These 13 Meats Make The Best Ground Beef Alternatives For Chili

There are times when you just want a big bowl of something warming and comforting to keep you feeling cozy and satisfied. Whether it's a chilly day or you're just feeling under the weather, there's nothing better than a pot of chili bubbling away on the stove. But what if you're looking to change up the chili recipe you always find yourself going back to? While most chili recipes call for a base of ground beef, it's actually not an essential ingredient for the dish — you can use so many other types of meat and protein in its place. When you're looking for something that's lighter or that just has a different flavor profile, it can be fun to switch things up with a simple swap.

We're taking a look at the best ground beef alternatives you can incorporate into your next pot of chili. If you have some ground chicken on hand, you can make a delicious chicken chili, or you can nix the meat altogether and use a vegan replacement. Of course, all of these ingredients will change the way your chili tastes, but sometimes for the better. You may never go back to a standard beef chili recipe again.

Not everyone wants to get rid of the beef in their chili because they don't like red meat. Sometimes, they're just looking for a different nutritional profile. That's when you might want to think about using bison in place of ground beef. It may not be quite as conventional a red meat as beef, but it still delivers that rich, robust quality you crave with a very similar flavor profile. That being said, it has some health benefits for certain diners. Because it's lower in fat, bison is also lower in calories than ground beef. For those trying to lose or maintain weight, or who need to eat less fat for whatever reason, it's a simple swap that might have more of an appeal than other lighter options that don't deliver the same kind of flavor (like chicken and turkey, for example).

You may not be able to find ground bison at every grocery store, but larger retailers are likely to have it in stock. Admittedly, it can be a bit pricier than beef, so keep that in mind if you're on a budget. Once you start eating bison chili, though, you may not even want to go back to beef.

There are plenty of chicken chili recipes out there, including our slow cooker white chicken chili, that contain chicken breast or chicken thigh. These recipes give chilis with a much different texture than standard ground beef-based chili, since you're getting chunks of meat instead of the ground stuff. Often, these recipes call for a totally different set of ingredients, for a stew that really doesn't resemble classic chili at all.

Just because you want to use chicken in the place of beef doesn't mean you have to make a "white" chili, though, and it doesn't mean that you have to use chunks of chicken. For an easier, simpler swap, just use ground chicken in place of ground beef in the same chili recipe you always use. It makes for a lighter flavor profile, of course, but it can also be a cost-effective swap if you're watching your wallet, since ground chicken is generally less expensive than ground beef.

Although you may assume that a chicken-based chili would be less flavorful than the usual beef-based dish, that's not always the case. Basically, you just have to use spices generously, just like you would with any other chili recipe. After simmering with aromatics, spices, veggies, and whatever else you like to put in your chili, that chicken can easily take on just as bold a flavor as beef would.

One of the most flavorful swaps for beef on this whole list is chorizo. While you can always incorporate chorizo into your chili alongside ground beef, we also think that it can take on the lead meat role all on its own, with little else to temper its bold spice. Chorizo is known for packing a lot of flavor, thanks to its mix of spices like ancho chili, cumin, and paprika, so not only will it meld well with the other ingredients you're using, but it can also contribute a lot to the overall flavor of the dish. However, since it does usually contain hot peppers, chorizo is generally at least a little spicy, so only prepare this style of chili if you're feeding it to people who can handle some level of heat in their food.

To temper that bold flavor, try using other types of meat in the mix. Many of the other ingredients on this list (like chicken, turkey, or even seafood) will do, but you can also really dial up the number of beans you plan on using to counteract some of the spiciness from the sausage.

Venison probably isn't the first meat you consider when you're trying to figure out what to add to your pot of chili, but it's actually an excellent alternative to ground beef if you can get your hands on some. Never heard of venison before? If you're not from a part of the world where people hunt regularly, you may not be acquainted with the meat. Venison is deer meat, which means that you're not going to find it at a lot of grocery stores (although some Whole Foods stores do carry it). You can also order venison online, or better yet, see if you can find a local butcher shop that sells some.

