Easy Muscle-Building Chili: How to make the perfect bowl (with photos and recipe)
Learn how to make an easy and cheap muscle-building chili.
There are two big reasons most guys have trouble building muscle, and they have nothing to do with working out:
- Most guys don’t eat enough food to gain muscle.
- Most guys don’t like to cook. (Or they don’t know how.)
Enter the bowl of chili.
It’s the easiest (and cheapest) muscle-building meal you can make. It’s loaded with protein, vegetables, and — if you follow the recipe below — it tastes amazing.
Can you chop a couple vegetables and throw some stuff in a pot? Can you wait an hour? Can you drink a beer and listen to music?
Then you can make this chili.
Trust me, this tastes incredible.
What’s In It
Makes 4 huge bowls. Total cost: $28.00
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 red bell peppers
- 3 carrots
- 1 huge onion
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 1 can kidney beans
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 can of spicy vegetable juice
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
Stuff you should have lying around
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- balsamic vinegar
Tools
- 1 big pot with cover
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 cutting board
- 1 chef’s knife
Other stuff you’ll want
- beer (because you can)
- music (because cooking in silence sucks)
How To Make It
Stage 1: Prep
- Peel the carrots, remove the outer skin from the onion, remove the seeds from the bell peppers, and wash everything in cold water. Remove the cilantro leaves from the stalks, wash in cold water, and set aside both leaves and stalks.
- Chop all the vegetables into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside. Finely chop the cilantro stalks. Remove the skin from the garlic and finely chop.
- Wipe the tops of the cans with a damp napkin to remove any dirt.
- Open the beans and rinse in cold water.
- Open the tomatoes and set aside.
- Grab your ground beef and remove from the wrapping. Set aside.
- Grab your spices and set aside.
- Turn a stove-top burner to medium-high and add a couple lugs of olive oil.
- Take a drink of beer.
Stage 2: Throw everything in
- Once the olive oil has warmed up (takes about one minute), toss your carrots, celery, bell pepper, onion, and garlic into the pot and cook for 10 minutes. Stir continuously so nothing burns or sticks to the pan. Add more olive oil if necessary.
- After the 10 minutes are up, add your chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Stir.
- Add both cans of tomatoes.
- Take one empty can and fill it with the spicy vegetable juice. Pour it in.
- Crumble the ground beef into the pot. (Wash your hands after.)
- Add the chopped cilantro stalks.
- Add two Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
- Sprinkle some salt and add a couple pinches of black pepper. Stir.
- Bring the chili to a boil then reduce the heat to “low” and cover the pot.
Stage 3: Wait
Cook on low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally, and find something else to do with your time. Hang out with a pretty girl. Have another beer. Watch a couple episodes of 30 Rock. Use your imagination.
Stage 4: Add toppers and eat
After the hour is up, spoon yourself some chili. Add one or two of these and enjoy:
- Red pepper flakes
- Dark chocolate
- More salt
- Cilantro leaves
- Sour cream
- Cheddar cheese
Your Turn
What’s your “go-to” easy-to-make muscle-building meal? Let us know in the comments.
121 Responses to Easy Muscle-Building Chili
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Tony Austin says:
I like to add a little Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce to my chili’s ingredients list. I won’t change your nutrition profile that much but adds a nice layer of flavor.
A new recipe we’ve been playing with is ground turkey meatballs with cubed and roasted sweet potatoes and salad. We use a little olive oil to cook the sweet potatoes in the oven. Delicious.
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Elias Y says:
Tzatziki Greek Yogurt Dip:
1 Container full fat greek yogurt
1 Clove garlic
1 Handful fresh dill
1-2 pinches sea salt
Toasted Pita bread/chips/or anything scoop-ableCrush garlic, mix ingredients, dip. It’s quick, zesty, and packed packed with slow-release protein.
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Tasty scrambled eggs
4 cage free eggs
Diced veggies (carrots, onions, celery)
Salsa
Olive OilPour olive oil into the pan while it is heating up. Throw in the diced veggies and let them saute while you are scrambling the eggs. Pour the eggs in and cook them.
Throw them in a bowl and top with salsa of your choice.
Enjoy
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Usually sun-dried chicken sausage, broccoli, carrots, red peppers, maybe some brown rice. You can throw all of ’em in the same boiling water, fish em out and chow down!
