High-Protein Chili con Carne

Name: High-Protein Chili con Carne
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 700 g lean beef mince; 200 g long-grain rice; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 large (about 200 g) onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 red peppers, diced; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1/2 tsp chilli flakes; 1 tin (400 g) chopped tomatoes; 1 tin (400 g) kidney beans; 320 g skyr or quark

A proper chili built on lean 5% beef mince, kidney beans and smoked paprika, served over rice with a heavy spoon of skyr instead of sour cream. It makes four portions, freezes well, and tastes better on day two.

Fat loss friendlyHigh proteinMeal prepFreezer friendly

Under 700 kcal and at least 50 g protein per serving — enough protein to hold on to muscle while you eat less.

A deep bowl of dark red chili con carne over white rice, topped with a thick spoon of skyr and chopped coriander, with a second portion and a cast-iron pot behind it.

Servings: 4
Total time: 45 min
Hands-on: 20 min

What you need

Large heavy pot or casserole
Saucepan for the rice
4 freezer-safe containers

Ingredients

700 glean beef mince— 5% fat
200 glong-grain rice— weighed dry
1 tbspolive oil
1 large (about 200 g)onion, finely chopped
2 clovesgarlic, crushed
2red peppers, diced
2 tbsptomato purée
2 tspground cumin
2 tspsmoked paprika
1/2 tspchilli flakes— more if you want it hot
1 tin (400 g)chopped tomatoes
1 tin (400 g)kidney beans— drained and rinsed — about 240 g
320 gskyr or quark— to serve, 80 g per portion

How to make it

Start the rice so it is ready when the chili is, and set it aside covered.
Heat the oil in the pot until it shimmers and brown the mince hard in two batches, breaking it up as it goes — 6–8 minutes. Lean mince gives up a lot of water, so let that cook off before you move on or the chili will taste flat.
Add the onion, garlic and peppers and cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the tomato purée and all the spices and let them fry for a minute until they smell toasted.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the beans with 100 ml of water, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, until it is thick enough to hold a spoon-track.
Taste and season — lean chili almost always needs more salt than you expect. Serve over the rice with the skyr on top.
For the freezer, portion the chili on its own (not the rice or the skyr) and it keeps for three months.

Per serving, roughly

Energy: ~610 kcal
Protein: ~55 g
Carbs: ~63 g
Fat: ~14 g

These are estimates calculated from standard ingredient values. Your numbers will shift with the exact products you buy and with how generously you fill the plate — oil, sauces and cheese move them the most.

Variations

Leaner and lighter

Swap the rice for cauliflower rice and you take roughly 180 calories and 38 g of carbs out of each portion while keeping all 55 g of protein — the version to reach for on a rest day, when you need the protein but not the fuel.

Coach's tip

Chili is the single most useful thing you can batch-cook while you are dieting: it is high in protein, high in volume, cheap, and it survives four days in the fridge without getting worse. Cook the double batch on Sunday and you have removed four chances to order something else.

More recipes

Other recipes worth a place in your week.

MealsLentil & Chickpea Protein BowlGreen lentils and chickpeas under roasted peppers and courgette, a lemony herb yogurt and crumbled feta. A vegetarian bowl that actually reaches 50 g of protein per serving without a scoop of powder anywhere in it.MealsTeriyaki Chicken Rice BowlSeared chicken breast in a glossy reduced-sugar teriyaki glaze over jasmine rice, with broccoli that still has some bite. Four bowls in about 35 minutes, roughly 56 g of protein each, and it reheats without turning to mush.

General information only, not medical or nutritional advice. If you have a health condition, an allergy, or specific dietary needs, talk to a qualified professional.

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