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The BEST Turkey Chili Recipe

4.98 from 105 votes
Total 45 minutes
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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.

turkey chili in white soup pot with serving ladle next to fresh toppings

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Table of Contents hide
1) Why you'll love my turkey chili recipe
2) Ingredient for the best turkey chili
3) How to make turkey chili
4) Recipe testing notes
5) Turkey chili recipe variations
6) Can you freeze turkey chili?
7) Recommended chili recipes
8) 📖 Recipe
9) Easy Turkey Chili Recipe

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!
Turkey chili recipe mise en place in separate bowls, labeled and ready for cooking.

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.

sauteed onions and garlic in white soup pot with wood stirring utensil
Ground turkey and onions in white soup pot and wood stirring utensil

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!

Ground turkey, onions, and chili seasonings in white soup pot
seasoned ground turkey and onions in white soup pot

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.

wooden spoon stirs turkey chili ingredients together in white soup pot
white lid partially covers soup pot while turkey chili simmers

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

turkey chili in white soup pot with serving ladle next to fresh toppings

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

turkey chili in white soup pot with serving ladle next to fresh toppings

Easy Turkey Chili Recipe

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. Includes stove, slow cooker, and Instant Pot methods.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total time45 minutes
Yield 10 cups
Author Traci
4.98 from 105 votes
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Video

Note about scaling

When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.

Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 medium Onion, diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 pound Uncooked Lean Ground Turkey
  • ¼ cup Chili Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 (28-ounce can) Crushed Tomatoes, or other canned tomatoes
  • ⅓ cup Tomato Paste, about half of a 6-ounce can
  • 3 (15-ounce cans) Beans (any kind), rinsed and drained *see footnote
  • 1-2 cups Chicken Broth, or preferred cooking liquid

Instructions

See recipe footnotes for other cooking methods

  • Heat OLIVE OIL in a 4-quart soup pot on medium-high heat.
  • Add ONIONS and sauté until tender. Stir in GARLIC and sauté until fragrant, stirring as needed.
  • Add GROUND TURKEY and continue sauteing until turkey is mostly cooked through, stirring as needed.
  • Stir in CHILI POWDER, CUMIN, PAPRIKA, SALT, and PEPPER. Saute a few minutes until ground turkey is coated and seasonings are fragrant.
  • Add TOMATOES (with juice), TOMATO PASTE, BEANS, and BROTH.
    Note: Start with 1 cup of broth for a thicker chili that’s ready sooner. If using the full 2 cups, plan to simmer the chili for about 20 minutes longer to allow it to thicken properly.
  • Increase the heat to HIGH and cook until the chili comes to a boil, stirring as needed.
  • Reduce the heat to low. Partially cover and simmer until chili thickens to your liking, stirring as needed.

Storage and Reheat Instructions

  • Store chili in an airtight container up to 5 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.
    To thaw, transfer frozen chili from freezer to refrigerator 24-48 hours before reheating and serving.
    Reheat chili via microwave in a heat-safe container, or on the stove. Add a little water to the chili if it's too thick.
Did you make this? We'd love your feedback!!Please rate and review it here or below ⤵️

Recipe Notes

* What beans to use: I usually use kidney, black, and pinto or navy beans, but you can use 4 ½ cups of any cooked beans.
Other cooking methods
Pressure cooker: Heat oil using the Sauté setting. Cook the onions, garlic, and ground turkey until the turkey is cooked through. Add remaining ingredients, secure the lid, and cook on High Pressure for 2 minutes (it will take 10-15 minutes to pressurize). Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully release any remaining steam. Stir and serve warm.
Slow cooker: Follow steps 1-4 of the stove instructions above. Transfer the ingredients to a slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients, cover, and cook for 2 hours on HIGH or 4-6 hours on LOW.

Equipment

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 445mg | Potassium: 280mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1017IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.

Course Dinner Recipes, entree, Soup
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free
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More Soup, Stew, and Chili Recipes

Traci

About Traci

I’m the recipe author, photographer, and videographer behind The Kitchen Girl food blog established in 2013. I test and share all of my original recipes here so you can make great food with simple ingredients for everyday meals and special occasions.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.98 from 105 votes (55 ratings without comment)

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  1. Andee says

    I have a quick question. I have never made chili before so I want to clarify a part of your recipe. Next to the ingredient "diced tomatoes" it says to "keep juice". Does that mean you drain the can of tomatoes? I ask because I did not see a place in the recipe where you would add the juice to the recipe. The way it is written leads me to believe that you are "keeping" it for a further instruction. Can you please clarify that? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Hiya! You're so right! I just edited the recipe card to say "don't drain" instead of keep juice. Thanks for asking and let me know if you have any other questions 🙂 Enjoy!!

