This easy turkey chili is made with lean ground turkey, red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and plenty of spices, then simmered in one pot until it's thick. It's a perfect warm dinner for cold nights, and the leftovers keep well for meal prep.
Recipe at a glance
- Main ingredients: Ground turkey, red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, onion, garlic, and chili powder
- Time: About 1 hour 50 minutes
- Method: Simmered on the stovetop in one pot
- Best for: Cold-weather dinners and meal prep
- Servings: 6
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What's great about this recipe
- One pot - Everything cooks in one large pot, from browning the turkey to the final simmer.
- Thick like beef chili - A long, uncovered simmer makes it just as thick and flavorful as a classic beef chili.
- Great for leftovers - It keeps for days in the fridge and freezes well.
Budget check
- The full recipe is about $15.75 to $17
- Per serving (6 servings): about $2.65 to $2.85
Uses conventional ingredients. Based on recent U.S. averages. Actual prices will vary by store and region. Garnishes not included.
Ingredients you'll need
- Oil - Use an oil that's good for sautéing, like olive oil.
- Aromatics - Onion and garlic make the flavor base.
- Ground turkey - We like 85/15. For a little leaner, use 93/7. Skip ground turkey breast, which doesn't have enough moisture or flavor for chili.
- Spices - Chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and a bay leaf. Dried chiles de árbol are optional for extra heat.
- Pantry - Chicken broth, diced tomatoes (we use petite diced), and canned red kidney beans.
- Serving and garnish - Shredded cheese and green onions for garnish, optional.
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and full instructions.
How to make turkey chili
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until it starts to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the ground turkey, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, and stir until combined.
- Spread the turkey in one layer and cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes. Stir, spread it out again, and cook for 2 minutes. Keep stirring and breaking up large pieces until most of the liquid has cooked away.
- Add the diced tomatoes.
- Pour in the chicken broth. Add the bay leaf and dried chili peppers, if using, and stir. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Raise the heat to medium, add the red beans, and stir.
- Cook half covered until it starts to simmer. Then uncover and cook for 45-55 minutes, until the chili thickens. Stir more often as it thickens so it doesn't stick, and lower the heat if it boils too hard.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf and chili peppers. Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference, we added ¼ teaspoon to ours. Serve, garnish with shredded cheese and green onions, or your favorite toppings.
Recipe tips and notes
- Go easy on the salt - Canned ingredients already have plenty. You can always add more at the end.
- Low-sodium options - Low-sodium beans, tomatoes, and chicken broth all work well if you're sensitive to salt.
- Watch the bottom - Stir more often near the end, when the chili is thick and more likely to stick.
What to serve with turkey chili
- Bread - Corn muffins or cornbread for dipping.
- Something crunchy - Corn chips, tortilla chips, or crackers.
- Toppings - Sour cream, chopped cilantro, diced white onion, sliced jalapeños, and hot sauce.
Storing and reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers in shallow, airtight containers for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Freeze chili in freezer-safe containers for 2 to 3 months for the best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Warm it on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of broth or water to loosen it if needed.
Food safety: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if it's above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to 165°F.
FAQs
Yes, we add one bay leaf with the tomatoes and chicken broth and let it simmer with the chili. Remove and discard it before serving.
Reduce or leave out the cayenne pepper and skip the dried chiles de árbol. You can always add hot sauce at the table.
We don't drain it. We cook the turkey, stirring and breaking it up, until most of the liquid has cooked away before adding the tomatoes and broth.
More chili and turkey recipes
If you enjoyed this turkey chili, try one of our other chili recipes. Our turkey white bean chili is another easy recipe, and beef and bean chili and steak chili are great for beef lovers. For more ground turkey dinners, try our ground turkey tortilla soup or ground turkey shepherd's pie.
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📖 Recipe
Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Medium Onion small dice
- 5-6 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 pounds Ground Turkey 85/15 works well, or use 93/7 for a little leaner
- 2 tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1½ teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 2 (14 ounce) cans Diced Tomatoes we use petite diced
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1-2 Dried Whole Chili Peppers optional, we use dried chiles de árbol
- 2 (15 ounce) cans Red Beans drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the onions and cook for approximately 3 minutes until they start to soften, stir frequently.
- Add the garlic, cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Raise the heat to medium-high, add the ground turkey, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir well until combined.
- Arrange the meat in one layer and cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes. Stir well, arrange in one layer again and cook for 2 minutes. Stir the turkey mixture while breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula until most of the liquid has cooked away.
- Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, and dried chili peppers (if using) and stir. Raise the heat to high, bring the liquid to a boil (will take about 5 minutes).
- Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 30 minutes to let the flavors develop and come together, stir occasionally.
- Raise the heat to medium, add the red beans to the pot, stir. Cook, half-covered, until it starts to simmer.
- Uncover the pot and cook for 45-55 minutes (less or more if needed) until the chili thickens and reaches the desired consistency.
- Stir occasionally at first. As the chili thickens and reduces stir more often to prevent sticking on the bottom. Also, keep the chili at a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low (or further) if it starts boiling too vigorously.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf and the chili peppers. Taste the chili and add salt, if needed. As a reference, we added ¼ teaspoon to ours.
- Garnish with shredded cheese and green onions, or with your favorite chili toppings.
Notes
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Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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