Healthy Game Day Chili

This hearty chili is great on its own, balanced with a salad, or served over a baked sweet potato for an even heartier meal. Grass-fed beef is nutritionally superior to grain-finished beef and the quinoa adds an additional healthful twist. Grass-finished bison or ground turkey can be substituted for beef or completely left out if you’d prefer a 100% plant-based chili.

6 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 medium yellow or white onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound 90% lean ground grass-fed beef
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1½ teaspoons sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
    • ½ cup dry quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup water, plus more to thin, if desired
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans no salt added kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn

Instructions

  1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large heavy pot. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
  2. Add the beef, salt, and spices. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, work to break up beef into smaller pieces and continue to sauté an additional 3-4 minutes, until browned. If making vegetarian, skip to step 3.
  3. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, quinoa, water, beans, and corn. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. The chili will thicken as it cooks. Thin with additional water or tomato sauce, if desired.