The weather is cooling down and I love it! I feel like the whole world gets excited for summer vacation but the fall evenings, when the temperatures are the 40s and 50s is where it's at for me! So with the cooler weather here, a big pot of this dutch oven chili is on the horizon. It's the perfect comfort food!
Is there anything cozier than hearty chili and gluten free cornbread? Its a great recipe for a chilly weeknight dinner, serve it to a crowd during football season, or cook it up over a campfire. Just add your favorite chili toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced green onions or tortilla chips and enjoy! You're going to love this hearty gluten free chili.
This classic chili recipe is made with a tomato based broth. If you want to try something a little different, check out my tomato free pumpkin chili or my popular gluten free white chicken chili.
Ingredient Notes
Everything you need for this easy dutch oven chili recipe should be easy to find in any grocery store.
- Oil - I typically use olive oil in all of my cooking, but any type of light flavored cooking oil will work fine.
- Onion - You'll need a diced white or yellow onion for this recipe. Onion and pepper are the base flavors for this dish.
- Poblano Pepper - I've used a fresh poblano pepper, which are fairly easy to find in the fall months. If you want it spicier, substitute jalapeño pepper. For a milder option, use diced green bell pepper.
- Lean Ground Beef - I like lean ground beef in my gluten free soups, because it doesn't leave you with a lot of greasy residue on top of the cooked dish. You could also replace the beef with ground turkey for a lighter meal or even use something like beyond meat to make this dish vegetarian.
- Chili Powder, Cumin, Oregano, Paprika, Onion Powder, Salt and Black Pepper - This combination of herbs and spices is what gives chili it's recognizable chili flavor. If you're following a gluten free diet, ensure your spices are gluten free. McCormick and Badia are my favorite brands.
- Garlic - I like to use freshly minced garlic cloves to flavor my chili.
- Tomato Sauce and Diced Tomatoes - Chili is usually made up of a thicker tomato based broth. A combination of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes give you nice chunks of tomato while providing enough liquid for a soup consistency. If you aren't a fan of tomato chunks, you can replace the diced tomatoes with crushed tomatoes.
- Kidney Beans and Black Beans - Use your favorite combination of beans here. Some people prefer pinto beans in chili. I like the way that kidney beans stay a little tougher after cooking. Bush's beans are my favorite for gluten free canned beans.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Make it Spicy - Replace poblano peppers with diced jalapenos to spice things up. Or add a little chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for a more flavorful chili.
- Meat Swap - Swap ground beef for ground chicken or ground turkey for a lower calorie option. Or blend the ground beef with ground pork for a twist.
- Make it Vegetarian - Replace ground beef with Beyond Meat, or a similar meatless product to make this dish vegetarian.
- Want More Broth? - If you like your chili on the soupier side, add 1-2 cups of beef broth along with the tomatoes.
How to Make Dutch Oven Chili
Using a dutch oven is my favorite way to cook chili. A dutch oven is made of cast iron, so it hold the heat steady and requires less heating. I use an enamel coated dutch oven for cooking at home. If you want to make this chili over a campfire, make sure to use a non-enameled pot.
STEP 1: Add the oil to a large dutch oven pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for about 4 minutes until they begin to soften. Then add in the peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
STEP 2: Add the ground beef to the pot. Break up the meat and cook until browned. Drain the excess fat.
STEP 3: Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, onion powder, salt, black pepper and minced garlic to the cooked beef and stir well.
STEP 4: Finally add in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and beans. Stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for at least 20 minutes.
Expert Tip
The flavor will improve the longer the chili simmers, but you will lose liquid to evaporation. Add 1 cup of beef broth or water if you want to simmer longer than 20 minutes.
What is a Dutch Oven?
A dutch oven is a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid, most often made of cast iron. It can be used on the stove top, in the oven, or on the campfire! A dutch oven is perfect for making soups, stews and chilis (and all sorts of other things, like my favorite dutch oven carnitas).
They are great for campfire cooking because the pot retains and distributes heat very well, helping to provide consistent heat even when your heat source (the campfire) can be a little unpredictable. For campfire cooking, I would recommend a fully cast iron dutch oven inside and outside (Lodge brand is my favorite). The enameled dutch oven in my photos is what I use for stovetop dutch oven recipes.
Storage
Leftover chili can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Chili is great for meal prep, and the flavors just get better the next day!
For longer term storage, freeze leftover chili in a freezer safe glass container. Or use souper cubes to make perfect portion sizes (I love them!). Make sure to leave room at the top of the container for the chili to expand as it freezes. When ready to eat, let it thaw in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove top or in the microwave!
Other gluten free soups to consider:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Dutch Oven Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Cup White Onion diced
- 1 Poblano Pepper seeded and diced
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper to taste
- 15 ounces Tomato Sauce (can)
- 14.5 ounces Diced Tomatoes (can)
- 15 ounces Black Beans (can) drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce Kidney Beans (can) drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Add the oil to a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion to the oil and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Cup White Onion
- Add the diced pepper to the onion and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.1 Poblano Pepper
- Add the ground beef to the pot with the onion and peppers. Break into smaller pieces and cooked until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain excess fat.1 pound Lean Ground Beef
- Add the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper to the cooked beef and stir well.2 cloves Garlic, 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder, 1 teaspoon Cumin, ½ teaspoon Oregano, ½ teaspoon Paprika, ½ teaspoon Onion Powder, 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Black Pepper
- Finally, add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and beans to the beef mixture. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Allow it to cook for about 20 minutes.15 ounces Tomato Sauce (can), 14.5 ounces Diced Tomatoes (can), 15 ounces Black Beans (can), 15 ounce Kidney Beans (can)
- Add you favorite toppings and serve!
Notes
- Make it Spicy - Replace poblano pepper with diced jalapenos to spice things up.
- Meat Swap - Swap ground beef for ground turkey for a lower calorie option.
- Make it Vegetarian - Replace ground beef with Beyond Meat, or a similar meatless product to make this dish vegetarian.
- Want More Broth? - If you like your chili on the soupier side, add 1-2 cups of beef broth along with the tomatoes.
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
RIck Appleby says
Ps. Used farm fresh angus beef. Perfect!
RIck Appleby says
Yum! Nice recipe. I finally have a Dutch oven and I believe this was better than the crockpot recipe I typically use. I didn’t have a poblano but put green pepper in. My husband likes that anyway. Really nice seasoning! Thanks!!!
Terry says
Made this just today. Used cubed steak instead of ground beef, definitely a good idea. also added about 1/2 cup of Guinness Stout for added flavor.
I'm glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
A note for other readers: if you add stout the chili will no longer be gluten free.
JohnK says
This was a tasty and easy to make recipe. I left out the Poblano for the wife, but otherwise the seasonings were perfect. Might make it with steak next time, but the hamburger was fine.
I'm so glad you liked it. Now I want to give it a try with steak - I bet that would be great!