12 Hearty Chili Recipes to Warm You Up This Winter

A steaming bowl of chili is the perfect remedy for this long, chilly winter. And it will do more than just warm you up.

Studies have found that eating spicy foods like chili peppers may help you live longer, decrease your risks of heart attack and stroke, and could even help with your weight loss efforts. Spicy chili can increase your body temperature, increasing the amount of calories you burn. And it may also control your appetite over time, so you don’t get hungry again as soon after your spicy meal.

Get all these benefits—and a big bowl of flavor—with one of these 12 recipes for chili that are perfect for curling up on the couch as you wait for spring.

1. One-Pot Ground Beef Chili

One of the best resources for weight loss tips and healthy recipes is you—our Nutrisystem members. And this recipe is just one more great thing that you’ve provided to our weight loss community! This flavorful, one-pot chili was shared on our Recipe Submission page by Melody, a real Nutrisystem member. Featuring lean beef, black beans and no nonsense, this classic chili recipe is ready in less than an hour and makes five hearty servings.

Get the One-Pot Ground Beef Chili recipe.

2. Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chicken Chili

Fill your home with the aroma of hearty pumpkin and spicy jalapeno without filling your sink with dirty dishes. Just put beans, chicken breast, onions, peppers and some cans of tomatoes, chiles, beans and chicken broth into your slow cooker with a few spices. Then sit back, relax and let the slow cooker do the rest. All that’s left to do is shred the chicken once its fork-tender. Grab a bowl and top it with cilantro before digging in.

Get the Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili recipe.

3. No-Bean Vegan Sweet Potato Chili

If you’ve been trying to eat less meat this year, you may feel like you’re turning into a bean—legumes are heart-healthy and weight-loss friendly, delivering a punch of protein and fiber. Give yourself a bean break: This chili starts with a plant-based, alternative ground beef, then adds more flavor and heartiness with sweet potato, corn, bell peppers and fire-roasted tomatoes. And it’s got the classic chili flavors you’ll love cozying up with: It’s spiced with cumin, minced garlic, onions and, of course, chili powder.

Get the No-Bean Vegan Sweet Potato Chili recipe.

4. Skinny Slow Cooker Chili Cheese Dip

When you’re on a weight loss journey, one favorite that can be tough to give up is chips and dip. It’s so satisfying to plunge deep into a bowl of gooey, cheesy, flavorful goodness while watching a movie or game. One of Nutrisystem’s biggest secrets to success is that you don’t have to forgo your favorite foods. You’ve just have to eat controlled portions of them, and add some healthy ingredients to give your body the vitamins and fuel it needs to function as you progress towards your goal. This Chili Cheese Dip does just that, with no compromise: It’s as creamy as any dip you’ve ever had, with protein-packed Greek yogurt swapping in for cream cheese. It pops with flavor from spicy cumin, paprika and chili powder. Plus, it’s super-duper cheesy. Make it for your next get-together, and watch it disappear!

Get the Skinny Slow Cooker Chili Cheese Dip recipe.

5. Grilled Chili and Cheese Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

This recipe looks—and tastes—like it’s been lifted from the menu of your favorite sports bar or pub: Each baked sweet potato is stuffed with chili and topped with melty cheese. And it couldn’t be easier to make! Wrap the potatoes in foil and toss them on the grill for an hour, then slice them in half and top with turkey chili and cheese. It’s hearty, it’s melty, it’s simple … and it’s delicious!

Get the Grilled Chili and Cheese Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe.

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6. Chili Cheese TikTok Tortilla Wrap Hack

TikTok isn’t just for viral dances, and it isn’t just for teens. The app is loaded with food ideas—some genius, and some … not so much. This simple tortilla-folding hack fits squarely in the genius category. It’s a simple way to make a wrapped meal that has no mess, and guarantees your ingredients will be evenly distributed in each bite. Our simple, four-ingredient chili cheese wrap has warm turkey chili, creamy avocado, melty cheese, and crunch from lettuce. Thanks to the wrap technique, it stays crunchy through every healthy bite.

Get the Chili Cheese TikTok Tortilla Wrap Hack recipe.

7. Chunky Veggie Chili

Get ready for some serious flavor: This vegetarian chili starts with fire-roasted jalapenos—fire-roasted by you! By placing the peppers under the broiler or directly on the open flame of a burner, you’ll char them all over, bringing out more flavor in each pepper. Those flame-licked green gems become the base of bowls that are brimming with zucchini, onion, tomato, black beans, garlic and more ingredients that make each bite a warm, tasty adventure. Add in a dash of melty cheese and the crunch of crushed tortilla chips, and this bowl’s got it all—even without meat.

Get the Chunky Veggie Chili recipe.

8. Chicken Chili and Cornbread Casserole

This meal is two-in-one, and it’s all cooked in one oven-safe cast iron pan. After assembling a classic, flavorful chicken chili at the bottom of the pan, you’ll slather the top with your own, homemade cornbread batter—don’t worry, it’s easy! The whole thing—chili and cornbread—goes into the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, creating an eye-catching, guest-pleasing casserole that combines all your favorite chili flavors into a single serving. This one may just become your “secret,” special recipe—and the biggest secret is that this tasty dish is healthy!

Get the Chicken Chili and Cornbread Casserole recipe.

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9. Ground Turkey Chili

If you’re still not a vegetable lover, this bowl’s for you. Getting your heart-healthy, cancer-fighting daily servings of non-starchy vegetables has never been easier. This chili is fortified with celery and spinach, giving it a double-punch of vegetables that you probably won’t even notice. You’ll be too busy enjoying the flavors of hearty ground turkey breast, peppers, onions and a pile of tasty spices.

Get the Ground Turkey Chili recipe.

10. Slow Cooker Brisket Chili

Real beef brisket and your slow cooker team up to star in this super healthy bowl. The meat is cooked to perfection as it simmers all day with bell peppers, onions, beans, potatoes, beef broth and spices. Drop the ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning. Then when it’s time to ring the dinner bell, your work’s already done. You’ll have created a delicious, gourmet bowl of chili bursting with flavor from brisket. Plus, you’ll only have two dishes to clean up: the vessel of your slow cooker, and the bowl you just ate from!

Get the Slow Cooker Brisket Chili recipe.

11. Air Fryer Chili Potato Skins

You don’t need an excuse to eat chili-stuffed potato skins: They’re perfect as an appetizer, a hearty weekend lunch, a meal at game time or even a midweek dinner. And they’re so simple to prepare that you’ll want to eat these favorites all week. Just bake the potato, then scoop out the filling and toss it in your air fryer. Top each potato half with your favorite chili and some cheese, and you’ve got a crispy, hearty potato skin. Add a salad or some steamed broccoli on the side, and you’ve got a well-rounded, delicious meal that will support your weight loss goals and let you eat this pub grub favorite!

Get the Air Fryer Chili Potato Skins recipe.

12. Butternut Squash Turkey Chili

The turkey-and-squash flavors of this chili are pumped up by tongue-tingling serrano chiles, as well as onion, garlic and a handful of classic chili spices. When butternut squashes go on sale at your grocery store, grab a bundle: You can make a double or triple batch of this hearty recipe and freeze it. Then you’ll have delicious bowls of this warm, cozy homemade chili just waiting in your freezer for days you just don’t want to cook.

Get the Butternut Squash Turkey Chili recipe.