• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Seanna's Kitchen
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Shop
    • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • Ă—

    Home » Recipes » Easy Weeknight Dinners

    Ground Bison Chili

    Last Updated: Sep 17, 2021 by Seanna Borrows · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. · 8 Comments

    340 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
    Pinterest Title Banner and Bowl of Bison Chili with a navy colored napkin in upper right corner.

    Bison Chili is a healthy chili recipe for an easy weeknight dinner in 30 minutes! This tasty recipe is made with ground bison, tomatoes, chili beans, and spices. Such a delicious and satisfying easy dinner! Yum!

    Bowl of Bison Chili with a navy colored napkin in upper right corner.
    Make this delicious Bison Chili Recipe tonight for an Easy Weeknight Dinner win!
    Jump to:
    • Here's What You Need
    • Notes on Ingredients
    • How to Make It
    • Tasty Tip
    • Common Questions
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Meal Prep And Storage
    • More Easy Weeknight Dinners
    • More Ground Bison Recipes
    • Watch How to Make It
    • đź“– Recipe
    • đź’¬ Community

    Looking for a healthy chili recipe for your family? Get a tasty meal on the table fast with this easy dinner option. Our Bison Chili Recipe has all the satisfying, classic chili flavors you love but it's made with a healthy twist by using lean ground bison instead of ground beef. We're always looking to add that healthy twist to our Easy Weeknight Dinner recipes. If you feel the same way, be sure to try out our other ground bison recipes, like our tasty Bison Pasta or Bison Meatballs.

    This tasty recipe is based on our classic chili recipe and was an instant hit around here! It's so good!

    Here's What You Need

    Photo of individual ingredients list for Bison Chili.
    Make sure you have what you need. Use this convenient ingredient list in the grocery store while you shop!

    Notes on Ingredients

    Ground Bison - Sealed packages of ground bison meat are commonly found in your local grocery store's packaged meat refrigerator case, right next to the ground beef.

    Salt - Salting the meat and adjusting seasonings at every step of the cooking process is essential to building the layers of flavor important to any dish. It is important to note that bison is a sweeter tasting meat when compared to beef, which is more savory in taste. So the seasonings need to be adjusted accordingly. For this recipe, this means balancing some of that sweetness with a little extra salt!

    How to Make It

    Collage showing four steps for making this delicious Bison Chili recipe.
    Make this tasty recipe for Ground Bison Chili in 4 easy steps.

    Step 1: First, sauté 1 lb of ground bison meat in 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Break the meat up into pieces and season with 1 teaspoon of salt as it cooks. Once browned and seasoned, the bison should be tasty. Add more salt if necessary.

    Step 2: Stir in onions, celery, and garlic.

    Step 3: Add diced tomatoes, chili beans, and seasonings. Stir until combined.

    Step 4: Cover and simmer for 20 Minutes. Then Enjoy!

    Tasty Tip

    Chili Add-Ins: This Bison Chili Recipe produces a mild flavored chili. For spicy chili, try any of these Add-Ins:

    • An extra Teaspoon of Chili Powder.
    • Ground Red Pepper.
    • Crushed Red Pepper.
    • Sriracha.
    • Diced Green Chili Pepper, Canned or Fresh.
    • Diced Jalapeño, Canned or Fresh.

    Bowl of Ground Bison Chili Recipe with a navy colored napkin in upper right corner.
    Make this delicious Bison Chili Recipe tonight for an Easy Weeknight Dinner win!

    Common Questions

    What does Bison taste like?

    Bison and beef are similar in taste, making bison an easy substitution choice in recipes containing beef. Bison meat tastes sweeter and less savory than beef.

    Is Bison healthier than Beef?

    Bison may be a healthier choice than beef because it is the leaner meat. When comparing bison and beef, bison is lower in calories, fat, and cholesterol. Bison is higher in protein than beef.

    A spoonful above a bowl of Healthy Ground Bison Chili sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese.
    Try this tasty recipe for delicious Bison Chili with your favorite Chili toppings and sides!

