Best Turkey Chili

This delicious Turkey Chili Recipe is made with ground turkey, so it’s a little bit lighter than the standard beef version. It’s full of vegetables and classic spices and it’s ready for all your favorite healthful toppings like diced avocado, green onions, and fresh cilantro.

You will love this recipe for Turkey Chili!

This easy Turkey Chili recipe is comes together on the stove top in an hour or less, and it’s packed with plenty of lean ground turkey, veggies, beans, and spices. It makes a satisfying meal, and it’s great for make-ahead meal prep or future freezer meals.

Ground Turkey Chili Ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

• Chipotle chili powder: Chipotle chili powder is spicy! If you’re unsure, start with 1 teaspoon (or less) until the chili is fully cooked. Then, taste and add more at the end. You can also substitute ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or omit it entirely.
• Bell peppers: Or add or substitute carrots, celery, corn, or zucchini.
• Kidney beans: 3 cups cooked beans can be substituted for the 1 can (that’s about 1 cup dried beans before cooking). You can use any type of canned or cooked bean instead of kidney such as pinto beans or great northern beans.
• Canned tomatoes: I love the flavor of fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles, but you can substitute regular canned tomatoes and add 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies. Ro*tel tomatoes are good, too.

How to make Turkey Chili

1. To make the homemade chili seasoning, in a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, oregano, thyme, chipotle chili powder (if using), coriander, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

2. In a Dutch oven or deep, large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, bell pepper, and chili seasoning. Cook until the onions and peppers have softened, about 7 to 10 minutes.

3. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking up the clumps with a spoon, until the turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to simmer for 30 minutes longer.

5. Remove bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), scallions, jalapeños, and diced avocado or your favorite toppings.

Ground Turkey Chili Recipe Tips and Variations

• Yield: This healthy Turkey Chili recipe makes about 9 cups of chili, enough for 6 hearty servings, 1 ½ cups each.
• More toppings: Cheese, sour cream, and scallions are classics. You can also try diced avocado or heaping spoonfuls of guacamole, crispy cooked bacon, fresh cilantro, minced white onion, hot sauce, lime wedges, tortilla chips, corn chips (Fritos), or oyster crackers.
• Crockpot turkey chili: After cooking the vegetables and browning the turkey, transfer everything (including all remaining ingredients) to a slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
• Chili Cheese Burrito: Put leftover chili to work in this easy Chili Cheese Burrito. Just fold up leftover chili with cooked rice and shredded cheese, then toast in a dry skillet.
• Classic Beef Chili: This easy Beef Chili recipe tastes just like the one mom used to make! It’s also easy to customize with your own special additions if you want to.
• Chili con Carne: Made with boneless beef chuck roast instead of ground beef, this delicious Chili con Carne recipe has layers of flavor from bacon, fire-roasted tomatoes, lots of garlic, and all the classic chili spices. And it’s made right in your slow cooker!
• Chili Mac: Made in just one pot in 25 minutes or less, this easy Chili Mac recipe is like a great bowl of chili in casserole form. It’s perfect for the busiest, hungriest weeknights.
• Hot Dog Chili: Make a batch of Hot Dog Chili to spoon over Chili Dogs for the ultimate tailgate recipe! It’s perfect for any game day celebration.
• Sweet Potato Chili: This hearty vegan Sweet Potato Chili is loaded with black beans, vegetables, and all the classic spices. Like all chilis, it freezes well and makes a great meal prep option.
• Cincinnati Chili: Made famous by Skyline Chili in Ohio, this Cincinnati Chili recipe is full of secret ingredients and served on spaghetti with lots of toppings like shredded cheese, raw onions, and kidney beans. Which “way” do you want yours?
• White Chicken Chili: When the temperature drops, slow cooker White Chicken Chili is the ultimate comfort food. Tender chunks of chicken simmering in a creamy broth studded with white beans, green chiles, and corn make for a most satisfying meal.
• White Turkey Chili: This is my favorite soup to make after Thanksgiving when leftovers are abundant. It’s hearty, creamy, and a refreshing way to enjoy leftover turkey all over again. To keep things easy, make White Turkey Chili right in your slow cooker.
• Turkey Wild Rice Soup: A perfect use for your leftover turkey. It’s creamy, delicious, and ready in just 40 minutes.
• Venison Chili: If you’re lucky enough to have some ground venison in your freezer, this Venison Chili recipe is the one you’ll want to make all winter long.

What to serve with Ground Turkey Chili

Enjoy a spicy-hot bowl of Turkey Chili with classic Cornbread, Soft Dinner Rolls, or No-Knead Bread. If you prefer to make cornbread from a box or buy a loaf of bread from the store, that’s fine too! Round out your menu with a simple garden salad.

How to store this recipe for Turkey Chili

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

• Make ahead: Cool within 2 hours, cover, and refrigerate up to 3 days in advance. Reheat the full recipe on the stove over low heat to 165 degrees. Reheat small batches in the microwave.
• Freezer: Cool cooked chili to below 40 degrees on an instant-read thermometer within 2 hours and place into airtight containers. Frozen chili will last 4 to 6 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

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Turkey Chili (Stovetop Recipe)

By Meggan Hill

This delicious Turkey Chili recipe is made with plenty of vegetables, beans, and spices and it's just waiting for all your favorite chili toppings!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings (1 ½ cups each)

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Calories 400

5 from 11 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

For the chili seasoning:

• ▢ 4 tablespoons chili powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder (see note 1)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the chili:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 onions chopped
• ▢ 1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped (see note 1)
• ▢ 8 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 pounds ground turkey
• ▢ 2 (15.5-ounce) cans kidney beans drained and rinsed (see note 3)
• ▢ 2 (10-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles undrained (see note 4)
• ▢ 1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée
• ▢ 1 bay leaf

To serve:

• ▢ shredded cheese
• ▢ sour cream
• ▢ scallions thinly sliced
• ▢ avocados peeled, pitted, and diced

Instructions 

• To make the homemade chili seasoning, in a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, oregano, thyme, chipotle chili powder (if using), coriander, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
• In a Dutch oven or stock pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, bell pepper, and chili seasoning. Cook until the onions and peppers have softened, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add turkey and cook, breaking up the clumps with a spoon, until the turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to simmer for 30 minutes longer.
• Remove bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions, and diced avocado or your favorite toppings.

Notes

1. Chipotle chili powder: Chipotle chili powder is spicy! If you’re unsure, start with 1 teaspoon (or less) until the chili is fully cooked. Then, taste and add more at the end. You can also substitute ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or omit it entirely.
2. Bell peppers: Or add or substitute carrots, celery, corn, or zucchini.
3. Kidney beans: 3 cups cooked beans can be substituted for the 1 can (that’s about 1 cup dried beans before cooking). You can use any type of canned or cooked bean instead of kidney.
4. Canned tomatoes: I love the flavor of fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles, but you can substitute regular canned tomatoes and add 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies. Ro*tel tomatoes are good, too.
5. Yield: This recipe makes about 9 cups of Turkey Chili, enough for 6 hearty servings, 1 ½ cups each.
6. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5 cupsCalories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 34gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 325mgPotassium: 1438mgFiber: 9gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 4045IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 177mgIron: 9mg

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