This turkey chili is an easy, hearty dinner made with lean ground turkey, red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and plenty of seasoning. It is a flavorful, budget-friendly chili that is perfect for meal prep and easy leftovers.
Ingredients
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- Oil - Use an oil that is suitable for sautéing, like olive oil.
- Aromatics - Onions and garlic make a nice flavor base.
- Ground turkey - Best to use lean ground turkey but not turkey breast.
- Spices - Chili powder, salt, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, and chili de arbol (dried whole chili pepper) add flavor, color, and spice.
- Pantry - Chicken broth, diced tomatoes and canned red beans.
- Suggested toppings and sides - corn muffins, corn or tortilla chips, crackers, sour cream, shredded cheese, green onions, chives, chopped cilantro, diced white onions, sliced jalapenos peppers, hot sauce, just to name a few.
How to make turkey chili
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot (we use a 6-quart enameled cast iron pot) and cook the onions and garlic.
Raise the heat, add the ground turkey, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, stir well and cook until browned.
Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, and dried chili peppers, cover and cook, simmering, for 30 minutes to let the flavors develop and come together, stir occasionally.
Add the beans, half cover the pot until it starts to simmer. Then, uncover the pot and cook the ground turkey chili for 45-55 minutes (less or more if needed) until it thickens.
Stir occasionally at first. As the chili thickens and reduces stir more often to prevent sticking on the bottom. Also, keep it 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.
Recipe tips and notes
Go easy on the salt with this recipe because canned ingredients usually contain a good amount already. You can always add more at the end if needed.
If you are sensitive to salt, replace some of the canned ingredients with reduced-sodium alternatives. There are good low-sodium options for canned beans, tomatoes, and chicken broth.
Reduce or omit the cayenne pepper and chile de arbol if you do not want the chili too spicy.
For the turkey, I like using an 85/15 lean-to-fat ratio. If you want to go a little leaner, use 93/7 ground turkey. Steer clear of turkey breast because it does not have enough moisture or flavor for chili.
Storing and reheating instructions
Let the chili cool, then store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To freeze, place cooled leftovers in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2-3 months for the best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat leftovers on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave until hot all the way through, stirring occasionally for even heating. Add a splash of broth or water if needed to loosen it.
Food safety: According to USDA recommendations, do not leave cooked food out for longer than two hours, or for more than one hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
If you liked this recipe, try our turkey white bean chili for another easy bowl of comfort, or ground turkey tortilla soup when you want something hearty with a little variety. Ground turkey shepherd's pie is also a great option if you need another simple, family-friendly dinner.
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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 - if you want to go a little leaner use 93/7
- 2 tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 2 (14 ounce) cans Diced Tomatoes (we use petite dice)
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1-2 Dried Whole Chili Peppers optional (I use dried Chile de Arbol)
- 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
- Reduce the amount (or eliminate) of cayenne pepper and the chili de arbol if you don't want the chili too spicy.
- If you are sensitive to salt replace some of the canned ingredients with reduced sodium alternatives. There are good low sodium options available for canned beans, canned tomatoes, and chicken broth.
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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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