This lean meat is known for its bold, pronounced flavors that may come through more strongly than that of commercially raised beef. It's often referred to as "gamey," while some think it has a grassy flavor to it. This means it can often pair well with the vegetal flavors you're bound to include in a classic chili recipe. Here at Tasting Table, we like venison so much that we've actually published our own venison chili recipe to give you a better idea of how to handle this kind of meat. The next time you come across some venison, you'll know exactly what to do with it.

As much as we love beef, we have to admit that there are times when pork packs more flavor. So if you don't happen to have ground beef on hand or just want to switch up your standard chili routine, including a pork cut like tenderloin into your chili can take things to a whole new level. Plus, it's really easy to pull off. Just add your pork tenderloin, along with all of your other chili ingredients, to a slow cooker, let the chili simmer away for eight to ten hours, and then shred the meat, mixing it into the rest of the ingredients as you go. Because pork tenderloin is so, well, tender, it shreds easily in the stew and takes on a soft, pleasant texture when it's finished cooking.

This is obviously a good option if you tend to like pork more than beef generally, but pork tenderloin also gives you a much more interesting textural experience in your chili. Instead of tiny pieces of ground beef, you're getting actual shreds of pork in every bite, which can arguably make your stew feel heartier. You may also be getting a leaner, lighter-tasting chili (depending on what kind of ground beef you usually use) because pork tenderloin is such a lean cut.

Just because you're choosing not to use ground beef in your chili recipe doesn't mean you have to skip the beef entirely. If you're looking for a more exciting beef option, boneless short ribs might just be the way to go. In fact, speaking to Tasting Table celebrity butcher Pat LaFrieda recommended skipping the ground beef in favor of short ribs. It's not because ground beef is a bad option, per se, but according to LaFrieda, it makes the chili taste more mundane. That probably isn't what you're going for when you really want your guests, your family, or just yourself to truly enjoy the meal you're making.

However, LaFrieda recommends that you shouldn't just grind the short rib before adding it to the pot. Instead, dicing the meat gives you a really tender bite that makes the entire pot of chili tastier. If you don't want to use actual boneless short rib (because it can be kind of pricey), no worries. LaFrieda suggests using chuck flap tail, which is a kind of short rib that's cheaper than the standard stuff. Whichever specific cut you use, you're going to end up with tender chunks of beef that fall apart in the most luscious way.

Another ground beef alternative that requires no extra work on your part is ground turkey. Like ground chicken, ground turkey provides a lighter flavor profile in your chili. You can opt for the standard red chili ingredients (like tomatoes and kidney beans), or you can try making an alternative chili (sans the tomatoes) if you want to play into that lighter flavor more. If you're craving a classic red chili flavor, try out this simple hearty ground turkey chili recipe, or opt for this white turkey chili recipe when you still want that warm, comforting feel but don't want to mask the taste of the turkey with other strong flavors.

Generally speaking, ground turkey is leaner than ground beef, so you're going to be getting less fat in your chili. This is perfect if you're watching your fat or calorie intake or just don't enjoy the greasiness of ground beef. However, without that extra fat, you won't be getting quite as much flavor in your bowl. Unless you're specifically looking for leanness, you may want to add a drizzle of olive oil to make the dish taste a bit richer.

Lamb is one of our favorite types of red meat. It tastes similar to beef, but with a gamier and arguably more savory touch that melds really well with the types of ingredients you'll often find in a pot of chili. Unfortunately, it's not easy to find everywhere, and because of its sometimes-limited availability, it can often be pricier than beef. If you can get a good deal, though, it's worth making your chili this way for a classic dish with a slight twist that makes every spoonful that much more interesting.

While you can always buy larger cuts of lamb and break them down, either before or after simmering, we think the easiest way to make lamb chili is to use ground lamb — that way, you can pretty much just work with your favorite beef chili recipe, swapping out only the meat and keeping everything else the same. However, you can also switch it up by trying a whole new recipe that's designed around lamb specifically. Seek out recipes from regions that tend to eat a lot of lamb, if you're not married to the idea of making a traditional American chili. Moroccan, Syrian, and Lebanese cuisines (among many others) all have chili-style lamb dishes that you may enjoy even more than the American version of the dish.

