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:
This looks delicious! Have you tried freezing it?
Hello! I’ve not frozen it but luckily several readers have and they said it works well!
Hi. Does the T in your recipe stand for Tablespoon or Teaspoon? I will be making it this weekend can’t wait
Hello there! T for tablespoon! You’re going to love it.
So yummy and super easy to make!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you Leah!
Very good and tasty. I’ve made this a few times and love it! I messed up this time and used 93% lean instead of 99%. Did not notice this until I started cooking it. Would you please tell me what the point value is now that i used this 93% lean instead of the 99% lean?
Thank you,
Debra
Hi Debra! There would be 12 points in a pound . . . therefore you would divide the 12 by 8 – so it would be 1.5 points per serving. Not sure how you handle the half points so maybe just eat more LOL!
First thing I made in my Instant Pot 6 quart Ultra. Looked like a lot of ingredients so I split cooking it into 2 batches. Is this receipe for a 6 quart or 8 quart? Either way tasted great! Thank you.
It’s for a six quart and just fits. It does look like a lot of ingredients! Somehow it all works. Glad you liked it.
Very good. I made it on the stove. Very easy to make. Thank you for sharing.
How long do you set the pressure cooker timer for cooking the meat?
Hi Kathleen! You don’t pressure cook the meat – you use the brown function which basically turns the pot into a cookpot. So you leave the lid off and stir the ground meat around (breaking it into pieces) while it cooks.
Hi, I made this over the weekend for my lunches this week. Now I am confused by nutrition content above.. if I add that to the calculator I get 7 points or is that information for the whole batch of chili. And 1 1/13 cups is ZERO points on Freestyle program? Thanks so much, it’s dellicous.
Hi Christine – you have to use the Freestyle recipe builder. If you are using the nutritional information in the calculator, it’s not going to account for zero point foods on the Freestyle program. If you use the recipe builder and you are on the Freestyle program in your app or online, it will come out to be zero. If you are on Smart Points, it won’t be zero (but it will still be low in points relatively speaking).
I’m making this right now on stovetop. It seems very thick. What can I add to make it less thick. How would I calculate the points since I used plainville organic ground turkey. It has 4 points for 4 ozs. I used 1 lb as recipe called for.
Hi there! You can add more chicken broth to make it less thick. If you used turkey that isn’t 99% fat free and it’s 16 points for a pound, then it would be two points per serving (1 1/3 cups).
Nowhere on this recipe does it say chicken broth but in a comment you said she could add more. I’m making this now and there’s no juice. Please help as this is a ton of money I don’t want to waste if it burns
Hi Michelle! You shouldn’t need chicken broth, but with a pressure cooker, I’d have some on hand. I’ve made this recipe at least 50 times and maybe 2 times I’ve needed it. The reason is because the amount of liquid you get in canned goods is not always exactly the same. Plus a pressure cooker doesn’t cook exactly the same every single time. With any pressure cooker recipe I prepare for a little inconsistency, however slight. If you find you’re getting an error message because it’s too thick, and you don’t have broth, just add a little water and stir. It’ll still taste good and be fine!
I made this in a pot on the stove and it came out great. I love this recipe, it was very simple to make too!