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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I would like to make this recipe for 8 people, would you just add a little more meat?
Hi Raina, To keep the ratios correct, I would actually recommend multiplying all the ingredients by 1.5. You may have some leftovers but it keeps nicely in the fridge for a few days and freezes well. Hope everyone enjoys!
I love classic chili but don’t eat beef. This was perfect. Tender and flavorful. Used white kidney (cannellini) beans. It’s going into the winter rotation.
Does this recipe really call for 1/4 cup of Chili powder???!
Hi Anna, I know it sounds like a lot, but yes, that’s correct (and I don’t think you’ll find the flavor overwhelming). Hope you enjoy if you try it!
Hello! I love your recipes and cook them often! I was wondering if I could substitute another can of crushed tomatoes for the can of diced tomatoes. I have a picky eater who does not eat diced tomatoes (sigh). If not, what would you recommend? Thank you!
Sure, Rebecca, that should work. It will just have a little less texture, but will still be good – hope you enjoy!
Very nice! The method to add turkey again towards the end made for some nice tenderness. The dish was a pretty big taste and quantity payoff, especially considering how easy it was to put together. Was it as good as Jenn’s chicken meatballs, spicy glaze thighs, or spare ribs? Not quite, but in my experience OUC recipes do not disappoint, this one included. Solid 4 stars. Next time I might add another kind of pepper in at the beginning with the bell. Thank you, tasty!
Another winner!
I made the chili and the cornbread tonight to eat while watching the football playoffs. These two recipes were perfect. My husband who had Pooh poohed turkey chili had two helpings and said he loved it. I also sent both recipes to my three kids snd their families. Thank you for such great recipes.
Great recipe – and easy to make – my family loved this one – and I didn’t even tell my husband it was turkey! He had seconds! I will make this again.
Hi Jenn,
I have a friend who’s allergic to all onions. Can I just leave them out or do I also need to add any seasonings to it to offset the missing onions?
Hi Cherry, the onions definitely add flavor here but you could replace them with an equal amount of celery. Please LMK how the chili turns out!
It turned out great. I don’t have a food processor so I hand chopped everything. Used probably 3 celery stalks (it was more in terms of count but I had to trim out a lot of bad parts lol) finely chopped. At the one hour mark it had an aftertaste of celery but once the second hour hit (after the meatballs went in and were simmering) you couldn’t taste it. I liked the fact that it wasn’t too sweet. Usually my chili ends up a little sweet from the onion but this wasn’t. I liked it a lot.
What is the purpose of reserving some of the turkey to make into meatballs and then adding to the chili?
Hi Mary, Because ground turkey is lean and can easily dry out, adding those little “meatballs” near the end of cooking time helps to ensure the meat stays moist. Hope you enjoy if you make it!