The BEST Turkey Chili Recipe

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This hearty turkey chili recipe uses lean ground turkey, tender beans, tomatoes, and chili seasoning, all simmered into a saucy chili fit for any appetite.

Why you'll love my turkey chili recipe

• Ground turkey chili is as flavorful and comforting as a classic beef chili.
• It uses simple, budget-friendly ingredients.
• This easy recipe was created for beginner home cooks.
• Methods include the stove, slow cooker, or Instant Pot.
• Customize it to your liking - see variations below.
• Freeze and reheat for convenience.
• Great for busy weeknights, family dinners, and game day gatherings.

Ingredient for the best turkey chili

• Olive oil - You can use your preferred cooking oil.
• Onions - Use white, red, or yellow onions for this recipe.
• Garlic - Fresh garlic cloves are a priority for any chili recipe. Use as much as your heart desires.
• Ground turkey - I prefer 93% lean ground turkey, but any fat content will work for this recipe.
• Chili seasoning - You can never go wrong with the ample amount of chili powder, cumin, and paprika in this recipe. Of course, feel free to customize!
• Salt and pepper - These bring all of the flavors together, especially salt, so I recommend adjusting it to taste by adding more before serving.
• Canned crushed tomatoes - Use any canned tomatoes such as whole tomatoes or diced tomatoes (keep juice and add it as the same time).
• Tomato paste - This helps thicken the chili and adds a deep tomato flavor.
• Chicken broth - Any cooking liquid can be used.
• Canned beans - Beans add volume, flavor, fiber, and nutrition. Use my three-bean combination or go with classic kidney beans. It's customizable!

How to make turkey chili

Enjoy these step-by-step stove method photos. The turkey chili recipe below includes instructions for the Instant Pot and slow cooker.

First, you'll want to sauté the onions and garlic over medium-high heat until golden brown and tender, stirring as needed. This adds so much flavor to the chili. Then add ground turkey and sauté until it's cooked through, stirring as needed.

Next, stir in chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Sauté this mixture until the ground turkey is well-coated and chili seasoning is fragrant, stirring as needed. You'll love this pro hack for deepening the chili flavor!

Next, stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, and broth. Increase heat to HIGH and bring the chili to a boil for a few minutes, stirring as needed. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer the chili until it thickens to your liking, stirring as needed.

Serve turkey chili warm. Of course, it's even better with homemade cornbread. Add your favorite toppings and devour!

Recipe testing notes

• The longer you saute onions, the more colorful and flavorful they'll become. This is one of my flavoring secrets for the best turkey chili.
• I find that cooked ground turkey yields very little excess grease, regardless of fat content, which makes for easy cleanup since you likely won't need to drain it off.
• The total cook time varies by method. Stove and Instant Pot turkey chili take about 35 minutes, whereas the slow cooker method takes 2 hours at minimum.

Turkey chili recipe variations

• Add more volume, texture, and flavor to this chili by dicing and sauteing 2 celery ribs and 1 bell pepper with the onions.
• I love the combination of kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans in this recipe. Of course, any beans can be used in turkey chili.
• Using corn in turkey chili adds texture, volume, and a hint of sweetness. Add 1 ½ cups canned, fresh, or frozen corn at the same time beans are added.
• Create an even more complex chili flavor by adding 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder along with the other seasonings.
• Substitute ¾ cup of broth with a 12-ounce beer. Note: dark beer creates a beautiful, dark colored chili.
• Make this turkey chili spicy by adding 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper with the other chili seasonings. Of course, these can also be added to taste upon serving.

Can you freeze turkey chili?

Yes! In fact, freezing turkey chili is a great make-ahead strategy because it's so convenient to have homemade comfort food on hand at all times! To do so, allow the chili to cool completely and freeze in airtight containers or ziptop freezer bags for up to 90 days or longer in vacuum sealer bags.

Recommended chili recipes

Chili lovers! Check out this scrumptious white chicken chili. It's so good, it appeared in a celebrity chili cookbook! If you're looking for a meatless alternative, this lentil chili and 3 bean vegetarian chili will satisfy the whole family, especially on busy weeknights!

📖 Recipe