The Best Ground Turkey Chili (Easy and Healthy Recipe!)
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This Ground Turkey Chili recipe is easy, healthy, and comforting. It makes a clean-eating, one-pot meal that is naturally gluten-free, low in fat, and packed with protein. Learn how to make the best homemade turkey chili on the stovetop with this quick and simple recipe!
Why You’ll Love this Ground Turkey Chili Recipe
You are going to love this Ground Turkey Chili recipe, because it not only tastes amazing, but is made entirely with nutritious ingredients! Instead of beef, which is traditionally used in classic chili con carne, this recipe uses lean ground turkey. This chili recipe is also packed with a variety of vegetables, which add a ton of vitamins and nutrients to the dish.
This recipe is great for entertaining (it is ideal for tailgating or a football party) or meal prepping at the start of the week. You could also freeze a batch into smaller portions for quick dinners during extra-busy weeknights.
How to Make Ground Turkey Chili
Here are a few notes about each of the steps we will take to make this ground turkey chili recipe:
- Make the flavor base: Sauté the onion, jalapeno, bell pepper and garlic in a hot, oiled pot until softened and fragrant.
- Cook the meat and spices: Add the ground turkey to the pot. Once the turkey is cooked through, stir in the chili powder, cumin and oregano.
- Add the rest of the ingredients: Stir in your broth, kidney beans, pinto beans, corn, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Let everything simmer for 20-ish minutes.
- Taste, garnish and serve: Taste the chili and season with salt and pepper as desired. Ladle the chili into bowls, top with garnishes (if you want) and serve.
That’s it! This is truly a simple and nourishing dinner recipe that is packed with spicy flavor. As always, full instructions are listed in the recipe below.
Possible Chili Recipe Variations
There are endless ways to customize this turkey chili recipe to your liking, so please have fun and get creative! For example, feel free to…
- Make it spicier/milder: If you would like your chili to have more of a spicy kick, feel free to add in an extra jalapeño pepper or some cayenne. If you would like it to be milder, just omit the jalapeño altogether. If you’re serving this chili to a varied group of eaters, I recommend keeping it on the milder side. Then you can always offer hot sauce if people would like to spice up their individual bowls.
- Add extra veggies: If you would like to add in some additional vegetables, there are so many options. Anything from carrots to celery, mushrooms, zucchini, kale or sweet potatoes would be delicious. Keep in mind that if you add in more vegetables, you may need to also add in some extra broth/seasonings to compensate.
- Stir in cocoa powder: For a subtle yet rich undertone, try adding a few teaspoons of cocoa powder to your chili. I promise it won’t make the whole batch taste like chocolate, it simply rounds out all the flavors nicely.
- Make it smoky: If you would like to add some smoky flavor to your chili, you can add in one or two chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with the variations above to suit your personal preferences. The beauty of homemade chili is that it can be tailored to your liking, making it a customizable dish for any occasion.
More Healthy Dinner Recipes
Looking for more clean-eating dinner inspiration? Here are a some of my favorite good-for-you dinner recipes:
- Easy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa
- The Best Coconut Chickpea Curry
- Spicy Asian Noodle Soup Recipe
- Homemade White Chicken Chili
- Garlic Shrimp Zucchini Noodles
If you make this Ground Turkey Chili recipe, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating ★ below, because I love hearing from you! ♡
The Best Ground Turkey Chili (Easy and Healthy Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional toppings: Tortilla chips, chopped fresh cilantro, and avocado
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot set over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno, and bell pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes, until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute further until fragrant.
- Add the ground turkey to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly to break up meat, for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano.
- Add the broth, kidney beans, pinto beans, corn, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste.
- Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, garnished with optional toppings if using.
Nutrition
Notes
- The chili can be served on its own or with cornbread, tortilla chips, or rice.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.
This post was originally published on November 18, 2018. It has been updated to reflect new information and helpful content.
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This looks so colourful and delicious! We love chili, and this healthy turkey one looks delightful my friend.
Hi Katherine! Aww thanks so much! Oh I love chili too, especially now when it’s cold outside! 🙂
Delicious! It will be a regular in my house!
Hi Kristen! Yay! I’m happy you like the recipe. 🙂 Thanks so much!
Yummy! I love a good turkey chili, and you’ve included all of my favorite spices and mix-ins! So warming on a cold rainy or snowy day!
Hi Laura! Thanks so much! I hope you have a great week! 🙂
Perfect! I was just thinking about something spicy yet healthy and there it is! Yummy!!
Hi Sarah! That’s awesome! I hope you get a chance to make it sometime! 🙂 Thanks so much!
This is a really easy and delicious chili recipe. First time using turkey and this did not disappoint. Saving this to my recipe archives, its a keeper.
Hi Megan! Thank you so much for letting me know. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, it is definitely a regular in my house! 🙂