Our Favorite Non-Spicy Chili Recipe

Source: Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

I know, I know… to some people having chili without a peppery kick is insane. Sorry! My husband has stomach issues and can’t do spicy, and after avoiding spice for his sake for so long, my stomach no longer has any tolerance for heat. Chili doesn’t have to be spicy to be tasty though, so if you like a more savory, less fiery chili, you may want to give this one a try!

This recipe started out as a Home Fresh recipe, but then I made some changes to turn it into one that we have eaten for the last 5+ years. As soon as the weather starts getting colder, without fail Travis will ask when we are having chili…

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 2 Poblano peppers (green peppers are an okay substitute)
  • 1 clove Garlic, minced
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • Beef stock concentrate
  • 1 box, Crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cans, Diced tomatoes
  • 2 cans, Kidney beans
  • Chili Powder, to taste
  • Cumin, to taste
  • Cheddar Cheese
  • Sour Cream

Step 1: Start the soup pot.

First things first, rinse your kidney beans and add them to a big soup pot. Also, add some shakes of the beef stock concentrate (maybe a tablespoon or two, use your judgement), all the various tomatoes and about a cup of water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer while you’re doing the rest of the steps.

Step 2: Cook the ground beef or turkey.

Add a little olive oil to a large pan and throw in the ground turkey. I usually stick with turkey because I can’t have a lot of red meat… and it tastes just as good, so why not?! Break the ground turkey into chunks and cook through until there is no more pink. Add the cooked turkey to the simmering soup pot. Wipe out the pan, but no need to wash it.

Step 3: Slice and Dice.

Chop your onion, mince your garlic and slice your Poblano peppers into little itty-bitty pepper squares. Pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil in the pan and add the onion, peppers and garlic. Sauté until slightly softened. Then, shake on a bunch of chili powder and cumin until the veggies are nice and covered. Stir it around a bit, and then add everything into the simmering soup pan.

Step 4: Finish Up.

Go ahead and wash your pan and clean up the kitchen, letting all the ingredients simmer together as long as you’d like. A half hour is good, an hour is even better because it just gets more flavorful!

Step 5: Plate & Eat.

Serve the chili divided between bowls with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top.

I love this recipe – the flavors are so delicious and it reheats really well too for a leftover’s meal. I’ve also frozen it to thaw out later and enjoy, and it’s pretty great then too. So, I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

Like what you see? Share me with your friends!

8 thoughts on “Our Favorite Non-Spicy Chili Recipe”

    1. Hi Marsha – I usually just grab a couple of the 12 oz or 16 oz size. However, sometimes I don’t have all the right ingredients at home and you can really throw in whatever you have sitting around!

  1. I am at a loss at the title of this recipe. Like your husband, my stomach does not handle hot spices. I have to question your ingredients: Pablano peppers and Chilli powder…..seriously? Your title is misleading.

    1. Actually, my title is not misleading at all. This chili recipe is not spicy. A few shakes of chili powder for the whole dish just adds flavor without heat. As for the poblano peppers, once the seeds are removed they aren’t spicy. If you’re concerned about the peppers, you can always go with green peppers – which I do when the grocery store is out of poblano peppers.

    2. Chili powder is generally just flavor, and poblanos have a great pepper flavor and tend to be very mild. Wouldn’t be concerned about either. The tomatoes add sweetness as well so this is about as mild as you’re going to get.
      You can’t have “chili” without some sort of peppers or chilis— we’d be entering some sort of weird ground beef stew territory.

      1. Sorry. I’m from Texas and have been told you can’t have chili without peppers. I am sick of it. Eat it as hot as you like it but don’t tell me it’s not chili without peppers. Have a little respect for those who don’t like having their lips and tongue set on fire. YOU are the problem.

Leave a Reply to Joules Cancel reply

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