  2. Eleanor says

    5 stars
    I made the chili tonight using the instant pot recipe even though it was a a warm summer evening and not chili weather. It was delicious! Very flavorful and easy.

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Hi! I'm so glad you took this recipe for a spin and enjoyed it as much as we do. We love turkey chili even during summer too! Thanks so much for the feedback.

  3. bob says

    add a spoon of instant coffee

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Heck ya! That's a flavor booster for sure 🙂

  4. Eleanor Grams says

    This sounds delicious and I want to try it. But are you sure the cook time is only 2 minutes in the instant pot. Cook time in the introduction says 20 minutes.

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Yep, I'm sure 🙂 Here's why – The process takes 20 full minutes, which is 8 minutes to pressurize, 2 minute pressure cook time, and depressurize for 10 minutes. Let me know if you have further questions. I'm here for it. Enjoy!

  5. Lee Torrence says

    5 stars
    I made this the other night and brought it over to my friend's house for 4 of us to enjoy. I felt like a bit of a shmuck since she's a gourmet cook and eating a meal cooked by her is like eating in a 5 start restaurant. But, there was just SO much chili I knew I had to share it with someone! Everybody loved it! My gourmet friend grated some cotija cheese which was nice. I had squeezed in a full lime before bringing it over and at the table poured a little delicious red Cabernet Sauvingon into my bowl (would've done it while cooking but didn't have any! There was still a lot leftover, so I took it to an appetizer party the next day (per my gourmet friend's suggestion) as a chili nacho dip. I heated it in the oven on 350 until warm and cheese was bubbly. took it out and topped it with grated cheddar, chopped green onions, and I drizzled sour cream through a plastic sandwich bag clipped at the corner...which needs to be quite small I learned! THAT WAS A BIG HIT, TOO! Thank you, Traci. For another delicious, easy, healthy meal!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Awww I'm so glad you enjoyed this one Lee 🙂 Yes, it makes 12 cups so you could easily scale it down, or keep feeding friends...I love that! 🙂 That chili nacho dip though ... YUMMMM! Thank you for taking the time to leave such detailed feedback my friend! xoxoxo

  6. Kate says

    5 stars
    This is the BEST turkey chili recipe! It is easy to make. You only dirty one pot, and it has such a good spice kick. A definite crowd pleaser! Perfect for winter nights, the Super Bowl, a dinner party, potluck, you name it. I'm obsessed! Thanks for sharing this delicious turkey chili recipe.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks so much, Kate! I am happy you love it and I'm soooo loving your enthusiasm! 🙂

  7. Amanda says

    5 stars
    This is such a vibrant, fresh looking chili (I love the photos!). I'm starting to look for recipes for my game day parties for after the holidays, and this will be absolutely perfect for my guests. I love that it's a turkey chili instead of beef, so I can accommodate even more of my friends' diets. What great ideas for using leftover chili, too - I think that chili breakfast bake is going to have to happen!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Amanda! Hope you love this recipe 🙂

  8. Mackenzie says

    5 stars
    As silly as it sounds, beans are my favorite food. One of my biggest complaints with chili is that it doesn't have enough beans, so this three bean variety is screaming my name. Plus, I always grab ground turkey at the store as a backup, so the ingredients for this meal are almost always in my kitchen. I love the idea of using the extra leftovers for chili mac or potatoes! I definitely know how I'm using mine!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Mackenzie! Sounds like I made this chili with you in mind 😉 Can't wait for you to eat some chili mac!

  9. Dana says

    5 stars
    I love turkey chili! I grew up eating the usual beefy chili, and though it was good, ground beef doesn't always sit well with me anymore. Red meat is a *sometimes* thing. So I've been subbing in poultry where I can, and always coming out pleasantly surprised! I haven't made chili in ages. I can't wait to give this a whirl.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Dana! Yep, beefy chili here too and these days, beef is 'sometimes' for me too 🙂 I think you'll love this chili!

