This healthy Turkey Chili Recipe is filled with fiber-rich beans and lean ground turkey! It’s comforting, filling, and wildly flavorful- a protein powerhouse that’s easy to make on the stovetop or slow cooker.
I absolutely love this hearty, protein-packed turkey chili recipe. Healthier than my classic beef chili, it’s the perfect compromise. Filled with the same flavor as a piping-hot bowl of regular beef chili, it’s every bit as satisfying and delicious—especially when it’s served with warm and buttery sweet cornbread.
Why You’ll Love This Turkey Chili Recipe
- Meal-Prep Friendly: Like many soup and stew recipes, leftover chili tastes even better the next day. It also freezes beautifully, making it the perfect option for meal prepping.
- Customizable: Turkey chili can be customized with various types of beans, vegetables, and seasonings. I often include any veggies that are about to spoil and change the seasonings based on what I’m in the mood for that day (smoky, spicy, bold, etc.).
- Easy to Make: This recipe can be made on the stovetop or slow cooker. In both cases, the onions will need to be softened, and the ground turkey will need to be browned, but the rest of the cooking process is mostly dumping and stirring. Pretty easy.
- High in Protein and Fiber: Ground turkey chili is high in protein and fiber. It’s one of the best things you can eat if you’re looking for a hearty, healthy, and filling meal that isn’t packed full of fat and calories.
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Onion: Softened slowly in olive oil, onions add a delicious, savory, aromatic base.
- Ground Turkey: You can purchase ground turkey breast (99/1) or ground turkey thigh (93/7). Both options work great with this recipe.
- Garlic: Adds flavor.
- Tomato Paste: To add thickness to the chili.
- Seasonings: This recipe is seasoned with chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- Chicken Broth and Crushed Tomatoes: Create the saucy base of the chili. Fresh tomatoes can also be used, but it’s more traditional to make chili with canned or stewed tomatoes for their richer flavor.
- Beans: This recipe calls for one can each of red kidney beans and pinto beans, but you can use other varieties, such as black beans or cannellini beans. Beans add heartiness, fiber, and protein.
- Sugar: The sugar helps cut through the acidity of the tomatoes.
How to Make Turkey Chili
1. Soften the onions: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened about 5 minutes.
2. Brown the ground turkey: Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it apart into small crumbles, until browned about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
3. Add the tomato paste and seasonings: Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to incorporate with the beef mixture. Then add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, and sugar. Mix well.
Should I rinse my canned beans? Draining and rinsing canned beans before adding them to recipes has several benefits, but ultimately, it’s up to you.
- Removes excess sodium by up to 40%.
- The liquid in canned beans is thick and slightly gelatinous (from all the starch), which may alter the texture of your chili.
- It helps remove some of the indigestible gas-causing sugars.
4. Simmer: Increase the heat to high and bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours for maximum flavor.
5. Serve: Enjoy with all of your favorite toppings to garnish.
Favorite Chili Toppings
I always serve chili with homemade cornbread and plenty of toppings. My favorite chili toppings include:
- Shredded cheese – cheddar or Pepper Jack
- Sour cream
- Chopped green onion or chives
- Sliced avocado
- Hot sauce or sliced jalapeños
- Crumbled tortilla chips or Fritos
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
If you have all day, I highly recommend making this turkey chili in your slow cooker.
- Soften the onions and brown the ground turkey in a large skillet. Add the garlic in the last 30 seconds or so, then transfer the turkey mixture to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours. The longer cooking time on low allows the flavors to meld together nicely.
Tip: For a thicker chili, remove the lid during the last 30 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
Storage and Reheating
Chili is one of the best recipes for meal prep. Leftovers taste great, reheat well, and freeze beautifully.
- Leftovers: Allow leftovers to cool to room temperature, then transfer to airtight containers and store in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze the chili for up to 3 months in freezer-safe airtight containers, plastic ziptop bags, or souper cubes.
- Reheating: Thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring often.
Cooking Tools for this Recipe
Check out all of my kitchen essentials. (Amazon affiliate links*)
- 7.5-quart Dutch Oven– The perfect size for large pots of soup and one of my must-have kitchen essentials.
- 7-quart Crockpot – as an alternative to stovetop cooking
- Garlic press– For perfectly minced garlic in a fraction of the time.
- Soup ladle
- Box Cheese Grater – For shredding cheese.
- Souper Cubes – For freezing 1-2 cup portions
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage from qualifying purchases.
More Chili Recipes
- White Chicken Chili
- Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili
- Easy Steak Chili Recipe
- 3 Bean Miso Chili with Spinach
- Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili
RECIPE CARD
Turkey Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion - diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (20-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it apart into small crumbles, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to incorporate with the beef mixture. Then add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, and sugar. Mix well.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours for maximum flavor.
- Serve with all your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, and avocado.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Per the instructions above, soften the onions and brown the ground turkey in a large skillet. Add the garlic in the last 30 seconds or so, then transfer the ground turkey mixture to a large 7-quart slow cooker.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours. The longer cooking time on low heat allows the flavors to meld together for the best flavor.
Jessica’s Notes
- You can purchase ground turkey breast (99/1) or ground turkey thigh (93/7). Both options work great with this recipe.
- Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and keep stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Turkey chili may be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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