Weight Watchers Chili Recipe for ZERO Points!
This healthy three bean and ground lean meat Weight Watchers chili recipe is ZERO points on the Freestyle and My WW Blue program! It’s filling and delicious. Make in the pressure cooker, Instant Pot, or crockpot!
You can also scroll down to the bottom of the post to get the recipe card and a video of how this delicious WW turkey chili is made.
I’m so excited to share this Weight Watchers chili recipe. When I say that we eat this chili every single day, I’m not exaggerating. I like Weight Watchers dinner recipes not just because they are low calorie, but they make me feel full when I usually get hungry at night. This is one of those chilis that will leave you feeling satisfied!
We make this turkey chili in our pressure cooker and then eat out of the container for lunch or dinner – and then we repeat the process. It’s a great one for meal prep because it stores well and lasts all week. I will put this up against any classic chili recipe!
Why? Because it’s easy to make, quick (though you can make it in a slow cooker), and inexpensive. AND of course, because it has ZERO Weight Watchers Freestyle Points (get the full list of zero point foods here).
That means if I have this turkey chili for a meal with a steamed veggie or fruit side, I’ve got a zero point meal. Low calorie, low fat. Boom!
WW Chili Recipe
I joined Weight Watchers several months ago before switch to the Freestyle program. I had just gotten used to the SmartPoints and was hesitant about Freestyle at first, but now I’ve embraced it and I love that the points roll over and also that I get some “freebie” foods.
And that’s where this Weight Watchers chili recipe comes into play! I’ve been working on this recipe for a while, testing different ingredients until I found something I liked.
Note: the meat must be 99% fat free to be ZERO points. I rotate between chicken and turkey (depending on what I’m craving), but it’s always 99% fat free. If you decide to do a different meat, you’ll need to add that to your recipe and recalculate the points!
Points By Program
If you aren’t on the Freestyle program, here’s a quick guide to the WW points for this particular recipe. As I said, the program I am on is Freestyle, so that’s the point value I use.
- Freestyle – 0 points
- MyWW
- Blue Plan (same as Freestyle) – 0 points
- Green Plan – 7 points
- Old Points – 5 points
- SmartPoints – 7 points
Ingredients and Garnish
While this recipe is great as-is, I also like to add any veggies from the kitchen that I need to use up. I’ve added, at various times: sweet potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, corn, zucchini, and more. If the veggies have points, you’ll have to add those, but so many don’t.
Keep in mind that if you add anything to what is already here, you might need to add some chicken broth or beef broth to keep the consistency right. This is a great recipe for making “your own” – and it’s nearly impossible to mess up.
Once this turkey chili is made, don’t forget to add garnishments (which may add to the points value). Depending on the day, I might add tortilla chips, chives, reduced fat cheese, or light sour cream.
This WW chili recipe is easy and SO DELICIOUS even just as is, but you have a lot of options. You’re going to love this recipe and want to include it as part of your regular meal plan. Especially in fall and winter.
Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
One other thing to note about this recipe – I made it in the slow cooker at first, but I much prefer it in the pressure cooker.
Funny side note: I got this Crock-Pot 6Qt pressure cooker but it took me awhile to get brave enough to use the pressure cooking functions. It slow cooks as well, so that’s what I did for weeks before I finally got the onions to push the Beans/Chili button.
I can tell a difference in slow cooking vs. pressure cooking with this recipe. Slow cooked chili tastes better to me the next day after the flavors have had a chance to meld.
In the pressure cooker, this Weight Watchers chili recipe tastes great immediately! Here’s how to make it.
Easy Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- Ground lean chicken or ground lean turkey – l lb (must be 99% free to be zero points!)
- 2 15 oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 15 oz. cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 10 oz. cans Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
- 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1/2 T cumin
- 1/2 T oregano
- 1 T chili powder
- Cayenne pepper (pinch, if you like hot)
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 lime, quartered
Directions
Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot Instructions
1. Place the ground lean meat in your pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Use the Sauté or Brown function on your device to cook the meat.
2. Pour all of the other ingredients into the pressure cooker except the lime. Quarter your lime and squeeze the juice into the pot. Throw the rind away.
3. Select the Beans/Chili button or Meat/Stew button. Start your machine. Make sure the pressure valve is closed. It will cook for 20 – 35 minutes depending on the machine you use (mine is 20!).
4. Release the pressure from your cooker and serve.
Slow Cooker Instructions
1. Cut up the onion.
2. Spray a cooking pan with fat free cooking spray, and sauté the onion on high heat for a few minutes.
3. Add the lean ground meat to the pan and cook until the meat is brown (stirring occasionally), about 5 – 7 minutes.
4. Pour the meat (with the juices) and the onions into the slow cooker.
5. Pour all of the other ingredients into the slow cooker except the lime. Quarter your lime and squeeze the juice into the pot. Throw the rind away.
6. Cook your chili on high for 3 1/2 – 4 hours.
7. Serve this homemade chili right away!
NOTE: If you’re on the SmartPoints or myWW Green program, this chili is 7 points per serving. Any additional garnishments will have to be calculated based on the WW program you’re in; this is a Freestyle recipe.
Weight Watchers Chili
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker or Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground lean chicken or ground lean turkey
- 30 oz kidney beans 2 cans, drained and rinsed
- 30 oz black beans 2 cans, drained and rinsed
- 30 oz pinto beans 2 cans, drained and rinsed
- 30 oz Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies 3 cans
- 15 oz tomato sauce 1 can
- 1/2 T cumin
- 1/2 T oregano
- 1 T chili powder
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 lime quartered
Video
Instructions
If you are using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot:
- Place the ground lean meat in your pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Use the Sauté or Brown function on your device to cook the meat.
