Nightshade-Free AIP Chili Recipe (Paleo, Whole30)

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!

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!

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4.50 from 141 votes

AIP Chili Recipe

Bean-free chili recipe made without tomatoes, chilies, or bell peppers for a low-inflammatory meal.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 335kcal

Author: Julia

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

Serving: 1of 5 | Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 15g | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g