    Serving Suggestions

    Serve Bison Chili with your favorite toppings and sides!

    • Sprinkled with cheese.
    • Topped with sour cream.
    • Or with some avocado.
    • Scooped up on tortilla chips.
    • Spooned over hot dogs!
    • Or over nachos.
    • Over macaroni.
    • Or on baked potatoes!
    • With cornbread.

    Meal Prep And Storage

    Two Quarts of Bison Chili Recipe in Restaurant Storage Containers with blue towel in background.
    Meal Prep: Game on! Freeze this tasty Bison Chili Recipe for later for the perfect last minute easy dinner option!

    Bison Chili is a great recipe to make ahead or to use as a meal prep option! Make your weeknights easier by making this recipe ahead of time on the weekend!

    Store Bison Chili in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Bison Chili also freezes well for 2-6 months in these handy food storage containers.

    More Easy Weeknight Dinners

    • A small white platter of sliced oven roasted turkey breast garnished with lemons and fresh parsley.
      Simple Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
    • A casserole dish of baked easy pizza casserole.
      Easy Pizza Casserole Recipe
    • Sliced grilled chicken on a cutting board.
      Best Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe
    • Olive Garden Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo with Grilled Chicken plated.
      Olive Garden Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo with Grilled Chicken

    More Ground Bison Recipes

    • Bison Meatballs over brown rice on a white plate with blue stripped kitchen towel in background.
      Bison Meatballs
    • Easy weeknight dinner of Ground Bison Pasta made with rotini pictured in a white bowl, topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
      Ground Bison Pasta

    There you have it! Ground Bison Chili is a delicious a healthy chili recipe that can be made in 4 easy steps in just 30 minutes. It's as simple as that! We hope you enjoy this delicious and satisfying Easy Weeknight Dinner! Try it and let us know how you like it. We'd love to hear from you!

    xo ~ Seanna

    Watch How to Make It

    Hungry for More? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of the latest recipes.

    đź“– Recipe

    Bowl of Ground Bison Chili Recipe with a navy colored napkin in upper right corner.

    Ground Bison Chili

    A healthy chili recipe for and easy weeknight dinner in 30 minutes!  This tasty recipe is made with ground bison, tomatoes, chili beans, and spices.  Yum!
    | www.seannaskitchen.com
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate Add to Shopping ListGo to Shopping List
    Course: Soup and Chili
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 8 Servings
    Calories: 230kcal
    Author: Seanna Borrows

    Equipment

    • stock pot
    • chefs knife

    Ingredients

    • 1 Lb Ground Bison
    • 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • 1 Medium Onion Diced
    • 2 Stalks Celery Diced
    • 1 Clove Garlic Minced
    • 1 - 28 Oz Can Diced Tomatoes with Juice
    • 2 - 16 Oz Cans Hot Chili Beans
    • 2 Teaspoons Salt
    • 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
    • ÂĽ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
    • ÂĽ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Saute Ground Bison. First, Saute 1 lb of ground bison meat in 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.  Break the meat up into pieces and season with 1 teaspoon of salt as it cooks.  Once browned and seasoned, the bison should be tasty.  Add more salt if necessary.
      1 Lb Ground Bison, 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • Add Fresh Vegetables. Stir in onions, celery, and garlic.
      1 Medium Onion, 2 Stalks Celery, 1 Clove Garlic
    • Add Remaining Ingredients. Add diced tomatoes, chili beans, and seasonings.  Stir until combined.
      1 - 28 Oz Can Diced Tomatoes, 2 - 16 Oz Cans Hot Chili Beans, 2 Teaspoons Salt, 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder, ÂĽ Teaspoon Ground Cumin, ÂĽ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
    • Simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  And Enjoy!

    Notes

    Tasty Tip

    Taste and adjust seasonings while you cook. Salting the meat and adjusting seasonings at every step of the cooking process is essential to building the layers of flavor important to any dish.

