of the best things I’ve ever cooked. Your chili will now be a regular rotation recipe for our family. That pumpkin created such a nice silky texture and even though there are a ton of veggies, it makes a hearty bowl. Thank you so much for this gem! Absolutely perfect winter dish.
This was absolutely amazing! The aroma as it was cooking was delightful. My husband, who does not eat chili, loved this! I added tapioca flour after it finished cooking to thicken it. Thank you for this recipe! Although I just made it I can’t wait to make it again!
That’s so great to hear, Faith! Thank you so much for letting me know…so thrilled you and your husband enjoy it 😀 xoxox
This was absolutely delicious!! I NEVER can stick to a recipe to the T.. and I did with this one and I’m sure glad I did! Thank you!!
I’m so happy you like it, Jennifer! It’s one of my personal favorites 😀 xoxoxo
We love this recipe. It’s different every time depending on the ingredients. Meat, no meat, switch the veggies. Always gets rave reviews.
This was so good I couldn’t get enough and we’ll definitely make again. I used ground beef instead of Turkey, added an orange sweet potato and used 3 cups of water because i didn’t have broth (used 3 cups instead of four based on the reviews that said it was too liquidy). I was a little generous with the seasoning and salt because of the water for broth substitution. And I made it in the instant pot following the recommendations in one of the comments. Just love it, thanks for sharing this recipe!
I’m so happy to hear it! It’s one of my favorite chili recipes to date as well. So thrilled you enjoy it! 😀
I LOVE this recipe! It turned out so good, and this is the comfort food I really needed! Thank you! I have been on the AIP diet and I feel so good!
I’m so happy to hear it, Kim! It’s one of my personal favorites to this day 🙂 xo
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. I’m not a fan of pumpkin but I tried it anyway. I couldn’t taste the pumpkin at all. The flavor was delicious!! Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so happy you like it, Becky! Yes, I love how the flavor of pumpkin gets masked in the chili. It’s one of my favorites! 😀 xo
This was delicious! I’m getting used to AIP and missing a lot of foods. Thank you for sharing!
I hear ya! Food becomes pretty boring after a while on AIP. Definitely the key for me was to go with big bold flavors. So happy you enjoy the chili!
I can’t thank you enough for this AIP Chilli recipe!! I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in May and it has been a struggle to find really tasty dishes so I don’t constantly feel deprived and bored. Too many of the recipes call for things that are hard to find or too expensive. I was used to a wide variety of spices like curry and cumin.
This is fantastic and will be a weekly regular for me all winter!! THANK YOU again!!
I’m so happy you like it, Nancy! I love how simple it is too. I appreciate the sweet note! xoxo
Oh my goodness! My daughter found this and knew it was something I could eat! I made it tonight minus 2 ingredients–lemon juice and tumeric–and even my picky husband liked it! I used a combination of shredded chicken and shredded pork–I had it on hand–and the mixture did not need thickening. I definitely will get more than 5 servings out of this recipe! At least I have meals I can heat the rest of the week!
Thank you for a wonderful chili!
My pleasure, Sharon! I’m happy to hear you and your husband enjoy the chili and am thrilled your daughter shared the link with you! What a great idea using leftover chicken and pork! I’ll have to employ the same tactic the next time I have leftover protein! Thanks so much for the sweet note, and Happy New Year! xoxo
This recipe was great! Easy to make. So delicious. My kids even ate it. Thank you.
Amazing! So happy you and your kids enjoyed the chili, Katie! Thanks so much for swinging back around to share your experience! xo
This was so delish!! Going to put it in my regular rotation. I’m Low FODMAP so I subbed green onion tops and leek tops for the yellow onion and garlic. I ate 2 giant bowls 🙂 Mine thickened up just fine, but I did simmer it longer than 25 minutes without the lid on.
I’m so happy you enjoy it, Chrissy! Thanks for sharing your changes! xo
LOVED this recipe. I am not very familiar with AIP cooking, spice substitutions etc and use of coconut aminos. However, this was great. I was maiking for my autoimmune sister to have in her freezer after knee replacement surgery.
I hate reviews that completely change the recipe and then review it. My basic change was that I used cubed pork shoulder. It was great. Then after making according to recipe, I loved the flavors but felt it needed a little more so I increased the seasonings a little(1/4 to 1/3) including the ginger, oregano and tumeric, lemon juice and coconut aminos (I loved the coconut aminos-they added so much). I also added quite a bit of black pepper because she can have that. And maybe one reason I wanted more seasoning is that I added a turnip and another large carrot (she eats tons of vegetables).
