Turkey Chili
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Made with ground turkey, beans, and plenty of spices, this turkey chili is lighter than the classic beef version but every bit as hearty and satisfying.
This turkey chili recipe proves that using ground turkey doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor or texture. It’s thick, hearty, and spicy, with plenty of beans and tomatoes and tender pieces of turkey throughout.
I use 93% lean ground turkey rather than 99% lean breast meat, which can become dry when simmered for a long time. I also add the turkey in two stages: some gets browned with the aromatics to build flavor, while the rest is added later in larger pieces so it stays tender and gives the chili a meatier texture.
This turkey chili is perfect for game day or a cozy weekend meal. Serve it with tortilla chips, cornbread, and all your favorite fixings—I promise you won’t miss the beef.
“You could sell this stuff. It’s that good.”
What You’ll Need To Make Turkey Chili
- Onions, red bell pepper & garlic: Form the aromatic base of the chili. I mince them finely in the food processor so they soften and practically melt into the sauce as it simmers.
- Spices & herbs: Chili powder, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne give the chili its warm, earthy flavor and heat. For less heat, reduce or omit the red pepper flakes and cayenne.
- 93% lean ground turkey: This blend of light and dark meat has enough fat to stay tender during the long simmer. Avoid 99% lean ground turkey breast, which can turn dry.
- Kidney beans: Add heartiness and texture. Black beans or another favorite variety will work, too.
- Diced & crushed tomatoes: Using both gives the chili a nice balance of texture and a rich, tomatoey base.
- Chicken broth: Adds savory flavor and gives the chili enough liquid for its long simmer; you can add a little more if the chili gets too thick.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Turkey Chili
Cook the aromatics and spices: Cook the onion and bell pepper until softened, then add the garlic and spices. Let everything cook briefly until fragrant—this wakes up the spices and gives the chili a flavorful base.
Add the turkey, beans, and tomatoes: Add about half of the turkey first and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink. Then stir in the beans, tomatoes, and broth and simmer for about an hour, until thickened.
Finish: Add the remaining turkey in small pieces—just use your fingers to pinch it in. This gives you tender, meaty pieces of turkey throughout. It might seem a little fussy, but those tender pieces are the best part. Continue simmering about 40 minutes more, until the chili is thick and flavorful.
Serve: Ladle the chili into bowls and top with shredded Jack or cheddar, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, avocado, or jalapeños. For an especially hearty meal, try it over cilantro lime rice or baked sweet potatoes.
Video Tutorial
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Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 1 red bell pepper
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup chili powder (see note)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (add up to 1 teaspoon for a spicier chili)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds 93% lean ground turkey, divided (see note)
- 1 (15-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth, plus extra as needed
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
For Serving (Optional)
- Cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream, cheese, scallions
Instructions
- Roughly chop the onions, bell pepper, and garlic and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the vegetables are finely chopped. Do not over-process; the vegetables should not be puréed. (Alternatively, finely chop the onions, bell pepper, and garlic by hand.)
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables, chili powder, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add about 1¼ pounds of the turkey, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in the beans, diced tomatoes and their juice, crushed tomatoes, broth, and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the chili has begun to thicken, about 1 hour.
- Pat the remaining ¾ pound turkey together into a ball, then pinch off teaspoon-size pieces of meat and stir into the chili. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until turkey is tender and chili is slightly thickened, about 40 minutes. (If the chili begins to stick to the bottom of the pot or looks too thick, stir in extra broth as needed.) Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve.
Notes
- Use American-style chili powder, which is a mild spice blend including paprika, cumin, and garlic (not pure ground chiles).
- Be sure to use 93% lean ground turkey, which is a combination of light and dark meat, rather than 99% lean ground turkey breast. (The 99% lean ground turkey breast will have a dry texture.)
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions:The chili can be made up to 3 days ahead. Let it cool slightly, then refrigerate uncovered until cold. Once chilled, cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for about 12 hours before reheating on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Jenn,
This is my tenth time with your recipe. It is spot on my favorite seasonal chili. The rounded turkey ball drops later in the recipe are such a great way to add a nice “mouth feel” to your chili.
Thank you as always!
Bob Adams
I followed the recipe and the result was a very nicely spiced thick chili. Served with Everyday Corn Bread (which is my new go to corn bread recipe). Delightful combination of flavors!
P.S. – I am not a fan of kidney beans, so I used a 28 oz can of Goya “Small Red Beans” and I recommend them highly to others who find kidney beans to be too large to be palatable. Small red beans are about half the size of kidney beans.
Oh, and I like a mild chili, so I didn’t use either the red pepper flakes or the cayenne.
Thank you, Jenn! This is the only chili I’ve ever liked! I had a hunch that the coriander and the oregano would be difference-makers and they definitely are. I don’t even miss using ground beef. This chili has a brightness and complexity of flavor that other chilis just lack. I found that I didn’t need to cook it as long as you advise in the recipe – perhaps because I use cast iron on an induction cooktop – just 25 minutes initially and then another 25 min after the ground turkey bits are added. I’m eating leftovers today as I write and I think it’s even better today, lol.
My husband and I didn’t like the turkey chili. I followed the recipe but for some reason this chili was too soupy and we weren’t big fans of the turkey meatballs. The flavor was ok we didn’t think it was too spicy, We prefer a chili that is a little thicker. First recipe from Once Upon A Chef we didn’t like.
Excellent! I omitted the spices because of my family but without even that, it was so delicious!
When I originally read the recipe, I did a double take with 1/2 tsp each of red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper. But I went ahead and followed the instructions because I am a huge fan of Jenn! I wish I trusted my instinct because it was much too spicy (and I love spicy). The “heat” dominated the chili overall and I plan to garnish it with sour cream and cheese to offset the kick. Next time I will eliminate the red pepper flakes and scale back on the cayenne.
This is a fantastic recipe. Only change I made was to use a method that I read about on a food blog, where you dissolve baking soda in a tiny bit of water, mix it into the raw meat and let it sit for 20-25 min before cooking. It sealed the moisture into the turkey and the meat browned up beautifully. This one’s a keeper!
I’m somewhat of a chili snob and if it doesn’t have beef in it, it ain’t chili – it soup or stew.
Regardless of what you call it, this recipe is a good one.
While I enjoyed the flavors, I feel that simmering the chili for 2 hours affected the texture of the turkey meat, giving it a mushy texture. I understand the chunks of turkey added later was to probably to fix that but there was still an off texture. If I made this again, I would brown all of the turkey at once, then simmer for only an hour.
Another excellent recipe. I browned the meat all at once and added pinto,black and cannoli beans along with corn..I like a thicker chilli. Your recipes never disappoint. Thank you!