There are more ways to make a delicious Weight Watchers chili than you might think! Chili usually starts with some kind of meat, beans, chili peppers, and spices, but once you start swapping the protein and the vegetables you end up with a whole new bowl. Red chili is built on tomatoes and a heavy hand of spice, which gives it that deep red color. White chili goes the other way: a creamy or brothy base with white meat and white beans, so it stays pale, as the name suggests.
This list has red and white chili options for anyone following Weight Watchers or just trying to eat a little better this season. Whether you want a bowl of Green Chili Stew, a Vegetarian Black Bean Chili, or an autumn Turkey Pumpkin Chili, every recipe here is one of ours, and if you are stocking the freezer for the season you will find plenty more in our Weight Watchers soup recipes.
1. Spicy Chicken Chili
I lean on this one when I want something fiery for almost nothing: 99% fat-free ground chicken, a rainbow of diced peppers, corn, and a serious pour of Frank’s hot sauce simmered low and slow in the crock pot. It comes out at just 1 point a serving, and the heat builds nicely without drowning out the cumin and oregano underneath.
2. Cajun White Chicken Chili
This is where white chili meets a Louisiana kitchen: onion, celery, and green pepper sautéed with Cajun seasoning and smoked paprika, then shredded chicken, two kinds of beans, and a little smoked sausage for depth. A spoon of nonfat Greek yogurt at the end makes it creamy without the cream. If you like heat, the cayenne is easy to dial up.
3. Instant Pot Vegan Chili
Here is the hands-off option. Garlic, onion, carrots, and green pepper get a quick sauté right in the pot, then kidney beans, black beans, corn, and tomatoes pressure-cook into something thick and smoky thanks to a generous spoon of smoked paprika. Top it with avocado and cilantro and nobody will ask where the meat went.
4. Weight Watchers Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
My plant-based chili gets its depth from chipotle peppers in adobo and fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles, so it tastes like it simmered all afternoon even though it is done in about 45 minutes. Two cans of black beans make it filling, and a squeeze of lime at the end keeps the whole bowl bright.
5. Chicken Chili Bubble Up
For a weekend dinner that feels like a treat, this one bakes a ground chicken chili (peppers, corn, tomatoes, the usual chili spices) under a layer of biscuit pieces and reduced-fat cheese. You get the chili-and-cornbread experience in a single casserole dish, and it reheats beautifully for lunches.
6. Green Chili Stew
This is the green pork chili of the list: lean pork loin simmered with canned green chiles, jalapeños, a diced potato, and plenty of cilantro in a broth that leans tangy rather than tomato-heavy. It is the kind of bowl I want with a warm tortilla on a cold night.
7. Zero Point Turkey Chili
Have ground turkey to use up? This Tex-Mex style chili is done in under 40 minutes with black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes with green chilies, seasoned simply with a packet of taco seasoning. It is the one I make on a weeknight when I have not planned ahead.
8. Meat Lovers Chili
When a classic beef chili is what you are after, this is it, with extra-lean ground beef plus chicken sausage and back bacon for a meaty, slightly smoky bowl. Red and green pepper, two kinds of tomato, and crushed red pepper flakes round it out. It is a Super Bowl regular around here.
9. White Chicken Chili Bubble Up
A creamy white chili made with a light roux, fat-free sour cream, and chicken broth gets stirred together with shredded chicken, white kidney beans, and corn, then baked under buttermilk biscuit pieces and mozzarella. One jalapeño gives it just enough of an edge.
10. White Chicken Chili Tacos
Chili in a new form: the same creamy green-chile sauce from the white chicken chili, tossed with shredded chicken and corn, folded into small tortillas with reduced-fat mozzarella and baked until the edges crisp. They are a great way to use up leftover chicken.
11. Classic Weight Watchers Chili
Our traditional WW-friendly chili recipe is wonderful whether you want to enjoy it alone or make chili dogs with it! It has many spices, tomatoes, extra lean ground beef, and vegetables. There is also a small amount of Frank’s hot sauce, and Heinz baked beans for smokey undertones. The fantastic part is that you can use a slow or pressure cooker!
12. White Turkey Chili
Ground turkey, mild green chiles, white beans, and chicken broth, seasoned with cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika and ready in about 45 minutes. A splash of vinegar at the end is the small trick that keeps it tasting fresh rather than flat. Avocado and lime on top are not optional in my house.
13. Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Did someone say autumn? Cubes of fresh pumpkin simmer with seasoned ground turkey breast, white beans, red pepper, and crushed tomatoes until the pumpkin turns soft and sweet against the cumin. Finish with Greek yogurt, lime, and cilantro and it is the most fall-looking bowl on this list.
14. Weight Watchers White Chicken Chili
The straightforward white chili: shredded chicken breast, white beans, and fresh green chilies in a broth lightened with skim milk and seasoned with cumin, coriander, and oregano. It is brothy rather than thick, which makes it an easy lunch to pack in a thermos.
