• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Heather Cooan logo
  • My Story
  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Resources
  • Services
  • Success Stories
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • My Story
  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Resources
  • Services
  • Success Stories
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • My Story
    • Recipes
    • Articles
    • Resources
    • Services
    • Success Stories
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Dairy-Free (DF)

    Black Bean Chili (Low-Carb, GFDF)

    Published: Sep 19, 2019 · Modified: Jan 31, 2022 by Heather Cooan · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.

    The best fall meal ever has got to be chili! This black bean chili is a lower-carb version of the original. So you can have that same great chili feeling but stay within your carb budget.

    We make chili in the crockpot year-round, but it always tastes better when it’s cold outside. Who am I kidding? Here in Arizona, it’s definitely not cold yet, but you can just tell that fall is coming. The fall feeling is here and that means, it’s time for some chili.

    Bowl of Black Bean Chili Topped with Cheese and Green Onion
    Low-Carb Black Bean Chili

    This chili is a little different...if you been following me for a while, you know that I've had to battle with leaky gut in the past. Even though I've won the battle and recovered from leaky gut, while I was reacting to a ton of different foods, I had to figure out how to substitute those foods out in recipes.

    Kidney beans were one of those foods that I was reacting to for a period of time. So this chili is made with black beans. You can use black soybeans for an even lower carb count and if you’re looking to lower the carb count even further, you can easily omit the beans altogether and the chili will be just as scrumptious.

    This black bean chili recipe makes for fabulous leftovers, I use it for chili dogs and chili burgers! It's also really yummy to scoop with pork rinds.

    Are Black Beans Keto?

    No, black beans are typically not on keto-friendly food lists. Legumes in general tend to be omitted when following a ketogenic diet.

    Black beans are higher in starch than other foods and they can be inflammatory for some folks.

    How Many Carbs Do Black Beans Have?

    According to the USDA, a one-cup serving (about 172 grams) of cooked black beans nutrition provides approximately:

    • 227 calories
    • 40.8 grams carbohydrates
    • 15.2 grams protein
    • 0.9 gram fat
    • 15 grams fiber
    • If you count net carbs and subtract fiber, you're looking at 25.8 grams of carbohydrates per cup of black beans.

    That's a lot of carbs! But is it really?

    Are you going to eat a whole cup of black beans in one sitting? Probably not. It's more likely that you'll include them in a recipe like this black bean chili and eat a much smaller portion than a cup.

    If you're following a therapeutic ketogenic diet to manage chronic illness like cancer, it's definitely too many carbs. But if you're watching your carbohydrate intake to maintain health or lose weight, black beans can definitely be included in a well-balanced low-carb diet. If you can tolerate them, go for it!

    Keto Corn Bread

    Julia over at The Roasted Root has a pretty awesome faux cornbread recipe using almond flour. If you're into cornbread with your chili, it's totally worth checking out. The recipe is gluten-free but calls for coconut sugar and ghee, of course, you can easily substitute these out for coconut oil and your favorite sweetener.

    Faux cornbread squares stacked in a dish on parchment paper.
    Image Credit: TheRoastedRoot

    Sounds like a great meal to me! Top your chili with some diced yellow or green onions, cheese or sour cream (if you can tolerate dairy), or hot sauce. Pair it with an awesome keto corn bread and dig in. On a cold fall or winter day, this would be the a wonderfully warm and comforting lunch.

    I'd love to know what you think of both the black bean chili and the paleo cornbread if you decide to whip these up on a blustery fall afternoon. Let me know in the comments how things turn out!

    Bowl of Black Bean Chili Topped with Cheese and Green Onion

    Low-Carb Black Bean Chili

    Chili is the best fall and winter dish. So warm and hearty! It can definitely blow your carb budget if you're not careful though. This low-carb black bean chili is a less carby version of the original.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
    Course: Mains
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 18 Servings
    Calories: 218kcal
    Author: Heather Cooan

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds ground beef
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 large onion chopped, divided
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 30 oz. black beans 2 cans
    • 28 oz. diced tomatoes 2 small cans or 1 large
    • 14 oz. beef broth 1 can
    • ¼ cup chili powder
    • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 tablespoon salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper

    Instructions

    • Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the meat is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease.
    • Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in ¾ of the onion and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes and add to crock pot. Stir in the drained meat along with the black beans, diced tomatoes, and beef broth. Season with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
    • Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce to low heat. Simmer at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer you let it go, the better it tastes. The black beans hold up nicely.
    • Optional: Top chili with whatever you prefer - cheese, sour cream, crumbled bacon, or chopped green onion.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 578mg | Potassium: 497mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1067IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « 10 Dairy-Free Keto Lunch Ideas
    Pumpkin Bread (Keto, GF) »
    214 shares
    • 136

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Denise Rich says

      January 02, 2020 at 3:55 pm

      I'm going to make this recipe with black soybeans, very very low carb! Sounds great!

