Italian Sausage Chili Without Beans

Cozy up this fall with a warm bowl of our Italian Sausage Chili. This no bean chili with Italian sausage and beef is rich and meaty, with just the right amount of heat. We love to serve it with our Gluten Free Cornbread. Plus it’s made in just over 30 minutes!

Itโ€™s Chili Season!

Ladies and gentlemen, itโ€™s officially chili season. Bring on all the warm and comforting dishes; we are so here for it. Hereโ€™s a pro tip, thoughโ€”donโ€™t pull a Kevin from The Office and dump your chili all over the floor. Two hands, people. Two hands!

This Italian Sausage Chili is one of our favorites for the fall months. While we love our classic No Bean Chili, the sweetness of Momโ€™s Green Bean Chili, and our CONTEST WINNING Slow Cooker Steak Chili, we make this version when weโ€™re craving some spice! The Italian sausage adds hints of fennel while a healthy glug of Frankโ€™s red hot sauce heats things up.

A bowl of Italian Sausage Chili with cheesy chips.

Much to Love about Italian Sausage Chili

  • Itโ€™s made in one pot. You only need one soup pot or dutch oven to make this recipe. We call that a win!
  • It’s fast. Some chili recipes have to simmer away all day. This one is ready from start to finish in about 30 minutes.
  • Itโ€™s customizable. You can make this chili to fit your tastes. If youโ€™re not a fan of spice, you can leave out the hot sauce, and you can use whatever toppings you like best.
  • You can make it ahead of time. This is a great recipe to make, freeze, and then pull out when you need a quick dinner. Our chili can be frozen for several months and then thawed overnight in the fridge. 
Ingredients for Italian Sausage No Bean Chili on a table.

Key Ingredients for No Bean Chili

  • Italian sausage – The star of the show. Italian sausage adds a really rich, meaty flavor to this. The hits of fennel are especially delightful. If you want more heat, use a hot Italian sausage.  It tastes even better on the second day! For more Italian sausage goodness, try making this Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup, this Italian Sausage Stew, or the Harlem Meatloaf recipe that this chili takes its inspiration from.
  • Ground beef – Ground beef pairs well with the Italian sausage and gives the chili more substance.
  • Veggies – Weโ€™ve got red and green bell peppers, onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Make sure you seed the jalapeno before adding it to the chili unless you like a LOT of heat.
  • Tomatoes – Youโ€™ll use both tomato sauce and diced tomatoes for this chili. Donโ€™t throw out the juice in the diced tomatoes; it adds more flavor!
  • Frankโ€™s hot sauce – We love adding a bit of hot sauce to this chili, but like we said before, you can omit it if youโ€™d prefer.
A cheesy tortilla chip dips from a bowl of Italian Sausage Chili.

Toppings for Italian Sausage Chili

This no bean chili is the perfect base for a variety of toppings. Here are some of our favorite toppings:

  • Cheesy tortilla chips- We love to top some chips with shredded cheese and put them under the broiler for a few minutes to  melt, then using them to scoop up the chili.
  • Shredded cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Corn chips
  • Crackers
  • Cilantro
  • Green onion
  • Avocado

*Basically, any ingredients you would use for Walking Tacos work perfectly here as toppings.

How to Make Beanless Chili

  1. Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the pot. Add the bell peppers, onion, and jalapeno and saute until beginning to soften, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  2. Add the Italian sausage and ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon or metal spatula. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until browned. Sprinkle the mixture with salt, to taste.
  3. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Franks, chili powder, and cumin. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low then allow everything to simmer together for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Taste. Add salt, pepper, or additional Franks red hot sauce for heat if desired.
  4. Serve with toppings of your choice. 
Close up of a scoop of Italian Sausage Chili.

FAQs

Can you make Italian Sausage Chili ahead of time?

You sure can! This chili can be kept in the fridge for several days. In fact, we think it gets even better on the second and third days.

Can you freeze chili?

 Yes! This chili freezes really well. Allow it to cool completely and store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.  Just thaw overnight in the fridge, and youโ€™ll have dinner ready in a flash!

Does cooking chili longer make it better?

For this recipe we find that refrigerating the Italian Sausage Chili overnight has the same flavor-enhancing effect as a longer cook time.

Bowls of Italian Sausage Chili served with cheesy chips.

Generally speaking, low and slow cooking makes meat, broth and veggie flavors combine better. (For proof, try our Braised Beef Short Ribs or Slow Cooker Shredded Beef recipes). But in this chili recipe, weโ€™re using ground meats (not a roast, cubes of steak, or a whole cut), so thereโ€™s just not as much meat mass to soak up flavors, and you donโ€™t want to risk losing too much moisture to evaporation with a longer cook time.

Do you brown meat before making chili?

Yes. Youโ€™ll want to brown the sausage and ground beef after adding in the peppers and onions but before adding in the tomatoes. Otherwise youโ€™ll end up with mushy meat.

A bowl of Italian Sausage Chili with cheesy chips.

Italian Sausage Chili

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

This easy no-bean Italian Sausage Chili has ground beef and Italian sausage for a meaty combo that brings a kick of warm savory spiciness.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Italian Sausage
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 2 15 ounce cans tomato sauce
  • 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 3 Tablespoons Franks hot sauce
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chips, and/or cilantro and green onion, for serving

Instructions

    1. Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the pot. Add the bell peppers, onion, and jalapeno and saute until beginning to soften, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
    2. Add the Italian sausage and ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon or metal spatula. Cook undistubred for a few minutes, then stir, continuing to cook for about 7-8 minutes, or until browned. Drain off any excess fat, then lightly sprinkle the mixture with salt, to taste.
    3. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Franks, chili powder, and cumin. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
    4. Reduce heat to low then allow everything to simmer together for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Taste. Add salt, pepper, or additional Franks red hot sauce for heat if desired.
    5. Serve with toppings of your choice. We’re partial to some shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Notes

  • This chili definitely has some heat. Lower or eliminate the hot sauce for less heat.
  • Chili will keep in the fridge for several days and can be frozen for several months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
  • The Italian sausage adds a really rich, meaty flavor to this. The hits of fennel are especially delightful. It tastes even better on the second day!

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 604Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 1735mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 5gSugar: 16gProtein: 40g

Please note nutritional information for my recipes is calculated by a third party service and provided as a courtesy to my readers. For the most accurate calculation, I always recommend running the numbers yourself with the specific products you use.

Did you make this recipe?

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More Cozy Recipes

You can never have too much soup! We love our One Pot Lasagna Soup and Creamy Taco Soup for chilly nights. 

And if youโ€™re looking for a good chicken soup for fall, check out our 30 Minute Chicken Noodle Soup, this White Chicken Chili, or Chicken Tortilla Soup.

If itโ€™s the Italian sausage that you crave, once youโ€™re done with this chili, try our Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta!

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