This ground pork chili is packed with nutrient-dense vegetables, protein, and fiber. And it’s super easy to make, requiring zero knife work or chopping veggies of any kind. That’s right, with maybe 10-15 minutes of active cooking time, you’ll have healthy meal prep taken care of with minimal effort.
How to Make Ground Pork Chili with a Beaucoup of Veggies
Begin by browning and fully cooking two pounds of ground pork in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. For optimal browning make sure the pot is very hot and the ground pork is dry on the surface. I like to use a paper towel to pat ground meats dry before adding to the pan.
You can also brown one pound at a time to avoid crowding the pot.
Once cooked, add some stewed tomatoes (or your choice of tomato variation), chili beans, taco seasoning, and chili seasoning. Any store bought seasonings will work, but you can always make your own.
What are chili beans?
Chili beans are simply beans canned with a chili sauce. You’ll find different types of beans used to make chili beans. For this recipe, I actually used one can of chili pinto beans and one can of chili kidney beans.
You’ll find chili beans near all the other beans in your grocery store. If you have trouble finding them, however, you could use other beans and add some smashed chipotle peppers in adobo or a hot sauce of your choice.
Side note: If you’re looking for a great chili without beans, check out my bean-free ground bison chili.
Frozen Vegetables in Chili?
One of my oldest, most popular recipes is a high protein taco soup that incorporates frozen broccoli and cauliflower florets to increase veggie content of the soup.
This makes life so much easier without having to chop tons of veggies. And I find you don’t lose much by adding them in this fashion instead of cooking on their own before the ground pork.
While the spinach is an optional addition, you’ll hardly notice it’s there. Spinach can sometimes give dishes a vegetal flavor, but the spices from taco and chili seasoning mask any hint of leafy greens.
What to Serve with Ground Pork Chili
You can never go wrong with a corn chip pie or cornbread (big fans of smoked cornbread over here). With this chili having the extra boost of veggies, you can pretty easily turn this into a complete meal in one bowl.
To keep things on the leaner side, baked tortilla chips provide great crunchy texture. Low calorie cornbread also exists.
For more ideas, check out this post on what to serve with chili.
Okay, you can find the printable recipe card below. If you try this ground pork and veggie chili and love it, recipe reviews are always appreciated!
Ground Pork Chili
A nutrient and veggie packed pork chili that requires zero knife work or chopping any vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 pounds Ground Pork
- 1 packet Chili Seasoning
- 1 packet Taco Seasoning
- 2 15-oz cans Stewed Tomatoes (Mexican-style, if possible)
- 2 15-oz cans Chili Beans, undrained*
- 1 pound bag Frozen Fajita Vegetables (or freshly diced onions and peppers)
- 2 cups Frozen Spinach
- 2 cups Beef Broth
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and once hot, the ground pork. Brown one side before breaking apart and fully cooking.
- Once the ground pork is fully cooked, add the remaining ingredients and stir everything together.
- Bring to a boil before reducing the heat to low, covering, and simmering for 20-30 minutes until the veggies are tender.
Notes
*If you're unfamiliar with chili beans, they're simply beans packed in a chili sauce. I used 1 can of chili pinto beans and 1 can of chili kidney beans for this recipe.
You may need to add more beef broth if you're not adding frozen vegetables, as they'll release a bit of water during cooking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 305Total Fat: 10gCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 6gProtein: 25g