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I love the “Take a drink of beer” instruction :-) I’ve made chilli many times and my girlfriend is sick of it, but this looks good. I might have to try this one on her!
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jeremeyd says:
I love making a huge frittata for breakfast including eggs, bacon, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, cheese, and diced potatoes. Bake a huge pan in the oven and I have breakfast for a few days.
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Luke Hollinshead says:
That looks amazing! I pride myself on making a damn good chilli, but this method is definitely going to be one for me to try. Get all that goodness in and your set for a couple of days. Chilli hot or cold…immense. Cheers buddy
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Daniel says:
Turkey bolognese: Makes two Muscle Building Meals :)
800g Turkey Mince
1 Can of Tinned Tomatoes
1 Carton of Passata
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 carrots chopped
2 tbsp tomato purée
200ml water
tsp of dried oregano
tsp Italian Seasoning
Salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp Worstershire Sauce
Little bit of cheeky red wine
Two Large Sweet Potatoes roasted in the oven.
Serve up the Bologenese and put on top of the Sweet Potato Jacket add some grated cheese as well if you like : )-
Jesse says:
Thanks for sharing!
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Jake N says:
Sweet!
Garlic roasted chicken breasts with lemon grass ginger rice. -
@Nate
Would you look at adding some complex carbs to the chilli above like Pasta/Potatoes/Rice to add carbohydrates to the meal for building muscle or would there be plenty of carbs from the beans??-
I think spooning some rice would over this would be a good way to go. But by itself a bowl of chili is a good amount of calories.
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biglou says:
Great Idea. Sometimes I like to cook up some white rice and have chili over rice. It fills me right up and gets me ready for the day.
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quinoa black or white beans and salsa. SOOOOOOOO good and so easy to make
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Andrew says:
Nate – Looks good. Any thoughts on the “spice burns more calories” argument? I’ve always assumed it was just on the margin in the lab somewhere that can’t really be replicated in reality with any real impacts.
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Jesse Zenthoefer says:
I’ve never been a big chili fan, but I think I’m going to have to give it a try.
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Looks great and easy to make. Thanks Nate!
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Homemade huevos rancheros
Take a can of black beans and mash them into a pastes. Add some seasonings to it (chyanne pepper, black pepper, garlic, sea salt) Heat that up and spread over tortilla shell. Then cook 4 eggs over-easy and place over the black beans. Lastly finish it off with some fresh salso spread over top of it all.
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jdunn says:
great recipe. One trick that might be useful is to use dried beans and de-gas them for those who get gas from beans. a trick I learned years ago was put the dried beans in a pot with water, bring to a boil, rinse and cover them in the pot with fresh water. Soak overnight. Next day, drain and cook. Supposedly this removes 90% of gas causing agent. I use this technique w/ all my bean dishes. It’s a little more work but worth it if you live/work with people in closed quarters!
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easy to make. Cant wait to try it out. Perfect for a couple meals
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Jonathan Morris says:
Looks awesome, I’ll have to try it soon. Here is an easy recipe that I just started making: Dice up some red peppers and add to an olive oil base, cook up a box of ziti and grill up a couple of chicken breasts. Add everything together and throw in a good helping of vodka sauce and lastly add some ground pepper and salt and you got yourself an easy yet delicious meal. I also cooked up some asparagus mixed in with garlic and olive oil for a side.
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mikeplee says:
Not under $20? ;) I prefer black beans instead of garbanzo beans, and I like to garnish with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. How come you don’t brown the meat after the veggies? Browned meat tasted good!
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Yeah, not this time. :) However, the cost all depends on the ingredients you use.
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Mike Dotson says:
Chili looks fantastic. I enjoy Salmon cooked on an iron skillet in the oven, stuffed with Feta Cheese, very simple.
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Looks good not quite like the chili I am used to but will have to try
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Andy says:
Looks delicious and this is the perfect time of year for a nice bowl of chili. My go to is a pan full of ground beef and vegetables with some sweet potato on the side. Probably the easiest dinner to make that I can think of.
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Kameron says:
Man this will be a great change from the canned chili. My favorite muscle building meal is Shrimp pasta. Cook the pasta of your liking, smother it in pasta sauce, pan fry some shrimp (or any meat) and throw in some veggies(your choice). Combine all in a HUGE bowl and enjoy. Oh dont forget the Parmesan!
