Turkey Chili

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

Ingredient notes

• Bell peppers: Or add or substitute carrots, celery, corn, or zucchini.
• Chipotle chili powder: Substitute ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or omit if you don’t like spicy food.
• 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.
• 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.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Heat olive oil in the bottom of a large pot over medium high heat. Add onions, belle pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, chipotle chili powder, thyme, coriander, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and sauté until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.

2. 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 and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes 8 (1-cup) servings, about 2 quarts chili.
• Storage: 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.
• Instant Pot: Sauté the onions, peppers, spices, garlic, and turkey in an Instant Pot until the turkey is browned, breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon. Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and bay leaf and mix well. Cook on manual or high pressure for 10 minutes. Fast release the pressure when done.
• Slow cooker: At the end of step 2, transfer the cooked turkey mixture to a slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients as directed in step 3, cover and cook the chili on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
• More toppings: Cheese, sour cream, and scallions are classics. You can also try diced avocado, fresh cilantro, minced onion, hot sauce, lime wedges, tortilla chips, corn chips, or oyster crackers.

More turkey favorites

Chicken and Turkey Recipes

Turkey Meatballs

30 Minute Meals

The Best Turkey Tacos

Chicken and Turkey Recipes

Turkey Meatloaf

Soup and Stew Recipes

Slow Cooker White Turkey Chili

Turkey Chili

By Meggan Hill

This delicious Turkey Chili 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 6 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

For the chili seasoning:

• ▢ 1/4 cup 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 in 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

Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

Meggan Hill

Website | + posts

Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

• Meggan Hill

  https://www.culinaryhill.com/about/

  Thousand Island Dressing Recipe
• Meggan Hill

  https://www.culinaryhill.com/about/

  Blueberry Pancake Recipe
• Meggan Hill

  https://www.culinaryhill.com/about/

  Thanksgiving for Two
• Meggan Hill

  https://www.culinaryhill.com/about/

  Turkey Roll Ups (Costco Copycat)