Is chili keto friendly?

What’s better than throwing a bunch of ingredients together in a crock pot or slow cooker and heading out for the day to come back to a pot of chili waiting for you for dinner, but just how many of the ingredients in chili are keto friendly?

After starting the ketogenic diet I wasn’t sure if I could keep eating chili, so I researched and tried to find an answer… so is chili keto friendly?

I did some research which I have provided below. I also have given you a quick answer to this question if you are in a hurry.

Is chili keto friendly?

Yes and no. Chili can be keto friendly, but your classic homemade chili is NOT keto friendly.

But that is only if you make sure you stay away from some of the carb filled ingredients in your classic chili like, kidney beans, onions, crackers, and more.

Findings & Research

Here is some of my research and findings when looking into whether or not chili is keto friendly.

Nutritional Facts for Chili (Homemade Classic Recipe)

All of the below nutritional information for the chili was pulled from nutritiondata.self.com and is based on 2 cups of homemade chili.

Chili Ingredients (Homemade Classic Recipe):

How many carbs are in homemade chili??

There are about 40 grams of carbohydrates per serving or 2 cups of homemade chili.

How much fat is in chili?

There are approximately 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving/2 cups of homemade chili..

How much protein is in chili?

There are approximately 43 grams of carbohydrates per serving/2 cups of homemade chili..

Nutritional Facts

Here are the nutritional facts for 1 serving of chili, or about 2 cups, according to Nutitionix.com.  

Are there different types of chili recipes?

There are two basic types of chilis, those eaten fresh—called slicing chilis—and those grown for pickling. – berkeleywellness.com

There are also other types of chili varieties which I will list below.

Types of Chilis

• Green Chili
• White Chili
• Black Bean Chili
• Vegetarian Chili
• Chili con Carne
• Carne Adovada
• White Chicken Chili
• Vegan Black Bean Chili
• Cincinnati Chili
• Five Alarm Chili
• Low Carb Chili

Are all types of chili keto friendly?

For the most part, it is difficult to find a recipe for chili that is low carb or keto friendly without mindfully changing the ingredients to make it so.

Here is a high level look at some some classic recipes for chili and a quick answer to whether or not they are keto approved.

Not Keto

Is green chili keto friendly? – No. 29g of carbohydrates per serving.

Is white chili keto friendly? – No. 30g of carbohydrates per serving.

Is white chicken chili keto friendly? – No. 25g of carbohydrates per serving.

Is black bean chili keto friendly? – No. 49g of carbohydrates per serving. 33g net carbs.

Is vegetarian chili keto friendly? – No. 49g of carbohydrates per serving. 

Is chili con carne keto friendly? – No. 32g of carbohydrates per serving. 22g net carbs.

Is vegan black bean chili keto friendly? – No. 49g of carbohydrates per serving. 38g net carbs.

Is five alarm chili keto friendly? – No. 20g of carbohydrates per serving. 14g net carbs.

Keto Friendly Chili Types

Is Cincinnati chili keto friendly? – Yes. 8g of carbohydrates per serving. 5g net carbs.

Is low carb chili keto friendly? – Yes.  7g of carbohydrates per serving. 5g net carbs.

Is carne adovada keto friendly? – Yes. 7g of carbohydrates per serving. 4g net carbs

Is chili unhealthy for you?

Chili can be unhealthy for you if you eat it in large amounts and frequently and if it is paired with a greasy and saturated fat filled meat, but other than that eating chili does have some health benefits.

1. The first benefit is the spicy flavors. Spicy food brings many health benefits from helping to speed up metabolisms to getting your immune system a kick in the butt.
2. The next benefit is that there can be high fiber amounts with some of the vegetables that are added to the recipes. Just be warned to stay away from high carb foods. The carb filled ingredients may have some fiber, but not enough to cancel out the carb count.
3. Chilies are often packed with vitamin C and E which can help with enhancing immune system and help with maintaining healthy skin.

In Conclusion: Is chili keto friendly?

After all of my findings and research, I would say… chili is NOT keto friendly for the most part unless you stick to specific low carb recipes or stick to a keto friendly type of chili like five alarm chili, Cincinnati chili, low carb chili, or carne adovada.

Keto Friendly Chili Recipes

Here are some of my favorite keto friendly chili recipes:

• Quick Keto Chili Recipe on Pinterest
• Thick & Hearty Keto Chili Recipe on Pinterest
• Quick Keto Chili Recipe on Pinterest

Let us know if you have any questions or if you want to connect and talk more about the keto diet or keto lifestyle!