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Dude, we got to get you off the canned chili. So congrats on winning a copy of Gourmet Nutrition. Check your email.
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Hey, this sounds delicious, but what do you mean by “1 can spicy vegetable juice?”
V8 style vegetable juice or some kind of spicy vegetable stock?-
Exactly. Spicy v8 is good.
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How would chopped steak work? Should be the same?
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Go nuts. That sounds good.
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Josh Cruse says:
My new favorite meal period. Big bowl salad. I never get sick of them. Greens, cheese, tomatoes, natural ground beef, and chicken. Simple, but sooo good
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I make a turkey meat sauce & spaghetti squash. And it’s cheap & easy & uses very few ingredients.
1 large spaghetti squash
Use 3 packages (1-1.5lb) 93%/7% lean turkey
Use 1 package 93/7 ground beef
1 can med-large of tomato paste
2 TB Oregano
Salt & Pepper
1-2 TB sugar
6-10TB of olive/coconut oil depending on the size of the pot to coat the bottom.
Dice up (very small) two whole onions
Coat the bottom of the big pot with Olive Oil and put the diced onions in. You can also use coconut oil, which is what I use.
Let the Onions caramelize. Once they do, add in the meat.
Be sure to stir and break up all the meat thoroughly so that it is all cooked and even consistency.
Once the meat is cooked through (just use your best judgement. If it’s pink, it still needs a little time), add the can of tomato paste and mix.
At this point, throw the spaghetti squash into the microwave for about 8min (dont forget to poke holes in it)
Back to the meat – Final touches: add 1-2 TB of sugar, 1-2 TB of oregano, and about 1 Tb of salt.
These are approximate because they are all by taste. The wooden spoon is your friend. Test and adjust frequently. Add in small so you dont overdue one taste.
Stir and add a little water if needed. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes after it’s all mixed in, then it’s good to eat.
Now take out the squash from the microwave and use a fork to shave out the interior into spaghetti-like particles that are yellow and fiber-full. I put it all into a big bowl and cover generously with the meat sauce.
YIELD:
~5lbs of meat ~500-600g protein. ~200g fat.
~4000 calories of low carb muscle delicious food.
I usually split it up into 3-4 meals.
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George says:
Come back stateside in a month, can’t wait to try this out!
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I already make a version of this, but I think I’ll try it your way soon.
How about hooking me up with a cook book so I can try more evil scientist experimentations? ;-)
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Eli says:
Mince meat cheese egg white omelet. Big fan of the blog and website.
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Sal says:
Awesome!!!
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Tyson Henrie says:
Mmmm, i love chili. Mine is taco salad :
2 pounds grass fed ground beef
Fresh salsa
Tons of lettuce
Black beans
Kidney beans
Olives
Spices -
Patrick says:
This is simply the best. Easy, tasty and enough to share too.
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I made an awesome dessert by throwing Greek yogurt, frozen strawberries, chocolate whey, and a little honey in a blender. I was hoping I would be able to freeze it and have something similar to ice cream but it froze solid. I let it thaw and it was great.
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Meatza!
2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
1 onion
1 spanish onion
Peppers
Mushrooms
Cheese
Tomato paste
Chopped tomatoes
Powdered chill, garlic, oregano
Guaccamole
Salsa
Optional: Bacon, pepperoni or shrimps, if you’re feeling frisky.1. Mix together the meat, eggs and chopped onion.
2. Add oregano, chili and garlic
3. Put the whole mixture on a baking tray and flat it out into on giant thin burger.
4. Into the oven at 225 C for 10 min
5. Take it out and pour any excess fat into the sink or something
6. Add tomato-sauce, veggies, cheese and the meat(optional)
7. Put back in the oven for about 15 minutes.
8. Slice it up into squares and enjoy with guacc and salsa, preferably homemade.
9. Get brawny! -
Joachim Sebastian says:
Marinade :
500 – 600g of lean chicken breast – chopped to small pieces
and marinated with :-masala rub ( available at indian shops )
– salt – a pinch– pepper – a pinch
– teaspoon of chilli powder– 1 tablespoon of tamarind diluted in water
– mix well with hands and keep for 2 hours in fridgeCooking :
– add 1 tablespoon oil to frying pan, stir fry to perfection
– just before removing , crack two eggs over mix and continue frying– chicken mix is best eaten with large lettuce leaves and bread
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conlee says:
this sounds so good.
