You could literally give me this hearty Turkey Chili recipe any day! It's made with ground turkey, sautéed peppers and onions, smoky tomatoes, beans, and the best homemade chili seasoning mix. It's a classic one-pot meal that comes together quickly which makes it perfect for weeknights, game day, or anytime you just need a warm bowl of comfort food!☺️
This recipe was originally published in October 2020. It has been completely updated and refreshed with new photos and information.
Ingredients You'll Need
Chili recipes are extremely versatile and can be made lots of different ways. Here are my must-have ingredients for the best ground turkey chili:
- Ground Turkey: I prefer ground turkey meat, but you can certainly use ground beef or ground chicken instead. Just make sure you are purchasing either 85% lean or 93% lean ground turkey. Stay away from the 99% lean turkey breast because it won’t have enough fat.
- Veggies: A combination of bell pepper, onion, and garlic add depth and flavor to the chili.
- Beans: Beans are one of the star ingredients in this chili. I like using canned kidney beans and pinto beans, but you can use any combination of beans you like.
- Tomatoes: I use two types of tomatoes in my chili. Fire-roasted tomatoes, which I feel are a must, and a can of Rotel tomatoes for a little heat.
- Homemade Chili Seasoning: The homemade chili seasoning mix is what really makes this chili so good. It's a combination of chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika and a few classic spices.
How To Make The Best Turkey Chili
The full measurements are listed in the recipe card below, but here's a quick step-by-step overview:
Cook the ground turkey: Brown the ground turkey in a large pot or dutch oven.
Sauté the veggies: Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic.
Add the seasoning: Stir in the tomato paste and chili seasoning. Let the chili spices cook for about a minute to bring out some of their flavors.
Beans, Tomatoes & Broth: Add the diced tomatoes, beans, and chicken broth. Stir everything together.
Simmer: This is where the magic happens! Let the chili simmer so all the flavors can marry together.
Add toppings & serve: Serve in a big bowl with your favorite chili toppings and some homemade cornbread!
Key Recipe Tips!
I’ve been making this homemade chili recipe for years and there are a few tips that I’ve learned over time that really makes it stand out:
- You need a little fat! Even if you're using ground turkey, make sure to grab the 85% or 93% lean ground turkey meat. Stay away from the 99% lean ground turkey breast because it simply won’t have enough fat.
- Use chicken or beef broth. Using a good broth (instead of water) infuses the meat and chili with so much flavor. It’s a must!
- Let it simmer! I know it can be tempting to rush this process since technically all of the ingredients are already cooked. But letting the chili simmer on low heat for a good amount of time helps the flavors marry together. It also helps thicken the chili.
What To Pair With Turkey Chili
Adding your favorite chili toppings is the fun part! Here are a few ideas of what I like to add to my chili:
- You can top your chili with shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, slices of ripe avocado, or sliced jalapeño if you want a little more heat. But be careful, this chili already has a little kick to it.😉
- I also love serving fresh homemade cornbread on the side of my chili or I'll add crunchy tortilla chips on top!
Turkey Chili Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. ground turkey*
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1.5 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 14.5 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 10 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chiles (Rotel)
- 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained
- 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained
- 2 cups chicken broth**
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ground turkey to the pot, crumble, and cook until browned.
- Next add the diced onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pot. Stir and cook the veggies with the turkey meat for 3 minutes or until the veggies have softened.
- Now add the tomato paste and chili seasonings (chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper) to the pot. Mix together and cook for 1 minute.
- Next add the fire-roasted tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, kidney beans and pinto beans to the pot. Then pour in the chicken broth. Stir everything together until combined.
- Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the chili up to a boil. As soon as the chili starts boiling, stir the ingredients again, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover with the lid and simmer the chili for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the chili is done simmering, remove the pot from the heat and serve warm with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can swap out the ground turkey for ground beef or ground chicken.
- Swap the chicken broth for beef broth when using ground beef meat.
Nutrition
Chili Variations
- Wanna switch things up? You can easily swap out the ground turkey for ground chicken or lean ground beef instead. If you decide to use ground beef, I would swap the chicken broth for beef broth.
- Make it vegetarian! You can leave out the ground turkey all together and make this easy Vegetarian Chili Recipe that uses creamy butternut squash in place of meat. It’s also really good!
- Bulk it up. And if you want to bulk up the chili a little, you can always add another can of beans (like black beans) to the pot.
Aaliya says
Best chili recipe I have tried!
Mary says
This is the BEST Turkey Chili recipe!!!
Brenda L Britt says
I am enjoying your blog and Youtube channel. Does this recipe serve 1 to 2 people? Is that what you mean by scale? How do I adjust for 4 people? Thanks.
Marsha says
Hi Brenda. Thank you so much! This recipe will serve 4-6 people. No need to adjust anything. Hope you enjoy!
Marissa says
This has been my go-to meal! So simple and easy. Thank you!
Marsha says
Yay! I'm so happy to hear that. You are so welcome! 🙂
Keisha Brady says
Omg!!!! This is best turkey chili!!! It has become a staple at my house especially during the winter months. I love it because I want my family to eat less beef and pork and the amount of veggies it has in one meal.
Marsha says
Yay! I'm so glad you like it Keisha! It really is perfect during the cold winter months! 🙂