    Adjust Seasonings

    It is important to note that bison is a sweeter tasting meat when compared to beef, which is more savory in taste. So the seasonings need to be adjusted accordingly. For this recipe, this means balancing some of that sweetness with a little extra salt! 

    Chili Add-Ins

    This Bison Chili Recipe produces a mild flavored chili. For spicy chili, try any of these Add-Ins:  An extra Teaspoon of Chili Powder, Ground Red Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper, Sriracha, Diced Green Chili Pepper, Canned or Fresh, Diced Jalapeño, or Canned or Fresh.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 1242mg | Potassium: 709mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 267IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 4mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Mention @SeannasKitchen and tag #seannaskitchen!

    More Easy Weeknight Dinners

    • Image of a bowl of Pasta Fagioli with a hunk of bread.
      Pasta e Fagioli
    • Image of a bowl of Instant Pot Chicken Soup with a spoonful raised.
      Instant Pot Chicken Soup
    • Fettuccine Alfredo in a white bowl with fork lifted for bite.
      Fettuccine Alfredo
    • White plate full of Instant Pot Mexican Casserole with topped with fresh avocado.
      Instant Pot Mexican Casserole

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Join the Discussion Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Ginger

      March 10, 2023 at 9:16 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, this is delicious. I added a few cut pepper pieces. 1/4 teaspoon of ground ancho chili spice, and 2 flat tablespoons of red chili goop (sorry, couldn’t think of a better description) from a can. It came out really well. Thanks for posting this recipe. 🙂

      Reply
      • Seanna Borrows

        March 11, 2023 at 8:48 am

        Great to hear! Your additions sound tasty!

        Reply
    2. Evonne Simoff

      March 16, 2022 at 5:24 pm

      5 stars
      Love this! It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s healthy. Winning combination. I added a little extra spice like Seanna recommended and I also added some diced carrots because I needed to use them up.

      Reply
      • Seanna

        March 16, 2022 at 6:21 pm

        Awesome to hear Evonne! So happy you like it. Carrots are a great addition.

        Reply
    3. Ashlee

      October 28, 2021 at 3:29 pm

      5 stars
      I found your recipe after searching google for a bison chili recipe. This recipe was great! There was so much flavor and I loved the added red chili flakes. I didn't change a thing and wont the next time I prepare this recipe. Thank you, it feels good to have a satisfying recipe to add to my rotation!

      Reply
      • Seanna

        October 28, 2021 at 4:27 pm

        Thanks so much Ashlee. I'm so glad you like it!

        Reply
    4. Russ Borrows

      March 14, 2021 at 2:42 pm

      5 stars
      Loved this chili, and the fact that it was a healthy option!

      Reply
      • Seanna

        March 14, 2021 at 2:44 pm

        Thank you! Love these Easy Weeknight Dinners!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Seanna Borrows.

    Welcome to Seanna's Kitchen!

    Hi, I'm Seanna, a home cook and food blogger, sharing favorite recipes inspired by the people and places I love.
    Food is love. And here you can expect to find the recipes and stories that bring us together.
    Good food…made with love…for the people you love…Now, that's a great recipe!

    More about me →

    Reader Favorites

    • Image of Ground Turkey Pasta with grated parmesan cheese on white plate with fork and spoon.
      Ground Turkey Pasta
    • Easy weeknight dinner of Ground Bison Pasta made with rotini pictured in a white bowl, topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
      Ground Bison Pasta
    • Piece of the Best Jiffy Cornbread Recipe with butter on top.
      Best Jiffy Cornbread Recipe
    • Old Fashioned Banana Bread loaf with slice shown.
      Old Fashioned Banana Bread Recipe

    Footer

    About

    Privacy Policy

    Accessibility Statement

    Disclosure Policy

    Keep in touch

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Sign up! Sign up for our newsletter and never miss a recipe!

    Contact Us

    Contact

    About

    Copyright © 2023 Seanna's Kitchen, All rights reserved. ~ SDG