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Skillet-style Beef, Sweet potato hash, and eggs
My favorite part about skillets is the variety you can through in. It seems like a lot of work, but it’s tough to mess up, and if you can handle a couple of pans together, it’s simple and delicious.
Ingredients:
1lb. of ground beef
2 eggs
one medium onion
one bell pepper
kale!
1 large sweet potato
coconut oil (or of your choice)dOptional additions:
— any vegetable you can think of (frozen peas, asparagus, etc…)
–shredded cheeses…yumPrep work—chop your veggies
—–Sweet potato hash —--chop into 1/2-1 in cubes
– put in a large pan with water — bring to boil
-let simmer for 10-15 min or whenever soft enough for a fork to penetrate a potato easily-drain the water
-remove potatoes, add oil to pan to heat
-add onions and garlic – cook until soft
-add back potatoes and cook until awesome and season to tastes1lb ground beef cooked with sauteed onions, bell peppers, garlic, shredded kale, and whatever other veggies you want (ex: mushrooms, asparagus…it will all taste fine).
Once the beef is just about ready, mix it and the hash all together…don’t forget to top it off with a couple of sunny-side up eggs (or your variation).My go-to seasonings – – – black pepper, sea salt, cumin, more garlic with garlic powder, cayenne and lotsa hot sauce!
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Guest says:
on the olive oil, do you want to go with the extra virgin option? or just regular?
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I use extra virgin.
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Frank says:
Wow, Great recipes! Definitely going to try a bunch of these out!
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Austin says:
Can’t wait to try this recipe out this weekend! I love to cook, and I’m always looking for new healthy recipes to try.
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Jrsevy says:
Sounds good, I’ll prob try that out!!
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disqus_pkXIKD9fwz says:
That Sounds delicious, thanks for sharing.
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this looks and sounds awesome! I can’t wait to try it out..Maybe this week end! I love fall food!
Claude B -
For dessert:
2-3 frozen organic bananas
2-3 ice cubes
flavoring of your choice: vanilla, cocoa powder, green teaThrow all the above in a blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes.
Viola: banana ice cream. It’s basically the same texture as ice cream and it has fooled people. But way less fat and sugar. Ideal for post-workout snacking -
otzenaj says:
That sounds great!!! You must be using a very lean beef if you are adding it before browning and draining the meat. Also, a lot of the recipes in the comments sound amazing and I’m going to have to try a few.
PS: Honestly, beans don’t belong in chili. I understand the added nutritional benefit, but if you put beans in chili, For the love of Mike, don’t call it chili.
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My go to protein breakfast. I’ve also thrown in slices of apple with a little more cinnamon to make apple cinnamon pancakes.
Protein Pancakes
Add the following to blender:
1/2 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/2 cup liquid egg whites
1/2 cup Dry Oats
1 tsp cinnamonBlend until mixture becomes like batter (add water if needed):
Heat pan to medium heat and spray with PAM or 0 calorie non-stick solution:
Add mixture to pan and cook like pancake
Top with:
1 tbsp natural peanut butter and Walden Farms 0 calorie sugar-free syrupNutritional Facts:
Calories 400, Fat 11g, Carb 37g, Protein 35g-
delicious!
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Also, leftover chili tastes amazing. Since this makes 4 bowls you should have a couple lunches.
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My favorite is Buffalo Bolognese with Spaghetti Squash. Add
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Matt says:
Definitely going to make this chili! I’m starting a blog with easy, cheap, and healthy recipes for guys looking to stay lean or get in shape.
If I’m at home on a weekend with little else to do, but I’m not feeling particularly hungry… a great meal is an old favorite my grandmother told me about: “uova in purgatorio” or “eggs in purgatory.”
What you’ll need: (one serving)
1 can or jar (or two cups of home made) spaghetti or marinara sauce
2 eggs
2-4 slices Whole wheat bread (I prefer Dave’s Killer or Ezekiel bread)
Pour the sauce into a medium skillet to cover the entire skillet. Crack the eggs directly into the sauce without stirring, far enough apart so the egg whites don’t touch. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until the egg whites have solidified. Serve open-faced over toast.