  10. Marisa Franca says

    5 stars
    I've never tried making chili with turkey -- or with 3 beans. Your recipe fascinates me and I'm dying to try it -- all the way to the jalapeños you add on top. The chili looks hearty and the red pepper would give it a healthy dose of a kick. This recipe is a winner with me.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Marisa! Yes, if you've never had turkey chili with 3 beans, this is a great recipe to get you started! Hope you can try it out sometime 🙂

  11. Debra says

    5 stars
    This recipe is right up our alley. Football season and cooler temps means big batches of one pot hearty meals. This is a great addition to my Sunday meal prep too. Gotta love a recipe that includes leftovers that can be taken for lunch. I just got a new thermos too!!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Debra! I do love one pot game day food...so versatile. And I love that you just got a new thermos...cheers to all the yummy, warm things that go into it 🙂

  12. Daniela says

    5 stars
    This turkey chili looks delicious! And it's so easy to make! I love all the fresh flavors in it, and seeing that I'm obsessed with spicy food, I would probably top mine with some sliced serrano peppers like you suggest. Great recipe!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Daniela! I'm so crazy for those Serrano toppers 🙂 My other half grows them and they're just lovely!

  13. Trish says

    5 stars
    Oh my family would LOVE this! I've been really trying to get into big batch meals that freeze well, so I'm so happy you mentioned that. Hello dinner! 🙂

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Yay Trish, thanks! This one make a lot too...perfect for a family, and for freezing 🙂

  14. Tracy says

    5 stars
    Two of my favorite things about a recipe: when it provides lots of left overs and then also great suggestions on new ways to use those leftovers! This hits both! What an awesome chili on it's own but then a chili Shepard's pie?! Whaattt... that's GENIUS. Planning this in our meal prep this week!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Tracy! Yep, there's something about mashed potatoes and chili that just make both of those things even better...if that's even possible LOL 😉 Hope you love this one!

  15. Leah says

    5 stars
    This chili sounds so hearty and filling. I love a great bowl of chili, especially when its cold out, and you need to warm up, and this sounds perfect for that! Thanks for this great recipe!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      You're so welcome, Leah! Hope you love this one like we do! 🙂

  16. Carmy says

    5 stars
    I love chili! I just made a batch of turkey chili to freeze for the next few weeks. I love that you added extra veggies to this to make it healthier, it's definitely a yummier dish when it's packed with vegs. The mix of beans is also a great way to make the chili more filling!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Yay thanks Carmy! I can't help but load the veggies into my chili...every time! 😉

  17. Bryan says

    5 stars
    My wife would really love this recipe! Thank you

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Bryan! Hope you'll make it for her 🙂

  18. Lisa says

    5 stars
    We have a small family, so I love recipes that freeze well and allow me to do some "batch cooking". This chili recipe sounds like the perfect combo of ease and healthy, hearty, satisfying flavor. I've always been a one-bean chili person -- as in "choose your bean", but it makes so much sense to mix it up with several types. Not only does it give an eye-popping appearance, but it really amps up the protein. We're doing our Christmas decorating this weekend and I think a pot of this on the stove will be the ideal pick me up as we're decking our halls. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Awww Lisa, you have such a way with words...and now I want to do exactly what you're doing this weekend (but we just had it last week LOL). Thanks again!

  19. Gloria says

    5 stars
    We LOVE chili of ALL kinds. This sounds delicious, and perfect for comfort food season. I will be making a HUGE pot of this to take to a potluck. I know it will be a hit.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Gloria...this is the perfect potluck chili. Easy, affordable, delish, and makes a lot!

  20. Matt says

    5 stars
    Chili is the best isn’t it?! Sounds amazing and excited to give this one a try.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Matt! Hope you love it like we do! 🙂

  21. Jenna says

    5 stars
    Chili is on my mind as it gets cold out!! This will be my first time trying turkey chili. Looking forward to it!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Awesome Jenna! Hope you love it! Be sure to note that this recipe yields 3 quarts 😉

  22. Kelly Anthony says

    5 stars
    This three bean turkey chili looks so tasty and colorful. I can't wait to make this for my family.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Kelly! Hope your family loves it! 🙂

  23. Tayler Ross says

    5 stars
    Hooray for chili season! I can't wait to try this yummy looking recipe!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Tayler...I'm cheering for chili season too! 🙂

  24. Louise says

    5 stars
    This looks so good! I make chili all the time and will give this recipe a go for sure!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Louise...it's a staple over here too! 🙂

  25. Cindy Gordon says

    5 stars
    We've been having such bitter cold weather! This looks perfect for my menu plan!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Awesome Cindy...it makes menu planning so easy 🙂