High Protein Low Carb Crockpot Chili

No-bean slow cooker chili made with ground beef and ground turkey, 37 g protein and about 7 g net carbs per bowl.

By Shary Eliot ·NOV 7, 2026 ·Be the first to rate

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01Why this one

Some dinners ask a lot of you, and some just ask you to start them. This low carb crockpot chili is the second kind. Two meats, a few cans, a handful of spices, and the slow cooker does the rest while the afternoon goes on without you.

It lands at 37 grams of protein and about 7 grams of net carbs per bowl. No beans, nothing sweetened, nothing to stir every twenty minutes. You brown the meat, fill the crock, put the lid on and walk away. By the time the house smells like chili powder and cumin, dinner is basically done.

Where chili comes from, and why it never had beans

Chili is a Texas story. The state made chili its official dish in 1977, and the old Texas argument is that real chili is meat and chiles, with no beans in the pot. You can have your own opinion on that. In a low carb kitchen, the old argument is a gift, because the beans were always the carb problem.

The other tradition worth borrowing is the pot itself. Chili has always been something you start early and leave alone. Cold weather, a crowd to feed, a long afternoon. A slow cooker is just that idea with a timer and a lid, and I’m grateful for it every time the weather turns.

At our table

Every recipe on this site gets cooked in my own kitchen first, and this pot went through my crock before it ever got written down. I’m a mom cooking for two kids, so I judge a low carb dinner by one thing. Does it get eaten like the real thing?

Nobody at the table should be checking for what’s missing. That’s the bar I set for every pot I make, chili included.

January is when this pot earns its spot. The holiday cooking is over, the nights are cold and dark early, and a big pot that sits on the counter and stays hot is exactly what I want. It also suits a game day, because people serve themselves and nobody has to stand at the stove. If you’re planning the whole spread, my Super Bowl recipes roundup has plenty of company for it.

How it became low carb and high protein

Most no-bean chili recipes use ground beef alone. Beef gives you the deep, savory flavor, but a whole pot of it can taste heavy. Ground turkey is leaner and milder, and it soaks up the chili powder and cumin instead of fighting them.

So the two share the pot evenly, 1 1/2 pounds each. You get the beefy flavor, a lighter bowl and a lot of protein. Across eight servings, that’s 37 grams per bowl, which is why “high protein” in the title is earned.

One step I won’t skip is browning the meat first. It takes about ten minutes in one skillet and it matters. Raw ground meat dropped straight into a crock turns into one gray lump. Brown it, break it up, drain it, and the chili comes out with real texture.

Classic chili gets its carbs from beans, a spoonful of something sweet, and sometimes a bottle of beer in the pot. Here the beans are gone, nothing sweet goes in, and the liquid is beef broth. The tomatoes are plain: no-salt-added diced tomatoes, tomato sauce with no sugar added, and a little tomato paste for depth. Bell pepper, onion and green chiles give the bulk the beans used to.

Check your labels, since canned tomato products are where sweeteners sneak in. A tablespoon of alcohol-free Worcestershire sauce adds the savory background note, and the chili powder and cumin do the rest of the talking.

The numbers come from USDA FoodData Central. Each bowl has 415 calories, 37 grams of protein, 10 grams of total carbs, 2 grams of fiber and 26 grams of fat, so net carbs come to about 7 grams from unrounded USDA values. The shredded cheddar on top is already counted. Sour cream is not, so add it if you like.

03At the stove

Low carb slow cooker chili, step by step

The order matters more than the speed. Brown the beef and turkey with the onion, pepper and garlic in a large skillet until there’s no pink left, then drain it. Move everything into a 6-quart slow cooker, add the tomatoes, sauce, paste, chiles, broth and spices, and stir once.

Cook it on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Use a food thermometer. Ground meat is only done at a safe temperature once it’s cooked through, and the USDA says to thaw meat before it goes in the slow cooker. A frozen block of ground meat stays too cold for too long. Thaw it in the fridge the night before and you’re fine.

When you lift the lid, the chili should be thick enough to hold a spoon upright for a second. If it’s thin, leave the lid cracked for the last 30 minutes. If it’s too thick, loosen it with a splash of broth. And if you want a quicker pot, my paleo chili is ready in under an hour. This one is the slow, hands-off version with more protein.

A few swaps that keep the numbers low:

Use all ground beef or all ground turkey if that’s what you have, keeping the total at 3 pounds.
Add a pinch of cayenne or a diced jalapeno for more heat.
Stir in a diced zucchini or a cup of quartered mushrooms for more bulk.
Use coconut aminos in place of the alcohol-free Worcestershire sauce if you prefer.
Top with sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack or a spoonful of Greek yogurt.

This is a good meal prep pot. One batch gives you lunches for the week, and the flavor is better on day two. Cool the chili within two hours of cooking, then refrigerate it in shallow containers. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, per the USDA leftovers guidance, and it freezes well for about 3 months. Freeze it flat in zip bags so it thaws fast. Reheat to 165°F on the stove or in the microwave, not in the slow cooker, which warms food too slowly.

The recipe

High Protein Low Carb Crockpot Chili

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Prep: 20 MIN
Cook: 7 HRS
Total: 7 HRS 20 MIN
Serves: 8

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01Ingredients

8 bowls

02Gear & pantry

03Method

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04Recipe notes

01Nutrition per bowl (1 1/2 cups, includes the cheddar topping): 415 calories, 37 g protein, 10 g total carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, about 7 g net carbs (total carbs minus fiber, from unrounded USDA values), 26 g fat. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central with the meat weighed raw. Sour cream is not included. Check tomato product labels for added sweeteners. Refrigerate within 2 hours, keep 3 to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat to 165°F on the stove or in the microwave.