Weight Watchers Chili

Craving a big bowl of chili? This Weight Watchers chili gives you all the cozy, spicy comfort of a classic beef and bean chili, made lighter with lean ground beef, two kinds of beans, and plenty of vegetables. It simmers away in the slow cooker, so a warm, filling dinner is ready whenever you are.

This is one of my all-time favorite Weight Watchers friendly recipes! It's loaded with protein-packed lean meat and good-for-you ingredients like onions, celery, tomatoes, and beans. But most importantly, it's just good.

A note on WW Points: WeightWatchers updates its program regularly, so we no longer list a single Points number here. On the current Points program, plain canned beans and non-starchy vegetables like onions, celery, and tomatoes are ZeroPoint foods, which means most of the Points in this chili come from the ground beef and the olive oil. Your exact value depends on your plan and the beef you buy, so enter the ingredients into the recipe builder in the WW app to get your personal number.

We love chili recipes around here. It's one of those meals you can leave to simmer on the stove or in the slow cooker all day, then dig in whenever you're ready. After living in the Midwest for five years, I fully appreciate chili as the perfect answer to every cold day. It's something to look forward to when it's just too cold to go outside!

This Weight Watchers chili recipe is:

• An easy slow cooker meal that's perfect for busy weeknights.
• Loaded with flavor from garlic, onions, and plenty of spice.
• Simple to make with ingredients you probably have on hand.
• Hearty, filling comfort food that doesn't feel like diet food.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Lean ground beef. Choose 93% lean or leaner to keep the fat (and Points) down, and drain it well after browning. Extra-lean ground turkey or ground chicken breast works too and makes the chili even lighter.
• Onions, celery, and garlic. These build the savory base of the chili. Chopped bell peppers or carrots are easy additions if you want to sneak in more vegetables.
• Diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Use canned diced tomatoes with their juices plus plain tomato sauce. Fire-roasted diced tomatoes add a nice smoky note.
• Kidney and pinto beans. Rinse and drain canned beans to remove excess sodium. Black beans or great northern beans are fine swaps, and you can use all one kind if that's what's in your pantry.
• Spices. Chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and ground red pepper (cayenne) bring the heat. The bay leaves and whole allspice berries add a subtle warmth. If you only have ground allspice, use about ¼ teaspoon.

Helpful Tips

Brown the beef first. It's tempting to put raw meat straight into the slow cooker, but browning it in a skillet adds a deeper, meatier flavor and lets you drain off the fat before it ends up in your chili. Break the beef into small crumbles as it cooks so it's evenly distributed in every spoonful.

Adjust the spice level. As written, this chili is flavorful with a mild kick. If you like more heat, add another pinch of ground red pepper or some sliced jalapeños. Our DIY Taco Seasoning is also delicious stirred into chili in place of some of the chili powder.

Make it on the stovetop. If you prefer the stovetop over the slow cooker, brown the beef and soften the vegetables in a large pot, then add the remaining ingredients. Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer partially covered for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring now and then, until the flavors come together.

Don't forget to fish out the whole spices. Bay leaves and whole allspice berries are great for flavor but not fun to bite into. Count them as they go in, then remove and discard them before serving.

Choose light toppings. Garnish your chili with fresh cilantro for a pretty finish. For a creamy topping, plain nonfat Greek yogurt is a great lighter swap for sour cream, and a sprinkle of reduced-fat shredded cheese goes a long way.

Variations

• Turkey chili. Swap the beef for extra-lean ground turkey for a lighter take, similar to our Copycat Panera Turkey Chili.
• Extra veggie chili. Add diced zucchini, bell peppers, or corn in the last hour of cooking to stretch it further.
• Smoky chili. Add a chopped chipotle pepper in adobo or a teaspoon of smoked paprika.
• Instant Pot chili. Brown the beef and vegetables on Sauté, add everything else, then pressure cook on high for 10 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
• Chili mac. Stir in cooked whole wheat elbow pasta for a kid-friendly twist.

Serving Ideas

Ladle this chili into bowls and set out a simple toppings bar with chopped green onions, cilantro, diced avocado, Greek yogurt, and a little shredded cheese so everyone can build their own bowl. For a lighter meal, spoon it over cilantro lime cauliflower rice or a baked sweet potato.

If you're serving a crowd, a pan of Mexican cornbread or a crisp green salad rounds out the meal nicely. And if you like soup nights, pair it with our Weight Watchers Taco Soup for a cozy week of easy, healthy dinners.

Storing & Freezing

Let leftover chili cool, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Like most chili, it tastes even better the next day once the spices have had time to meld, which makes it a great make-ahead lunch. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or the whole batch in a pot over medium heat, adding a splash of water or broth if it has thickened.

This chili freezes beautifully. Portion the cooled chili into freezer-safe containers or zip-top bags, leaving a little room for expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stovetop until hot all the way through. Freezing it in single servings makes for an easy grab-and-go meal on busy days.

More Weight Watchers Recipes

If you loved this recipe, here are a few more you might enjoy:

• Weight Watchers Taco Soup
• Weight Watchers Meatballs
• Weight Watchers Hamburger Stroganoff
• Weight Watchers Meatloaf

More Healthy Eating Resources

• More of my own Weight Watchers Friendly Recipes!
• The Weight Watchers 50th Anniversary Cookbook is packed with 280 healthy recipes!
• This Skinnytaste Slow Cooker cookbook is an amazing source for recipes that will keep you on your diet plan.
• Or, if you're on a low-carb diet, check out the Low Carb Recipes from Step Away from the Carbs!

Recipe

Weight Watchers Chili

This hearty Weight Watchers chili is made with lean ground beef, kidney and pinto beans, tomatoes, and warm spices, then simmered low and slow in the slow cooker. It's easy, filling comfort food that's lighter than classic chili.

4.6 from 24 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Main dishes, Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 343 kcal

Equipment

• Slow Cooker (or Instant Pot)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound lean ground beef 93% lean or leaner
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup celery finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves chopped or pressed
• 2 cups diced tomatoes canned, with their juices
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 12 ounce red kidney beans canned, rinsed and drained
• 12 ounce pinto beans canned, rinsed and drained
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 allspice whole berries (or ¼ teaspoon ground)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
• salt to taste

Instructions

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off the fat and transfer the beef to a 6-quart slow cooker.
• Return the skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the slow cooker.
• Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, bay leaves, allspice, chili powder, oregano, black pepper, cumin, and ground red pepper. Stir to combine.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours (or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours), until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended.
• Remove and discard the bay leaves and whole allspice berries. Taste, season with salt as needed, and serve with your favorite toppings.

Notes

Stovetop method: Brown the beef and soften the vegetables in a large pot, add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

WW Points: Points vary by plan and by the beef you use. Enter the ingredients into the recipe builder in the WW app for your personal value.

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 29gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 526mgPotassium: 1322mgFiber: 13gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 965IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 118mgIron: 7mg

Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.

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