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Looks good. I love to make chili but usually with ground turkey and no carrots.
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Awesome. Thanks so much. I have a Facebook group called “Nutritious and Delicious” https://www.facebook.com/groups/247465145351027/ and this will be a great thing to share. This recipe renews my love for good food and cooking.
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Josh says:
6 eggs
1 nitrate free sausage
1 large sweet potato
2 handfuls of a spinach
Whatever other veggies I have.
Dice sweet potato, veggies and sausage.
Put diced ingredients in skillet w coconut oil and cook on medium heat
Season as desired
When almost done add spinach and crack eggs directly into skillet
Scramble and cook eggs as desired
Top w salsa, hot sauce and/or avocado. -
Rob - rjstanis says:
Chicken Cantina Bowl my wife makes
-organic chicken
-black beans
-tomato
-avocado
-brown rice
-lettuce for crisp
-occasional corn for sweetness
Avocado dressing – avocados and Greek yogurt -
Pat says:
My personal favorite and a meal I make on a regular basis is your perfect burger recipe
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For those who want to check out that burger recipe: http://scrawnytobrawny.com/the-s2b-summer-rules
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I make that thing all the time since I saw that post
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My wife make a red Turkey Chili that is delicious. I will have to dig it out and post the recipe here. This would be a good change to try this one though!.
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yurm.
Nate, since starting S2B, I Understand why people take pictures of food they cook.
I’m 30 years old. Yesterday, I made an omlette for the first time in my life. Felt so much pride that for the next three hours, I strutted around the apartment like a UFC champion.
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That’s awesome, man. Glad to hear it.
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I still do that every time I make a Super Shake and start drinking it right out of the blender. I guess it’s empowering to be able to feed yourself good food.
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I still do that every time I make a Super Shake and start drinking it right out of the blender. I guess it’s empowering to be able to feed yourself good food.
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Wonderful, time to pretend I knew what I’m going at the thanksgiving potluck!
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I like how you put the pics together in a composite so the page doesn’t take so long to load.
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Matt H says:
It’ll freeze well in ziplock bags too – just take one out 12 hours before you need it and leave it in the fridge to defrost
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Zach says:
oatmeal, vanilla protein powder, and almond butter. Super quick, easy, balanced, and delicious!
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This is awesome chili has always been my favorite meal since I was a kid. Thanks for this.
One of my favorite recipes I use in meals after working is peanut butter spinach quinoa. I find it the easiest and best tasting way to eat loads of quinoa, which I consider one of the best foods out there, if you’re looking to build muscle. Have a pot of 2 1/2 cups of water with a bit of olive oil, bring it to a boil and add the quinoa. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. After about 10 mins add some frozen spinach nuggets and turn up the heat a bit, mix until all the spinach has cooked (about 5 mins). Once all the water has been absorbed add about 2 heaping table spoons of natural or unsweetened peanut butter, removed from heat and stir. The peanut butter will melt and completely cover all the quinoa and spinach making one of the healthiest superfood dishes you’ve ever had! :)
Cheers,
Shane -
LW says:
Do you just eat the leftover chili cold or is it ideal to heat it up?
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Heat it, man. :)
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This sounds goods. I will have to add it to my rotation.
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Vince Figini says:
Staying on track with with multiple meal options, since we all live busy lives, below is my easy Hispanic.
-2 pounds cubed chicken or ground beef
-1 green bell pepper
-1/2 onion
-2 cloves garlic
-1 avocado
-1 can whole kernel corn
-1 can diced green chilies
-1 can black beans
-Spinach
-cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, black pepper.Marinate the meat, spices and chopped garlic in the fridge for an hour or so. Cook it until about half way done, add the chopped bell pepper, onion and can of diced green chilies. Rinse the corn and black beans to get rid of that sludge from the can, then add that when its about done. Serve over a bed of spinach and put some avocado on top because avocado makes everything better.
-Drink a good beer!
Cheers,
Vince -
Brenden says:
I am definitely going to try this chili!
My absolute favorite, hearty, delicious, muscle building meal is spaghetti squash with moose or caribou. The recipe works great with any lean ground meat, of course.