Thank you for providing such an excellent recipe.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Becky! Thank you for sharing your changes! This is always helpful for those who want to try similar adaptations, so it’s very valuable information. I’ll have to try the recipe with pork shoulder…sounds lovely!
This website is my new go to! I’ve suffered from a nightshade allergy my whole life! It’s amazing to see my favorite foods converted to something I can actually eat without a reaction. Trying one of your recipes tonight! Thanks so much!
I’m so happy you’re finding resources here, Cadence!! xoxoxo
Delicious! The pumpkin added a good flavor. It was definitely more like a soup then a chili. I added a arrowroot slurry to thicken slightly.
Good call on the arrowroot for thickening! So happy you enjoyed it, Taylor! xo
Yum! Made this with beef carrots celery and broccoli (didn’t have squash, basil or parsley) and it came out quite delicious! Really tasty zippy flavor.
I’d say definitely felt more like a soup than a chili — next time i think I’d double the beef for a heartier less brothy vibe (and maybe play with a few blends from an immersion blender so it partially thickens).
Thanks for a super tasty recipe!
Thanks so much for sharing your additions! That’s so helpful for those who want to try the same thing. I appreciate all the feedback! xoxo
I make this probably bi-weekly and it’s always great. I use ground beef and honestly I like my meat so I add 1.5 pounds. Other than that I have found no need to tweak this amazing recipe further. As someone who doesn’t eat tomatoes it’s refreshing to see a recipe without the dreaded tomatoe paste :0
Pro tip: pair it with some cast iron cornbread and you’ll be sittin pretty ! <3
Ooh, cornbread is the absolute best complement to chili – love it! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the chili recipe. I’m a fellow meat lover over hear, so high fives to you for adding in more! xoxox
Nervous to try it with the pumpkin purée. Saw the other substitutes & it all sounds scary lol. Never tried these things. Please, are there any other substitutes I can do instead or can I omit completely?
Hi Jess,
You can use mashed sweet potato or butternut squash to keep it AIP friendly. Otherwise, if you don’t need it to be AIP you can use a 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes. If you omit the pumpkin puree entirely and don’t replace it with anything, you’ll end up with soup, which will be delicious, but it won’t be thick like chili. Let me know if you have any other questions!
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!!
My pleasure, Jen! Thank you for the feedback – this is very helpful to others who want to try the recipe 🙂
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
Can this be made in an instant pot? I love this and have made it on the stove top several times.
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
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!
I’m so thrilled you and your husband enjoy it, Shauna! Thanks so much for reporting back! xo
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!
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 🙂
My family really enjoyed this. It reminded me of an AIP version of albondigas soup. I’m thinking of shaping the meat into meatballs next time, to be even more reminiscent of the meatballs soup I’ve missed since doing the AIP.
Ooh I love the idea of making AIP Albondigas Soup! Sounds delightful! Happy to hear your family enjoys the recipe xo
Vegetarian here, so I omit the meat and add beans. otherwise I follow the recipe. My whole family enjoys this and I have made it for the past few Halloween nights to share with friends. My family asks if I will make it again so here I am making it again right now for Halloween!
I’m so happy to hear you and your family enjoy the recipe with beans instead of meat 🙂 This is helpful to others who want to try the same thing. Thanks for sharing, Nikki!
This recipe wowed the whole family! My husband and my dad both chose this over the “regular” chili made for the kids.
I am not AIP, but I can’t have nightshade, and this recipe was the perfect comforting bowl of chili on a cold fall evening. I am already looking forward the the next time I make this!
I’m so happy to hear you and your family enjoy the chili, Suzanne! I find it tastes so similar to regular chili too and just love the flavor and texture. So thrilled you all feel the same and that you plan on making it again! This always feels like a win for me! 🙂 xo
This has become such a go to meal for my family!!
I use whatever veggies I have on hand, usually ends up being carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, cauliflower this time of year and use my own bone broth and it’s truly the most comforting thing! I’ve made it for others and everyone asks for the recipe! Thank you SO much for sharing this!!!
My pleasure, Tara! Thank you for the sweet note! I’m thrilled you and your family enjoy it 🙂 I love the idea of adding cauliflower and parsnips – I’ll try this too! xo
Forgot to rate the recipe
Thanks, Mary! xoxo