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Home Blog Cuisine American

Whole30 Chili (with Chocolate!) – Paleo

Cheryl Malik
Cheryl Malik Posted: 11/03/16 Updated: 12/22/22
5
/5
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P Paleo 30 Whole30

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This whole30 chili is absolutely full of flavor, loaded with sweet potato, chipotle chili powder, garlic, cocoa powder, sweet potatoes, and fire-roasted tomatoes. It’s paleo and Whole30-approved!

Whole30 Chili (with Chocolate!) - Paleo // 40 Aprons

Hello darkness, my old friend… It’s me! Your very favorite ultra-sporadic blogger, Cheryl of 40 Aprons. You used to read my blog… remember? It was a while ago, but we had a thing. I might even call it a connection… a spark? Whatever you want to call it, we had it.

Ah yes, what’s happened since we last chatted? Besides being voted Blogger Most Likely to Fall Off the Face of the Planet, I’ve been doing things like working like a madlady at my agency job, continuing the good ol’ side hustle (and we’re caught up on our waitlist over at my food blog designer service, so get in touch if you’re ready to upgrade your blog’s look! Spoiler alert: it’s important.), putting our house on the market, building our dream house, taking my crazy little one to Spain, and making the best Whole30 chili (with chocolate!). But oh, how I’ve missed you!

Whole30 Chili (with Chocolate!) - Paleo // 40 Aprons

I knew I just had to share this recipe when we made it the other night. We’re on our second Whole30 right now because #spain, and I can’t wait to share our whys and hows for doing the Whole30 (and now again!). Going into things this round, I knew that I had to include recipes that made lots of leftovers and that weren’t um, how do I put this… roast chicken, eggs, or meatballs? With fall supposedly upon us, despite record high temperatures, I knew a spicy, rich chili had to happen. And I’m not really into bell peppers or drier chilis, so this slightly smoky, majorly flavorful recipe absolutely fits the bill whilst feeling a bit indulgent and naughty, too. The cocoa powder adds a depth that grounds the dish but isn’t “chocolatey,” so don’t be afraid of it!

With cocoa powder, chipotle chili powder, sweet potatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, and loads of garlic, this Whole30 chili recipe is destined to become a regular in your meal plan, but I promise that any meat-eater would love this dish. It’s so aromatic and rich, grounded and perfectly spicy… what’s not to love?

Whole30 Chili (with Chocolate!) - Paleo // 40 Aprons

Not familiar with the Whole30? Learn all about what it is and why it’s amazing.

Whole30 Chili (with Chocolate!) – Paleo

Whole30 Chili (with Chocolate!) - Paleo // 40 Aprons

Whole30 Chili (with Chocolate!) - Paleo // 40 Aprons

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

Whole30 Chili (with Chocolate!) - Paleo // 40 Aprons
5 from 4 votes

Whole30 Chili (with Chocolate!) - Paleo

Prep:10 minutes
Cook:1 hour 30 minutes
Total:1 hour 40 minutes
This whole30 chili is full of flavor with chipotle chili powder, cocoa, garlic, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Destined to become a regular in your meal plan!
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6 people

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 white onions , diced
  • 4-6 cloves garlic , minced
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons chipotle chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • a few dashes of ground cinnamon
  • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
  • 2 (14-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 (14-ounce) can beef broth
  • 1 cup water (or more beef broth or dark beer, if you're not on Whole30)
  • 1 medium sweet potato , peeled and diced into bite-sized cubes

Instructions 

  • Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high. When the oil is hot and melted, add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they're soft and translucent, about 7-10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir constantly until it's fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the ground beef into the pan, stirring with your spoon to break up. Cook until brown and evenly crumbled.
  • In a small bowl, combine the allspice, oregano, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk with a fork to combine, then add to the pot. Add in a few dashes of cinnamon then add the tomato paste, stirring until well-combined.
  • Add the cans of diced tomatoes, beef broth, water, and sweet potato, then stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered for at least an hour, and don't skip this step! It's important to the dish. When ready to serve, ladle into bowls and garnish to your heart's content.

Notes

To serve: sliced green onions. 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 6g, Calories: 377kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Sodium: 1498mg, Potassium: 1153mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 2209IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 95mg, Iron: 7mg, Net Carbs: 9g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik

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Adapted from JessicaRodriguezFitness.com.

Cheryl Malik

Meet Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.

Read more...

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  1. Missy says

    Posted on 12/19/20 at 11:05 am

    can you use stew meat rather than ground beef?

    Reply
    • Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 2/19/21 at 12:25 pm

      We haven’t tested it with stewed meat, but let us know how it goes! It sounds like it’d be yummy!5 stars

      Reply
  2. Haley says

    Posted on 10/13/20 at 5:51 pm

    Great recipe, except I’m not sure it truly needs for 2 Tablespoons of chipotle chili powder? Is that correct? Flavor was pretty overwhelming, perhaps I’ll do 1-2 teaspoons next time.

    Reply
  3. Kelsey L Eastman says

    Posted on 2/18/20 at 2:39 pm

    This is an absolutely amazingly delicious chili recipe. I am so glad that I found it. I added some kidney and black beans to it, to make it thicker and to go longer. It is has a hot spicy bite to it that can be toned down, if desired, with a dollop of sour cream. I can’t add how delicious it is. I recommend it to anyone!5 stars

    Reply
  4. Olga says

    Posted on 4/9/17 at 7:13 pm

    I made chili for the first time today and decided to try this recipe. It is absolutely delicious!5 stars

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 4/10/17 at 11:10 am

      Yay! I’m so glad that your first chili was a success 🙂 Thank you for your comment!

      Reply
  5. Linda Breve says

    Posted on 12/4/16 at 8:32 am

    When and how much sweet potatoes do you add? Picture looks amazing!5 stars

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 12/7/16 at 10:16 am

      Sorry about that – I updated the recipe!

      Reply

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