Three Bean Turkey Chili is a thick, hearty, chili that’s loaded with fresh vegetables, lean ground turkey, and three different beans. It’s versatile enough to be a busy weeknight meal or game day grub and always satisfies a crowd!
Three Bean Turkey Chili
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.
How do you make healthy turkey chili?
Any healthy turkey chili starts with LOTS of fresh, everyday vegetables, like onions, celery, and bell pepper, sautéed with garlic in extra virgin olive oil.
Then, a 99% lean turkey is added to the vegetables, and sautéed it until it’s cooked through.
Next, the easiest part, dump in the remaining ingredients, which include canned beans, chicken broth (or water), canned diced tomatoes, corn, and a handful of spices.
Everything gets boiled for about 5 minutes and simmered for about 25 minutes.
How do you 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 flavah we love!
If your turkey chili is not thick enough at the end of the cooking cycle, remove some of the liquid with a spoon and continue simmering. Repeat as needed until you reach your desired consistency.
Just remember, more time on the flame equals more flavor!
What are the ingredients in turkey chili?
- extra virgin olive oil
- garlic
- onion
- celery
- bell pepper
- 99% lean ground turkey
- canned diced tomatoes
- tomato sauce
- reduced sodium chicken broth (or water)
- kidney beans, northern beans, and black beans
- corn (fresh or frozen)
- tomato paste
- chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and cumin
- salt and pepper
What toppings go with chili?
~ avocado
~ tortilla chips
~ Serrano or jalapeno peppers
~ sour cream
~ shredded cheddar cheese
~ green onions
~ crushed up crackers
~ hot sauce
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 fixins
- 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?
Yep, we do it every time we make a batch because this turkey chili 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.
Tools I used to make this recipe:
Want more easy, healthy one pot recipes?
Easy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup
3 Bean Vegan Chili for Instant Pot, Stove, or Crockpot
Yields 3 quarts
Easy, hearty, chili made with extra lean turkey, three beans, lots of vegetables, tomatoes, and savory seasonings.
15 minPrep Time
45 minCook Time
1 hrTotal Time
Save Recipe5 based on 19 review(s)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1/2 large Onion (1 cup diced)
- 1 large stalk Celery (1/2 cup diced)
- 1 large Bell Pepper (1 cup diced)
- 1 lb lean ground Turkey breast (99% lean)
- 1 14oz can Diced Tomatoes (with juice)
- 1 14oz can Tomato Sauce
- 2 cups Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 12oz can Red Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 12oz can Great Northern Beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 12oz can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup Corn (fresh or frozen)
- 3 oz Tomato Paste
- 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
Instructions
In a 5 quart pot on medium heat, heat OLIVE OIL (about 2 min)
Add GARLIC, ONIONS, CELERY, and BELL PEPPER; sauté until slightly tender (about 4 minutes).
Add GROUND TURKEY; stir as needed to break apart, and cook until it’s no longer pink.
Add CHICKEN BROTH, DICED TOMATOES, TOMATO SAUCE, KIDNEY BEANS, GREAT NORTHERN BEANS, BLACK BEANS, CORN, TOMATO PASTE, CHILI POWDER, SALT, PEPPER, RED PEPPER FLAKES, and CUMIN.
Turn heat to med-high; bring chili to a boil for a few minutes, stirring as needed.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 25 minutes (or more) to reach desired consistency.
Traci Antonovich
About my recipes: Minimal meat & more plants!
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