Spaghetti Squash
2 lbs ground meat
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
3 cups organic chopped tomatoes
6 oz organic tomato paste
salt
pepper
basil
oregano
1 bay leafBake squash in oven. (You can look up how to do this online or in many cookbooks).
The best way to cook the meat sauce is in a large cast iron pot, in my experience.
Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil or coconut oil, then set aside.
Sautee ground meat until brown.
Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, along with sauteed onions and garlic.
Season, then simmer for around 45 minutes OR place everything in a slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours.Serve the meat sauce over the spaghetti squash for a traditional spaghetti like meal, or add up to 1 cup of water to the sauce while cooking, and serve as a stew.
In these quantities it’s about 4 portions.
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Aaron says:
My go-to muscle meal is: ground turkey, can of white kidney beans, chopped onion, jar of fire roasted red pepper sauce, and chili powder. Mix it all together and cook it and serve with brown rice. Quick and easy meal to put together .
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Go to meal: oatmeal with chocolate protein powder and almond butter or peanut butter. My second option is 3 sunny side up eggs. Both meals take less than 5 minutes to make.
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Manomelette. 6 eggs, half pound of bacon, sausage, spinach, onions, and of course, hot sauce.
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Muscle Building Meatloaf
Best way to get your protein and veggies at the same time!!!
preheat oven to 350 F1 lb of ground beef, turkey, venison, or bison
1 egg
2 large carrots shredded
couple large handfuls of chopped spinach or kale
1 large onion chopped
other veggies optional (chopped peppers, shredded cabbage, etc)
3/4 cup of oats
Spices of choice (a Ms. Dash spice would work well for this recipe)
I used a few hefty dashes of cumin, chili powder, a little bit of black pepper and some sea salt.
Mix everything together in a large bowl
Place in a non-stick loaf pan or a sprayed loaf pan
Top with lots of salsa, ketchup, bbq, or other sauce of choice.
Cook for about 50 minutes.
Makes 2 Brawny servings.
Eat with some potatoes, rice, or quinoa. Mashed potatoes would be best, especially with some peas alongside it.
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It’s even more muscle building if you go out and shoot an elk, then make elk chili.
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I will definitely have to try this dish – but will add a bit mkre chilli, i can’t get enough lol… :)
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Derek says:
looks pretty sweet, gonna try this on the weekend!
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Tom says:
Awesome! Shall be trying this on the weekend!
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Going to try this for my lunches next week!
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Calvin says:
My go-to meal is pretty straight forward. it consists of a salmon steak, a sweet potato mashed and mixed with cinnamon, & a salad with kale, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, tomato, radishes, cucumber, & celery. I use olive oil & vinegar for the salad dressing. I top the salad with pumpkin seeds. For dessert, I have a chocolate protein shake with peanut butter & banana, mixed in almond milk with some cacao.
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Jacob says:
Looks good. I still make the chicken chili you made on your blog video.
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Ian Korn says:
This looks awesome. Definitely going to try this one in the next week or so.
My go-to meal is, sadly, grilled chicken breasts with adobo. I just throw it on the foreman, wait five minutes, and eat it with some microwave-steamed broccoli and a microwave-baked potato. Delicious and simple, but not very original.
I also try to have Meatless Mondays, so I make a lot of lentil stew, which is about as easy as your chili recipe. Sautee some garlic and onions in olive oil at the bottom of a big pot, then add a cup of lentils, four cups of water, 2-3 chopped up potatoes, carrots, peppers, cumin, curry powder, a handful of salt, and whatever other spices or veggies you want (it’s a good way to clear out a fridge). Cover it and let it boil for about 45 minutes, stirring every now and then. Once it turns to a yellow-y goo about the consistency of mashed potatoes (it’s more appetizing than it sounds), it’s ready to eat.
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Christian says:
Just made this, it’s on the stove and I’m pretty excited about the results. It made a huge pot though, I’ll have left overs for the week.
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Alex says:
Chicken stir fry
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grilling a whole chicken in about 25 min – and having 3 meals! Use the leftovers for easy enchiladas or pasta. Or even better – Turkey Cordon Bleu – use turkey cutlets from the store and add ham and cheese between two. Coat with whole-wheat or panko crums, pan fry or bake. Serve with “smashed” sweet potatoes (which cool even faster than regular). Dinner in 20min! Ad a bottle of muscle merlot.
