Description
This BEST Turkey Chili Recipe is a hearty, healthy, and flavorful dish made with lean ground turkey, a blend of chili spices, and three types of beans. Perfect for a comforting meal any day, this recipe can be cooked on the stovetop, in an Instant Pot, or a slow cooker, offering versatility and rich taste with every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Chili Base
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chili powder (use 1 tablespoon for less spice)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
Liquids and Tomatoes
- 1 ¾ cups low sodium chicken broth (or one 14.5 ounce can)
- 28 ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes (or fire roasted diced tomatoes)
Beans
- 15 ounce can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
- 15 ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 15 ounce can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
Toppings (optional)
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Cilantro
- Chopped onions
- Other desired toppings
Instructions
- Prepare the aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot or skillet over medium heat. Add chopped yellow onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant.
- Cook the turkey: Add the ground turkey to the pot, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until no longer pink and starting to brown, about 7-8 minutes.
- Season the chili: Stir in brown sugar, chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to coat the turkey and onions evenly with the spices.
- Add tomato paste and liquids: Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then pour in the chicken broth and fire roasted crushed tomatoes, stirring to combine.
- Simmer the chili: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and to allow flavors to meld.
- Add beans: Rinse and drain the kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans. Stir them into the chili and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes to heat through and blend flavors.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the chili into bowls and top with shredded cheese, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, cilantro, chopped onions, or your choice of toppings.
Notes
- This recipe is versatile and can be prepared on the stovetop, Instant Pot, or slow cooker—adjust cooking times as needed.
- For less spice, reduce chili powder to 1 tablespoon.
- Using fire-roasted tomatoes adds a smoky depth to the chili, but regular crushed or diced tomatoes can be substituted.
- Rinsing canned beans helps reduce sodium and improves flavor.
- Leftovers store well and flavors deepen after a day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 459 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 834 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 18 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 79 mg