- Pour all of the other ingredients into the pressure cooker except the lime. Quarter your lime and squeeze the juice into the pot. Throw the rind away.
- Select the Beans/Chili button or Meat/Stew button. Start your machine. Make sure the pressure valve is closed. It will cook for 20 – 35 minutes depending on the machine you use (mine is 20!).
- Release the pressure from your cooker and serve.
If you are using a slow cooker:
- Cut up the onion.
- Spray a cooking pan with fat free cooking spray, and sauté the onion for a few minutes.
- Add the lean ground meat to the pan and cook until the meat is brown, about 5 – 7 minutes.
- Pour the meat (with the juices) and the onions into the slow cooker.
- Pour all of the other ingredients into the slow cooker except the lime. Quarter your lime and squeeze the juice into the pot. Throw the rind away.
- Cook your chili on high for 3 1/2 – 4 hours.
- Serve hot, adding any garnishments you like (they may count for points!).
Nutrition
Are you ready to see a video of how this chili recipe was made? Just click “PLAY” on the video in this post!
For reference, here’s what my Crock-Pot looks like. I love this thing! It is both a slow cooker and an Instant Pot in one: Crock-Pot 6qt 8-in-1 Multi-Use Express Crock Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker
For more Weight Watchers recipes, meals, tips, and more, check out the following articles:
Made this Chili in the slow cooker, gave some to my daughter(didn’t tell her it was WW). She called and said her and her husband loved it, thought it was the best chili. ???? WOW, am definitely keeping this in my arsenal of WW recipes!
Great recipe- thanks! I ground up chicken breasts in my food processor, worked wonderfully. We used this recipe for chili dogs. Used Hebrew National 99% fat free hot dogs for 1 point!
Those are great ideas Dani!!I like the chili dogs idea.
I noticed that in your directions for the slow cooker you say to saute the onions with the meat but not for the pressure cooker. Is there a reason for dumping the onions in raw in the pressure cooker? I’m eager to try this it sounds yummy!
Hi Bonnie! I should’ve made a note about that. But what I noticed in the slow cooker versus the pressure cooker is that the slow cooker didn’t get the onions quite as done. They weren’t crispy but they weren’t fully cooked. I’m sure I could’ve slow cooked longer, but it was just easier to shortcut that with the meat. In the pressure cooker, the onions were completely done in just a few minutes. I can only attribute it to the pressure versus the slow cooking!
Tried using instapot….probably my cooking..but burn display popped up..I deglazed, added a cup of broth…just feel bad about wasting all those ingredients …what do you think happened? I was so looking forward for this dish for lunch this week ????????
Hi Loli! Interesting . . . So I’ve had that a few times out of probably 50 times making it, but when I add the broth, it’s fine. It doesn’t actually burn anything. Did yours burn? And what setting did you try it on (was it Beans/Chili)?
If you are using an instant pot, you need at least 1/2 cup of liquid and put the tomatoes last (on top). To avoid the burn display, avoid having the tomatoes in the bottom. Hope this helps.
Patty that’s great information! Thank you!
Amazing!
I really want to try this! It sounds so good!
I made this tonight after finding the recipe today!! This is THE best chili I’ve ever made:)
Thank you for posting this!! I can see this being a staple in my weekly diet:)
Hi! Thanks so much for this!! Do you know if it’s ok to freeze a few portions and reheat? I’m usually cooking for one, so I’m trying to figure out which things I can prep and freeze 🙂 Thank you!!
Hi Tara! Yes, it should work nicely. 😀
OMG, after submitting my comment I found your vegetarian version!!! Thank you! I’ll try that one! Still not sure why my Instant Pot said “burn” though.
Lori so it’s interesting – only one time has my pressure cooker given me the E6 error code, which is basically the same as the Burn code on an Instant Pot. It’s telling you there isn’t enough liquid. I’m using the exact same ingredients EVERY time and I’ve made it about 20 times!! In that case, I would keep either chicken broth or vegetable broth on hand and add about 1 cup when you get that message. When I did get the error message on mine, I added that 1 cup of chicken broth and it was fine. I JUST made it again last night and no error code – exact same ingredients. Probably depends on how much “juice” is in the meat or veggies one time versus another, plus the tomato cans? I always have broth in case it gets testy 😀
You have to add anything with tomatoes LAST, ON TOP of other ingredients and DO NOT STIR! It’s the tomatoes on the bottom that burn, do not stir till it is finished. Trust me, I learned this the hard way and found the problem after much research.
I add the tomatoes on the bottom every time and stir. You just need more liquid. Add 1/2 cup – 1 cup chicken broth. An Instant Pot needs 1 cup of liquid to work. I can’t guarantee exactly how much liquid all the ingredients have, including the tomatoes – I’m sure it’s based on the kind you buy.
Hi,
This is only the second time I’ve used my Instant Pot so was excited to find this recipe as I also started WW this week. I decided to omit the meat from the recipe and I think it caused a problem:( I put everything else in and set it to beans/chili. After a few minutes it went to “burn”, then it went back to “on”, then a few minutes later “burn” again. I’ve seen other people have trouble with spaghetti, if the sauce is on the bottom. I stirred everything up before I started it too. Do you think this recipe is doable in the Instant Pot without meat? Any suggestions?
I think the reason it burns is that this recipe does not have at least 1 cup of liquid. When I make recipes like this I add 1 cup of chicken broth (salt/sugar free), But, it’s best to look at your equipment manual and it will tell you how much liquid is required.
With the juice in the tomatoes it should be over 1 cup liquid, but it does help to add some chicken broth. It’s weird – the consistency is NEVER the same every time I make it. It’s close, and I usually don’t have to add extra lquid, but I do find that interesting 🙂