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Jez says:
defibitely my default high protein meal. easy, quick and delicious.
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A simple green salad (anytime)-
1/2 lb of chicken or steak, grilled and chopped (can use leftovers)
a few handfuls of washed greens (any variety), chopped
a carrot, chopped
a fist-sized chunk of parsley, basil or cilantro, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup almonds
1/4 to 1/2 cup walnuts
100g cheese (cheddar or blue are my favorite). crumbled
drizzle with grapeseed oil
drizzle with apple cider vinegar
sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper
tablespoon of dijon mustardand, if you can handle the salt:
add some olives and capersplus, maybe a piece of fruit or some raisins
Smother the mustard on the meat and toss everything together. Takes no culinary skill whatsoever.
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Jon M. says:
Looks delicious, is there an alternative beef cut to the ground beef that you would use? I am also writing down all of the other recipes on this thread. Thanks everyone.
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Pedro Correia says:
Looks delicious. I will have to try this some day.
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Dan says:
Muscle building Low Carb Jambalaya
1 table spoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, diced
2 andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch half-moons( i use smoked turkey Sausage)
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 zucchinis, diced
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
1 cup chicken broth ( low sodium or Organic)
1 pound chicken breast, cooked, cooled, and chopped
1 pound cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp
Directions
Heat olive
oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and
andouille sausage and cook and stir until the onion starts to brown,
about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2
minutes.Mix in
crushed tomatoes, green bell peppers, zucchinis, Cajun seasoning, hot
sauce, and chicken broth; bring mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer,
and cook uncovered until the liquid cooks off and the mixture is thick,
about 15 minutes. Stir in chicken and shrimp and simmer until heated
through, 1 to 2 minutes.-
Congrats on winning a copy of Gourmet Nutrition, Dan! Check your email.
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Jeremy Brown says:
One of my staples is oatmeal:
1 cup of oats
1 scoop of vanilla or unflavored protein powder
1 tbsp of chia or flax seeds
A dash of cinnamon
A small handful of walnuts/almonds or brazil nuts
And either a handful of golden raisins or a sliced up bananaAdd a little bit of water, then microwave for 30 seconds
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I just love my morning spinach, chalotte,ham and tomato scrambled eggs
6 whole eggs
dash of milk
100g fresh spinach
10 slices of turkey ham – lean and kinda dry
2 chalotte onions
1 big tomato
2 garlic cloves
salt & pepper
chop the onions, garlic and tomatoes
pre heat the frying pan and put the turkey ham ripped into small pieces on to stir fry
after the ham is roasted a bit on the sides add in the chalottes and glass’emafter that put in the spinach with the chopped garlic and put the heat on low
spill eggs into a bowl add a dash of milk and some pepper and salt – scramble them with a forkwhen the spinach is curled up add in the scrambled eggs
put the heat on high and mix it so nothing wont stick to the pan
when the eggs are nicely firm take it from the pan and put on a plte – with the chopped tomato on the side
enjoy ;)
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Tom says:
Things to do in the hour it’s cooking:
– Tidy the kitchen (yes, you, no, not your girlfriend / wife / housemate / significant other, you)
– Wonder why you’ve got two cans of rinsed beans sitting on the side
– Suddenly realise they were meant to go in the chilli and add them (because Nate forgot to put that in the instructions)
– Read a book
– Do some pushups
– Cook some quinoa to go with the chilli
– Proposition a girl via text
– Get shot down, also via text
– Fall asleep on the sofa and wake up to the smell of burning chilli-
Nice.
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Mike Murphy says:
I’m going to eat all over that chili this weekend!
Here’s my “Damn Tasty Cicken”
Ingredients:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons prepared coarse-ground mustard
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breastsInstructions:
In a large glass bowl, mix the cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil.Place chicken in the mixture. Cover, and marinate 8 hours, or overnight.
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the prepared grill, and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Discard marinade.
Notes:
Yield: 6 servings. Recipe may be cut down if serving less people. Leftovers keep well in fridge and are excellent when cut up the next day and tossed into a saladCAUTION: This is “Damn Tasty” Chicken and will likely ruin you for all other chicken dishes…go easy.
The marinade is also great on steak and it works great if you happen to cheap out and buy crappy cuts of steak.