There are a ton of meat alternatives here to try if you simply don't have any beef on hand or if you specifically don't like it. But what if you don't eat meat at all? That doesn't mean you have to skip out on the chili entirely, and it doesn't even mean you have to settle for an all-bean chili (as delicious as they might be). If you're trying to incorporate that meaty texture and flavor into your chili without the animal products, Impossible or other brands of plant-based beef crumbles are the way to go. Not only do they mimic ground beef well, but they also help to boost the protein content of the dish to boot. Plus, veggie beef crumbles are super easy to work with — maybe even easier than ground beef itself.

You can use the meat in basically the same way you'd use ground beef, sautéeing it with aromatics to brown it a bit before stirring in the other ingredients and letting it simmer. Honestly, once everything's all mixed together, you might not even be able to tell the difference between the veggie beef crumbles you use in your vegan or vegetarian chili and actual beef you'd find in a more typical version of chili.

When you want some more complexity and texture in your pot of chili, skip the ground beef and choose brisket instead. This fulfills those same beefy flavors you're looking for, while also adding a really lovely texture to the mix. A well-cooked brisket is delightfully rich and juicy, which makes it a great addition to your chili. Although you can always prepare your brisket specifically for inclusion in your chili recipe, you can also use any leftovers you have on hand (and since briskets can be quite large, it's common to have extras). That way, you can repurpose your meal from the night before while also ensuring that your chili has way more flavor than you'd get with a basic pack of ground beef.

We even have our own recipe for smokey brisket chili right here at Tasting Table. This involves chopping the brisket up into tiny, bite-sized pieces so you're not working with huge chunks of meat in your stew. When the richness from the beef joins forces with the bright acidity from tomato and spiciness from the chiles, you'll get a hearty stew that feels like a step up from a basic chili.

When you're considering what kind of meat to add to your chili, skirt steak probably isn't the first cut of beef that comes to mind. After all, skirt steaks are known for cooking very quickly, so it doesn't really make sense to throw this meat into a pot and let it simmer for hours at a time. If you do, you'll probably end up with pieces of beef that are so tough and overcooked that they're bordering on inedible. But you don't have to cook your skirt steak with the rest of your chili ingredients. Instead, the best skirt steak chili trick is to cook the steak separately in a pan. That way, you can ensure it's cooked to the perfect temperature, ideally remaining a bit pink on the inside. Once the steak cooks down a bit, you can throw it into the pot of chili right before you're ready to serve it.

This may not be the most common way to incorporate meat into a chili dish, but believe us — when you taste that first big chunk of steak in your chili, you'll be glad you took the extra time and effort to make this combo happen. You'll never want to go back to a steak-less chili again.

Now, seafood is arguably the most unexpected replacement for ground beef in this entire list. After all, most people don't think of clams, shrimp, or scallops when a chili dish comes to mind. Believe it or not, though, seafood can actually create a really interesting chili ... as long as you don't mind breaking some rules. For a more approachable flavor, opt for relatively neutral-tasting types of seafood, like shrimp or crab meat. Their mild flavors will take on the seasonings in the broth and other ingredients nicely, creating a really bold bite. But you can also experiment with other, slightly less expected types of seafood, like crawfish or squid.

Of course, this is going to yield a much lighter chili than you'd get if you use ground beef. That lightness is all part of the appeal, though. If you still want some boldness in your stew, stick with the kinds of ingredients you'd use for a standard red chili. You can also use broth and ingredient bases for white chili if you want to play with those lighter flavors in a more subtle way. Whether you're feeding a pescetarian or you're just looking for a unique twist on a classic, seafood chili has you covered.

There are few types of meat that are more flavorful and delicious than pulled pork. It's one of BBQ's greatest dishes, and it's one that just happens to be really versatile. You can put pulled pork into basically anything, from sandwiches to pastas to salads. But don't stop there — why not include some pulled pork into the next batch of chili you make? It's one of the easiest ways to take a basic chili recipe to a whole new level, and you can even use leftovers if you have them on hand. After all, it's all too common to have extras the day after barbecuing.

All you have to do is heat up the cooked pulled pork on your stove, let it crisp up a bit, and then add in all of your other ingredients, browning the onion, garlic, and maybe pepper before adding the stock or broth and any other ingredients you want to include in the mix. You can use pulled pork in any style of chili, and because it packs so much flavor on its own, it'll be the star of the dish.