This incredibly easy Turkey Chili recipe is delicious, hearty, healthy and has amazing flavor! A perfect blend of spices, ground turkey, tomatoes and beans. Don’t forget the toppings! Serve up bowls of this amazing turkey chili with homemade Beer Bread or Cornbread!
Easy Turkey Chili Recipe
There is nothing better than a bowl of hot chili topped with your favorite toppings! This perfectly spiced Turkey Chili recipe is delicious, hearty, and healthy! The perfect comfort food for cozy nights at home.
Not only is it super easy to make, but kids and adults will have fun loading up on all their favorite toppings!
We’ve made this turkey chili probably a half dozen times in the last month or so really dialing in the seasoning and spices. Every time I made it, I expected a “not again Mom!‘” from the boys but no, they were excited for it every.single.time. That’s how I know this recipe is a winner.
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- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Sausage Kale Soup
- One Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Easy Beer Cheese Soup
Turkey Chili Recipe
This recipe is incredibly simple to make, simple and fast. It’s a healthy dinner that I can pull together in about 30 minutes give or take a few minutes for prep.
I’ve perfected the process so that I’m prepping the onions and garlic while the turkey is browning, measuring out spices while the onion is cooking, and getting toppings together while the chili simmers away.
What we have at the end of that is a fantastic dinner that the whole family loves.
How To Serve Chili
Need some ideas on how to serve this chili? It’s obviously fantastic on it’s own but mix it up with these tasty ideas:
- Serve with our favorite dinner rolls, biscuits, cornbread or this tasty beer bread.
- Fabulous served up in a nacho bar.
- On top of baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes.
- Chili cheese hot dogs or hamburgers are always a crowd pleaser.
- Serve with warmed tortillas. Chris’s mom warms up the tortillas, butters them and rolls them like taquitos. Slice them in half and then just stack them high and serve alongside the chili.
Turkey Chili Ingredients
- ground turkey – use the 93% lean turkey for the best flavor
- extra virgin olive oil
- onion and garlic: an amazing flavor base combination
- spices and seasonings: chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon, oregano, bay leaf
- brown sugar: the sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes, it does not make the chili sweet.
- chicken broth or stock: look for the low sodium variety
- diced and crushed tomatoes: the entire can goes in, juice and all
- black beans: make sure to drain the beans and then rinse thoroughly. Pinto beans or kidney beans can be used instead and or in addition to the black beans. You can also double up on the beans to stretch the chili. Add an additional 1 cup of chicken broth if you double the beans.
How To Make This Easy Turkey Chili
- Brown the ground turkey and then add the onion and cook until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
- Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, remaining spices and bay leaf and the chicken broth. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the black beans and simmer chili for another 5 minutes or so.
- Serve with your favorite toppings! See my suggestions below.
Chili Topping Options
The sky is the limit when it comes to chili toppings. This turkey chili is absolutely amazing on it’s own but we are not ones to resist making a good thing better.
Here are some of our favorite toppings for this turkey chili recipe:
- shredded cheese – sharp cheddar is my favorite but pepper jack would be delicious too
- corn chips or tortilla chips – crunchy and salty, it’s a win win
- avocados – slices or chunks of fresh avocado add a lovely coolness and creaminess
- sour cream – a delicious way to cool down the turkey and add more creamy flavor
- jalape̱os Рpickled or fresh are both delicious
- green onions – adds a bright, fresh flavor
- cilantro – the same as green onions, and my personal favorite
Turkey Chili FAQs
Can turkey chili be frozen?
Yes, it sure can. Let the chili cool completely and then transfer to freezer bag or airtight container. The chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let the chili thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.
How should I store leftovers?
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Can this chili be made in advance?
Yes! Because this recipe is actually better the second day, I often make the chili the day before I plan to serve it. It may need additional chicken broth when reheating to thin it out.
Can this recipe be made in the slow cooker?
It can! You can check out my crockpot chili recipe for inspiration as well. Simply follow steps 1 and 2 in the recipe card below. Transfer the turkey mixture and all of the other ingredients, except for the black beans, to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir in the black beans, cover and cook an additional 30 minutes then serve.
More Delicious Turkey Recipes
- Turkey Meatballs with Herbed Gravy
- Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels
- Crockpot Turkey Breast with Herbs
- The BEST Turkey Burgers
- Turkey Gravy Recipe
How To Make Turkey Chili
Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion large, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes juice and all
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes juice and all
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock low sodium
- 14 ounces black beans drained and thoroughly rinsed
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet, dutch oven, or pot, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil and ground turkey. Brown the meat until it is no longer pink, about 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute longer, stirring frequently.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper smoked paprika and stir to combine letting spices cook for a minute or so.
- Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, oregano, cayenne, bay leaf and chicken broth. Stir to combine, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the black beans, stirring to combine and simmer chili for another 5 minutes or so. Add additional chicken broth to thin out chili if desired. Serve immediately with desired toppings.
Angela Morales says
Delicious! So easy! I served over rice. A keeper!