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Turkey Chili Recipe for Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or Stove

Name: Turkey Chili Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 4 cloves Garlic (minced); 1/2 large Onion (1 cup diced); 1 large Celery Stalk (1/2 cup diced); 1 large Bell Pepper (1 cup diced); 1 lb Extra Lean Ground Turkey; 1 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes (keep juice); 1 14oz can Tomato Sauce; 2 cups Chicken Broth (or water); 1 15 oz can Red Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed); 1 15 oz can Great Northern Beans (drained and rinsed); 1 15 oz can Black Beans (drained and rinsed); 1 cup Corn (fresh or frozen); 3 oz Tomato Paste; 2 Tbsp Chili Powder (or 1/4 cup for bigger chili flavor); 1 tsp Kosher Salt; 1 tsp Pepper; 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes; 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

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Turkey Chili is loaded with fresh vegetables, lean ground turkey, and three beans. It’s customizable and so easy to make. This turkey chili recipe includes instructions for Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stove!

turkey chili in white bowls on textured background with red pepper and green onion garnish and blue napkin

Everyone should have a healthy chili recipe

This turkey chili recipe has been a foundation recipe for years here at TKG…and it’s time we shared it with you! It’s not the only chili recipe up our sleeve, but it’s so reliable, we use it as a guideline for other chili recipes.

It’s so versatile that we’ve made it in large batches for game day food as well as weekly meal prep.

The best part is that it feeds a small army, and is so easy to freeze and reheat on those busy weeknights.

What’s in a healthy chili recipe?

In my book, the vegetables and beans will greatly outnumber the meat in a healthy chili recipe. Since ground turkey has 4% less saturated fat than beef, turkey chili is often viewed as a healthier option.

Turkey chili ingredients

* get recipe amounts below

extra virgin olive oil
garlic
onion
celery
bell pepper
99% lean ground turkey
canned diced tomatoes
tomato sauce
chicken broth (or veg broth or water)
kidney beans, northern beans, and black beans (or any beans)
corn
tomato paste
chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and cumin
salt and pepper

Instant pot turkey chili instructions

* See full recipe below

Saute vegetables.
Add ground turkey and saute until cooked through.
Add all remaining ingredients.
Pressure cook 2 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release.
Release steam, open lid, and serve warm.

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Slow cooker turkey chili

* See full recipe below

Saute vegetables and ground turkey in a skillet.
Transfer them to a slow cooker.
Add all other ingredients.
Cover and set the slow cooker on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW 4-8 hours.
Serve warm.

Classic turkey chili on the stove

* See full recipe below

Saute vegetables and ground turkey in the soup pot.
Add all other ingredients.
Boil then simmer chili until it cooks down to desired consistency.
Serve warm.

turkey chili in large stainless soup pot with red, green, and yellow garnish on textured beige surface

How to make turkey chili thick

Chili naturally thickens as it cooks. By heating it, the liquid evaporates, which reduces the sauce, causing it to thicken and build all that chili flavor we love!

If you’re cooking your turkey chili on the stove and it’s not thick enough at the end of the cooking time, remove some of the liquid with a spoon/ladle and continue simmering. Repeat as needed until you reach your desired consistency.

Just remember, more time on the flame equals more flavor!

What toppings go with chili?

avocado
tortilla chips
Serrano or jalapeno peppers
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
green onions
crushed up crackers
hot sauce

Secret ingredients in my healthy chili recipe

There are two secret ingredients we often use for our chili recipes here at TKG headquarters.

cocoa powder (about 1 tsp per quart of chili)
dark beer, baby! (1 – 12oz bottle per 2-3 quarts of chili. Replaces chicken stock.)

Jeff and I have been doing this for years. Somehow, I got the idea to add cocoa powder and Jeff’s wanted to add beer. Dayam people…just YUM!

If you do one, or the other…or both, you will taste the difference in chili…forevah! Trust me on this one, guys! And please, do let me know in the comments below if you tried the secret ingredients!

turkey chili in white bowls with blue napkin on textured beige background with red pepper and green onion garnish

What can you do with leftover chili?

Sky’s the limit, but we’ll take leftover chili any day of the week and turn it into:

Chili mac and cheese – chili and mac and cheese together, forevah!
Chili dogs – chili and hot dogs (grilled or pan-fried, not boiled)
Loaded potatoes – chili topped baked potatoes with ALL the fixings
Cheesy Chili fries – French fries with chili and cheese, and hot sauce
Shepherd’s pie – because mashed potatoes and chili together are divine
Breakfast bake – eggs and chili, baked

Can you freeze turkey chili?

Yes, we freeze this turkey chili every time we make a batch because the recipe yields 3 quarts, which is more than we can eat in one week.

To freeze turkey chili, allow it to cool completely, then package into desired sizes of airtight containers, plastic freezer bags, or vacuum sealer packaging.

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