Marinate the “crap steaks” in this stuff over night, lightly grill, eat them and then look at yourself in the mirror and say “my body and I are worth better cuts of meat. I promise to never be a shoe-leather steak buying cheap ass ever again…”
Enjoy!
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marco says:
i’ll try tomorrow looks good
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Curt says:
Will definately have to try this one out.. sounds delish.. Problem I have is being able to eat enough food in a day to build the muscle I want. I work out 4 days a week with a trainer for the past 8 months and am seeing results, but its not easy.
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Mark Howard says:
Grilled Chicken Breast on top of rice with 2 Kraft Deli Deluxe Cheese melted on top.
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made one 2 weeks ago, a bit different but pretty much the same…i’m lucky cause i live outside of town and have some fresh and own ingredients (beans, chilli,…) damn good thing!!!
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My kinda chili exactly. Especially the beer part. ;)
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Steve says:
Squash and anything egg. Squash is so easy. Just buy the already peeled and cubed kind. Steam the lot of it. Make the egg dish or buy a quiche. Add some sprouted grain bread. You’re done.
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benallymichael94 says:
these guys are awesome! i dont read all the emails I get from stb, but when I do its well worth it! keep up the awesome work stb!!!
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My current favorite muscle building meal: Baked asian sweet potato mashed onto the bottom of a bowl with sauteed onions, carrots and ground beef poured over the top! YES!
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It’s a lot more flavorful and sanitary to grind your own meat and possibly cheaper depending on the cuts. In addition, you can add a bottle of beer to it before cooking it. Nothing beats chili during the Winter months. Yum! Soup soothes the soul (and beer).
My go to has always been omeletes or if you want to get fancy; frittatas or Spanish tortillas. Eggs have healthy fats, high protein/absorption, quick, and are cheap. They are so versatile too! They’re like a blank canvas. Lastly, they make great additions to salads, soups, or stir frys. A technique I use sometimes is to temper some yolks to my sauces or soups (whisk together the yolks and add some of the hot liquid to them, then incorporate it back but don’t cook it, you don’t want it to coagulate it.) It makes a richer final product with the addition of the nutrients. If you are worried about salmonella, pasteurize your yolks over a pot of boiling water in a bowl that fits over it while whisking while whisking until it thickens and changes color. Bon appetit!
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Awesome chili and great food for builders!
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This was great. I made it yesterday and found it a bit too “tomatoey” for my taste. But for today’s portion, I added cheddar cheese and some hot spices — and it made all the difference. And I still have at least four portions left in the freezer. This is perfect for those 8:30 PM post gym meals.
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This looks like a pretty good chili recipe. I love cilantro and am a chili nut who cooks almost every night of the week. I would bet you this recipe would be even better if you browned the meat first in the olive oil; and by browned I mean wait until there is no more steam coming from the pan so the fat heats up and the outside of the meat starts to look like a burger from the grill (you should hear crackling and popping..medium heat). This also allows you to remove fat from the pan at this point if you use less expensive 80/20 ground chuck (I prefer just to use one or two paper towels to soak it up). Then add the cut up veggies and the water in them will help loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. When they are softened add the rest of the ingredients and finish simmering as the recipe is written. The browning process creates a lot of flavor that you will never get by just boiling the beef. You don’t just want red meat to brown…you want red to brown to dark brown; but don’t burn it though. This stands for about any beef dish like chil, beef stew, pot roast, etc.
Also, check out allrecipes.com. There is an ingredient search you can do to find recipes based on what you have at home. The ratings make it fairly quick to find something that will be good and soon you will probably be able to update your ‘staples’ from the grocery store to suit new things you like. Obviously, try to select healthy recipes that use mostly whole foods.
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Very important question for you Nate, what do you listen to when you’re cooking?
I find something like John Lee Hooker, Louis Armstrong or something of the same ilk helps the cooking go smoothly. Although I do really enjoy Metallica, Soil and that type of thing, I find if I cook to it, everything ends up very roughly chopped and fairly burnt.
Nice! I may have to whip this one up tonight. Of course, quantities will need to be adjusted accordingly to feed my four kids as well….oof.
I enjoy a nice, simply seasoned pan seared salmon steak with roasted veggies, like parsnips, red potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower, and an apple.