Cornbread Chili Skillet Pie {Grain Free, Paleo}

This grain free cornbread chili skillet pie is the ultimate healthy comfort food! A quick hearty beef chili is topped with paleo “cornbread” and baked to bubbly perfection. It’s gluten free, dairy free, grain free and paleo friendly. This family favorite is perfect to add a little cozy warmth to cold winter nights!

I recently made the perfect grain free and paleo cornbread, and it totally reminded me to make this “cornbread” chili skillet pie!

I made sure to tweak the cornbread recipe to make it simpler (fewer flours) and the perfect amount to top the chili.  Plus a little bit less sweet to better complement the hearty, savory chili.

The result was even better than I imagined!  A super simple paleo skillet chili recipe topped with a one-bowl faux-cornbread topping that will WOW everyone you serve it to!

What You Need to Make Cornbread Chili Skillet Pie

Don’t let the long ingredient list intimidate you!  I divided the ingredients into two parts – the chili and the topping.

Here’s everything you’ll need to prepare the chili skillet pie:

Chili:

• avocado oil or olive oil
• medium onion
• red bell pepper
• green bell pepper
• jalapeno pepper
• garlic
• ground beef, grass fed
• cumin
• smoked paprika
• chili powder
• chipotle powder
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• tomato paste

Cornbread Topping:

• eggs
• full fat coconut milk
• fresh lemon juice
• raw honey (melted)
• ghee (or vegan butter, for dairy free) 
• blanched almond flour 
• coconut flour 
• aluminum free baking powder (homemade paleo baking powder, see below) 
• sea salt
• Minced cilantro, for garnish

How to Make Paleo “Cornbread” Chili Skillet Pie

Preheat your oven to 375° F.  Heat a large (12”) oven proof skillet over medium heat and add the oil.  Add the onions and cook until translucent, then add all the peppers and garlic.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until softened.  

Push the veggies over to one side of the skillet and add the beef, breaking up lumps to brown evenly.  Add the spices and cook, stirring with the veggies until browned.  Pour in the tomatoes and tomato paste, stir, and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and allow the chili to simmer while you prepare the cornbread topping.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, lemon juice, honey and ghee until smooth.  Stir in the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt until a thick batter forms.  

Allow the batter to sit for a minute, then remove the chili from the heat.  

Spread all the cornbread batter over the top of the chili and bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until the top of the cornbread is golden brown and it’s cooked through.  Allow the skillet to cool and set for 10 minutes.  Garnish with minced cilantro and serve hot.

How to Make Your Own Grain Free and Paleo Baking Powder

For the “cornbread” topping in this recipe I used homemade baking powder, which I finally started making myself!

Since store bought baking powder contains cornstarch, it’s not technically grain free and paleo.

While this doesn’t bother me really since we’re talking about a really small amount, I’ve been meaning to start making my own paleo baking powder to use to test my baking recipes.

I found a recipe at Delightful Mom Food and it works really well for me, plus I have plenty (but not too much) to store away for recipe testing.

All you need to do is mix together 3 ingredients – 1/4 cup cream of tartar, 2 tablespoons baking soda and 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour.  In the past I only used the first two ingredients and I find that adding the arrowroot flour helps!

I hope you’re ready for a seriously crave-worthy dinner that’s going to impress even the pickiest eaters!

Grab all your ingredients and your favorite big skillet because it’s time to cook – let’s go!

Cornbread Chili Skillet Pie {Grain Free, Paleo}

Cornbread Chili Skillet Pie {Paleo}

This grain free cornbread chili skillet pie is the ultimate healthy comfort food! A quick hearty beef chili is topped with paleo “cornbread” and baked to bubbly perfection. It’s gluten free, dairy free, grain free and paleo friendly. This family favorite is perfect to add a little cozy warmth to cold winter nights!

Author: Michele Rosen

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: dairy-free, Gluten-free, Paleo

Keyword: chili, comfort food, cornbread, grain free, paleo

Servings: 8 servings

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4.66 from 35 votes

Ingredients

Chili:

• 1 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 lb ground beef grass fed
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste

Cornbread Topping:

• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp raw honey melted
• 1/3 cup ghee or vegan butter, melted
• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 1 Tbsp coconut flour
• 1 tsp aluminum free baking powder or make your own paleo baking powder
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• Minced cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375° F. Heat a large (12”) oven proof skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onions and cook until translucent, then add all the peppers and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until softened.
2. Push the veggies over to one side of the skillet and add the beef, breaking up lumps to brown evenly. Add the spices and cook, stirring with the veggies until browned. Pour in the tomatoes and tomato paste, stir, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow the chili to simmer while you prepare the cornbread topping.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, lemon juice, honey and ghee until smooth. Stir in the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt until a thick batter forms.
4. Allow the batter to sit for a minute, then remove the chili from heat.
5. Spread all the cornbread batter over the top of the chili and bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until the top of the cornbread is golden brown and it’s cooked through. Allow the skillet to cool and set for 10 minutes. Garnish with minced cilantro and serve hot. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Mix 1/4 cup cream of tartar with 2 Tbsp of baking soda and 2 tbsp of arrowroot flour. Save this mixture in an airtight container and use in place of store bought baking powder.

Nutrition

Calories: 487kcal

Carbohydrates: 23g

Protein: 19g

Fat: 38g

Saturated Fat: 12g

Cholesterol: 100mg

Sodium: 334mg

Potassium: 605mg

Fiber: 6g

Sugar: 12g

Vitamin A: 1148IU

Vitamin C: 45mg

Calcium: 148mg

Iron: 4mg

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Want More Paleo Chili Recipes?  Try One of These!

Butternut Squash Chicken Chili

Instant Pot Beef and Bacon Chili

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili with Sweet Potatoes 

Easy Pumpkin Chili

Chorizo Sweet Potato Chili 

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