    2. Heather Cooan says

      January 02, 2020 at 4:19 pm

      Awesome! It's yummy with black soybeans and that substitute definitely brings down the carb count. Enjoy!

    3. A Magical Life says

      February 04, 2021 at 3:40 pm

      Just a heads up, Eden recently changed their labels to say that their black soybeans are 5 grams of net carbs per 1/2 cup serving instead of 1 gram of carbs (one half-cup serving is now listed as 11 grams of carbs and 6 grams of fiber). The company says they have not changed their recipe but that the FDA changed labeling laws. The numbers listed online are from their original labels (even the FDA says they use numbers provided by manufacturers).

      One can of Eden organic black soybeans used to be 3 net carbs according to their label, and now their label says it's 18 net grams of carbs.

      Since they say the ingredients are the same as always, I'm kind of suspicious that they have had incorrect numbers all this time and people have inadvertently consuming way more carbs than they thought. The national nutrition database says they get their numbers from the manufacturers, so it's Eden's original numbers that are still online and used by most sites/apps.

    4. Heather Cooan says

      February 04, 2021 at 5:40 pm

      Interesting. This recipe uses two cans of black beans for a total carb count of 141g and 59g of fiber. The nutrition information appears to be accurate despite any changes to Eden's labeling. Thanks for the heads up.

    5. Kristi says

      January 21, 2022 at 7:34 pm

      5 stars
      Best chili I have ever eaten. I added sweet peppers. Yummy!!! Hubby approved!

    6. Heather Cooan says

      January 24, 2022 at 8:38 am

      YAY!! I'm so glad you both enjoyed it! It's always a bonus when hubby or the kiddos like it. 🙂

    7. Claire says

      May 31, 2022 at 12:14 am

      Thanks for the recipe, Heather! I'm sorry to hear that you struggled with leaky gut syndrome. I suspect that's a contributor to some of my sudden food allergies, so I'm trying to keep my carbs on the low side, while still enjoying as much variety as I can. I recently came across a recipe for a chili cheese dog chaffle and that sent me on a quest to find a recipe for low-carb chili. And here we are 🙂 I appreciate your suggestion of black soy beans. Not everybody knows about those. I only recently heard of them, myself. I'm going to use regular black beans, this time, but it's great to have options. Anyway, I'm looking forward to trying your recipe and thanks for taking the time to post it 😀

    8. Heather Cooan says

      June 03, 2022 at 12:43 pm

      Hi Claire, I hope you love the chili for your chaffle! Sending healing vibes on that gut, it can be a long journey to healing. Way to choose you!

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Heather Cooan - Nutrition Consulting, Counseling, and Education

    Hi, I'm Heather! I’m a Functional Nutrition Consultant and Educator helping women suffering with autoimmunity and cancer to take control of their health and their care through education, data-driven nutritional therapy, and strategic lifestyle design.

    More about me →

    POPULAR RECIPES

    • Turkey Stew (GFDF, Keto, Paleo, AIP, Whole30, Low Iron)
    • Roast Duck (Keto, Paleo, GFDF, AIP, Whole30)
    • Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (GFDF, Keto, Paleo, AIP, Whole30)
    • Vanilla Ice Cream (Keto, Paleo, GFDF)
    • The Best Keto Low-Carb Brownie Recipes
    • Leftover Prime Rib Recipes (Keto, AIP, Whole30, Paleo)

    LATEST ARTICLES

    • Lichen Sclerosus Podcast Interview
    • Body Wise Podcast Interview
    • Migraine Headaches: Nutritional Therapy Approaches
    • 20 Holiday Keto Cookie Recipes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Affiliate Disclosure
    • Accessibility Policy

    Let's Connect!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Subscribe for Recipes and Updates

    My Amazon Favorites

    Work With Me

    • Functional Nutrition Services
    • Contact Us
    • Media and Press

    Disclaimer All information on this website and in HDC Media products, services, meal plans, and content is general information. Nothing on the website or any HDC Media content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

    Affiliate Disclosure Many outgoing links on HeatherCooan.com are affiliate links. If you purchase a product after clicking an affiliate link, I receive a small percentage of the sale for referring you, at no extra cost to you. HDC Media is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    Copyright © 2022 Functional Nutrition Consultant - Heather Cooan

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok