This Gluten-Free Chilli Con Carne is the ultimate comfort food, packed with flavourful spices! It’s the perfect choice for a hearty midweek dinner.
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Now, you may be thinking… “Isn’t chilli con carne gluten-free?”
Well, if you are using one of the packet spice mixes that you can pick up in the supermarket to help speed up the preparation process (we all could do with an extra hour in the day, hey!) Then you may or may not know that these spice sachets normally contain wheat.
Fear not my gluten-free friends, I have developed and perfected this chili recipe with an easy spice blend from scratch. It is medium spiced, but the great thing about making it from scratch is you can adjust the heat level depending on how spicy you like it! My chilli is also dairy free too!
It's rich & meaty with a smoky flavour that comes through from the paprika, I am in love with this dish at the moment, even having cooked it 4 times in the past two weeks trying to get the flavours just right, I’m still not tired of it, I hope you guys love it just as much!
If you are veggie or vegan, or just simply trying to cut down on meat, try my delicious Mixed Bean Chilli Non Carne instead.
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🥘 Ingredients Used
✋ Be sure to double check all packaging for allergens. ✋
- Beef Mince: Known in the US as ground beef. Try and use one with at least 10% fat (preferably 15%) as the fat helps intensify the flavour.
- Chopped Tomatoes: A store cupboard staple! My favourites at the moment are these Cirio Polpa which you can buy in most major supermarkets. They form the base of the smoky sauce.
- Red Kidney Beans: Beans are super healthy as they are packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are also a great source of protein. You will need to drain and rinse the beans before adding to the chilli mix.
- Tomato Puree: Used as a base along with the chopped tomatoes, this brings richness to the sauce.
- Aromatics: Onions and garlic.
- Red Pepper: I have added a red pepper to sneak in some veg to the chilli and to add a nice pop of colour.
- Beef Stock: I always use the Knorr Beef Stock Pots as they are gluten-free. (Remember to always double-check packaging). Note - the rich beef ones contain barley and milk. You can use any gluten-free stock cube.
- Dark Chocolate: This is my secret ingredient! The darker the better but at least 70% cocoa. Dark chocolate is normally dairy free too, but always check the label. The chocolate adds a real depth to the flavour and a very slight sweetness to help balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Spice Mix: Oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, chilli powder and cinnamon are mixed together to create the smoky spice blend.
✏️ How To Make Gluten-Free Chilli Con Carne
⬇️ For the full printable recipe, along with ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post ⬇️
Start by finely dicing the onion and garlic. For the red pepper, dice it into bite-sized chunks.
Next, heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the beef mince and chopped onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the meat is browned. Break up any large chunks of meat using a wooden spoon. You can then drain any excess fat into a bowl, making the dish healthier.
Now, it's time to add the garlic, red bell peppers, and spices to the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes while stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, and the spices have cooked out, you will now start to smell the delicious aromas!
Next, you need to make up the beef stock and drain the kidney beans before rinsing them under the tap in a sieve. After that, add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, drained kidney beans, beef stock, and dark chocolate to the pan, stirring to combine.
Once everything is in the pan, reduce the heat to low and let the chilli simmer for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the pan. This will help the dish thicken slightly and develop more flavour as it cooks.
As the chilli simmers, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. If cooking for small children, you may wish to leave out the salt.
After removing the pan from the heat, allow it to sit on the hob with the lid securely in place for 10 minutes. This will give time for the rich and delicious flavours to fully infuse. The lid on the pan will help to lock in the heat and prevent any steam or flavour from escaping, allowing the ingredients to meld together and create a harmonious blend of flavours.
Finally, when ready to serve, top with optional toppings like grated cheese, sour cream, and chopped fresh coriander, serve with rice and enjoy!
💡 Tips & Tricks
- I wouldn’t advise skipping the dark chocolate, it may be small but it's mighty! The chocolate adds a slight sweetness and a real depth of flavour.
- If you can, make the chilli the day before. This will give it more time to allow the flavours to fuse together, but at the very least, leave the chilli with the lid on the pan for 10 minutes after removing it from the heat before serving.
⚡ Variations
Adjust The Spice Level
I have created this recipe to be medium spiced to make it suitable to feed the whole family, but if you love a bit of heat, swap the mild chilli powder for a hot version or top with a fresh, chopped red chilli when serving.
If you want to make the dish a little milder just halve the amount of chilli powder used. You will still get the rich, smoky flavour but without the heat.
Can I Make This Recipe Vegan?
Yes, just simply replace the beef mince with a vegan plant-based mince and use a gluten-free vegetable stock and the dish will be suitable for a vegan diet.
🔪 Equipment Used
- A good non-stick saucepan.
- Sieve : used to drain the kidney beans.
- Chopping board & sharp knife to chop & prepare the vegetables.
- Wooden Spoon
🥡 Storage
This is such a great dish to batch cook, so why not make double the amount and put half in the freezer for a later date?
Leave the chilli to cool, then place in an airtight container and either store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If freezing, when ready to serve, simply defrost in the fridge overnight until thawed.
To reheat, place the chilli con carne in a saucepan and heat gently on the hob until piping hot throughout. You can also reheat it in the microwave for a few minutes, stirring halfway through.
🍴 How To Serve
This gluten-free chilli con carne is really versatile and is great served in a number of different ways.
- Simply serve alongside some rice or potato wedges and a dollop of sour cream.
- Top with some grated cheese, fresh chopped red chilli, sliced avocado, spring onion & fresh coriander for extra pizzaz!
- Make up some gluten-free nachos. Top gluten-free corn tortilla chips with salsa, guacamole, green chillies, sour cream, and a huge dollop of the gluten-free chilli, then sprinkle over some grated cheese.
💬 FAQ
"Chilli con carne" is a Spanish term that means "chilli with meat." It's a spicy stew that typically includes ground minced beef, tomatoes, beans, and various spices including chilli powder.
Yes,! You can use any type of beans you like, such as black beans, pinto beans, or even chickpeas. Just be sure to check the label to ensure they are gluten-free.
Yes, you can! To make it in a slow cooker, simply brown the meat and sauté the veggies first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the meat is tender and the flavours have melded together.
📖 More Comfort Food Recipes
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💫 Love this recipe? It would be great if you could leave a 5 ⭐ rating and comment below! Thanks x 💫
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Chilli Con Carne
Ingredients
- 500 g beef mince
- 400 g chopped tomatoes tin of
- 400 g kidney beans tin of, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 medium red pepper diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced or finely chopped
- 200 ml gluten free beef stock I have used Knorr stock pot
- 2 squares dark chocolate at least 70% cocoa
Spice Blend
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon mild chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion and garlic. Dice the red pepper into bite-sized chunks.
- Heat a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the beef mince and chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes until browned, breaking up any large chunks of meat with a wooden spoon.
- Drain any excess fat from the meat into a bowl.
- Add the garlic, red bell peppers & spices to the pan and cook for 3 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the spices have cooked out, stirring occasionally.
- Make up the beef stock and drain the kidney beans before rinsing them under the tap in a sieve.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, drained kidney beans, beef stock & dark chocolate to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Reduce heat to low and let the chilli simmer for about 25-30 minutes until it thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, ensuring it doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Once you have removed the pan from the heat, leave it to sit on the hob with the lid on for 10 minutes to really let the flavours infuse.
- Serve hot with optional toppings like grated cheese, sour cream, and chopped fresh coriander.
Notes
- I wouldn’t advise skipping the dark chocolate, it may be small but it's mighty! The chocolate adds a slight sweetness and a real depth of flavour.
- If you can, make the chilli the day before. This will give it more time to allow the flavours to fuse together, but at the very least, leave the chilli with the lid on the pan for 10 minutes after removing it from the heat before serving.
- Simply serve alongside some rice or potato wedges and a dollop of sour cream.
- Top with some grated cheese, fresh chopped red chilli, sliced avocado, spring onion & fresh coriander for extra pizzaz!
- Make up some gluten-free nachos. Top gluten-free corn tortilla chips with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and a huge dollop of the gluten-free chilli, then sprinkle over some grated cheese.
Let me know what you think of this recipe!