High-Protein Triple Triple Chili
GLUTEN-FREE
Our Triple Triple Chili with Triple the Protein
A one-cup serving of this chili delivers a whopping 52g of protein!
We’re on a health kick, and we’re starting the year off with a little Orange Theory Transformation Challenge. So while we’re doing the work of lifting heavy things up and putting them down while we’re basking in the orange lights of the studio, when we’re out of the room and living our day-to-day, we’re adjusting our diets to maximize our protein intake to support our muscle gains.
Now, we could go the route of eating multiple tins of tuna or high stacks of chicken breast. But where’s the fun in that?! Ideally, as we ramp up our protein intake, we don’t need to deviate too far off from our regular routine, so the shift is natural and attainable.
Enter: chili. The ideal meal for it’s passive cook time, freeze-ability and anticipated protein punch.
Why We Love Our Triple Triple Chili Recipe
This is our beloved chili recipe with just a few tweaks. We changed out 1 type of bean, increased the amount of meat by 1 pound and adjusted our optional toppings. Easy fixes for a massive protein punch.
The best thing about this recipe is that it’s an absolute whooper in the protein department. Protein accounts for approximately 40% of the total calories and each 1.5 cup serving (when served with 1/2 cup of greek yogurt as topping) has about 52g of protein.
Oh, and naturally, this is a great dish for meal-prepping.
Note: This recipe yields about 10 servings of approximately 1.5 cups (12 oz).
Cooking this Recipe In Our Haus
We call this the Triple Triple Chili because everything comes in threes…
3 pounds of ground chicken
3 types of beans — red kidney beans, black beans and lupini beans
3 types of tomatoes — paste, canned diced tomatoes, grape tomatoes (optional)
3 bell peppers
And you might be thinking that’s a four-line list… yes, you’re right. But sometimes (depending on the season), we only use two types of tomatoes. We need to account for variability, friends!! Regardless, this name just helps us remember our shopping list, and maybe that little trick will help make this recipe easier for you to remember as well.
That said, sometimes we don’t have everything we need in our pantries. And that’s okay. That’s the best part about chili, right? Substitutions! Here are some things to consider:
Lean Ground Chicken: You can also use ground turkey. We’re using 99% lean protein for the slightly higher protein-to-fat ratio.
Too much chicken? Each pound of chicken adds roughly 9g of protein per serving (based on 10 servings).
Alternatively, mixing in 1lb of 96% lean ground beef adds variety and a boost of iron along with the protein.
Chicken Bone Broth is a high protein alternative to standard chicken broth. Bone broth typically contains 9g–10g of protein per cup, whereas standard broth has almost zero. But if you only have regular broth at home, use that.
Lupini Beans offer the highest protein content, but if you don’t have it available, you can substitute with chickpeas
Grape Tomatoes are completely optional. When we make this in the summer, we had extra tomatoes because our garden is usually full of them.
Tomato Paste increases thickness, especially with the broth. But if you don’t have any available, just let the pot simmer to reduce.
Seasoning: Taco seasoning makes our life easier, but you can go above and beyond the season with your own preferred combination of spices
Bouillon: Don’t have Better Than Bouillon paste in your fridge? That’s okay, 1 regular bouillon cube works
Sour Cream: Yes, you can top with sour cream. But if you’re looking to maximize your protein intake, replace it with a nice big 1/2 cup scoop of plain Greek yogurt for an additional ~11g of protein.
Now, if you’re looking at this ingredient list and you’re worried that it won’t all fit in one pot. Well, let me tell you a secret: I split this into two Dutch ovens. I do a 50/50 split of the recipe into each pot. But if you have a big enough pot to do it all in one batch, lucky you!
Ingredients
3 lbs 99% lean ground chicken
4 cups chicken bone broth
15 oz dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz Lupini beans
30 oz diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 cup grape tomatoes (optional)
15 oz sweet corn, drained
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 bell peppers, diced
2 tsp taco seasoning
1 tsp chili seasoning
1 tsp chicken Better Than Bouillon paste
Optional Topping: 1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt per bowl
Steps
In a large Dutch oven (or two) or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the 3 lbs of ground chicken. Cook until fully browned, breaking it into small crumbles. If there is excess liquid, you can drain it, but with 93% lean meat, there shouldn't be much.
Add the diced onion and bell peppers directly to the chicken. Sauté for 5–7 minutes until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened.
Stir in the taco seasoning, chili and the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. This toasts the spices and caramelizes the tomato paste for a deeper flavor.
Pour in the 4 cups of bone broth and the bouillon paste, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Add the diced tomatoes, grape tomatoes (if using), all the beans, and the corn.
Bring the chili to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 45–60 minutes. Simmering uncovered is key here—it allows the bone broth to reduce and thicken, concentrating the protein and flavor.
If you want a thicker texture, take a potato masher and mash a small portion of the beans directly in the pot. The starch will thicken the chili instantly.
Ladle into bowls and top with a massive dollop (roughly 1/2 cup) of plain Greek yogurt for that final 11g protein boost.
Enjoy!
Notes
Use any flavor bouillon paste/cube you prefer — we won’t tell anyone if you don’t have / use chicken.
We freeze these in 1 cup servings using Souper Cubes (Amazon), so they’re perfectly portioned out for any meal. We simply reheat on the stove (with a little broth). Then top with yogurt to serve.
Until our next meal!
xo, James & Victoria
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