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Our Turkey Chili is an easy way to cut back on the beef, using lean ground turkey and packing in all of the same savory flavors as traditional chili! Packed with protein and fiber, it’s a quick nutritious dinner and it always gets devoured in my house!
Is there anything more satisfying than a bowl of chili and a crispy gooey grilled cheese sandwich?
This was a total staple of my childhood and it’s one of those meals that I make for my kids over and over again now that I’m the mama.
We often make my white chicken chili, chili mac, or taco chili, but I thought it was time for a lightened up version of chili and that’s where our ground turkey chili recipe comes into play.
This turkey chili recipe is bursting with flavor, packed with protein and fiber, made from scratch, and I swear, you won’t miss the beef a bit!
Is Turkey Chili Healthy?
My ground turkey chili recipe has less fat and calories than a traditional beef chili and is packed with protein.
There are loads of nutrients from the tomato sauce and canned tomatoes.
The beans add fiber, but if you’re eating a more low carb diet, feel free to leave them out.
What Readers are Saying!
“I have made this several times and it always turns out great! We love it!” – Liz
Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 jalapeno minced, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 28 ounces tomato sauce
- 15 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 15 ounces canned kidney beans drained
Instructions
- Add the turkey to a large, deep, non-stick pot over medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, breaking the meat up. if you're not using a non-stick pot, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pot before adding the turkey to prevent sticking.
- Add in the onion, jalapeno, and garlic and continue cooking, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through.
- Add the chili powder, salt, and cumin and stir well to coat the meat in the spices.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or longer over low heat, until ready to serve.
- Serve with cheddar, sour cream, and extra jalapenos as desired.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Ingredient Notes:
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Turkey – This turkey chili recipe starts with a pound of lean ground turkey! We love turkey chili but you could easily adapt this to use other types of ground meat too, like chicken, beef, or even pork.
Garlic, Jalapeno, & Onion – These are a must in any good chili recipe. Use as much or as little jalapeno as you like to suit your spice levels.
Tomatoes – You’ll need some canned tomato sauce and canned diced tomatoes. The tomato sauce gives this a nice, thick, hearty base.
Kidney Beans – My favorite variety of bean for making chili! If you prefer a different type like pinto beans feel free to swap these out or use a variety mix! You could also use hot or mild chili beans for extra chili oomph.
Seasoning – For the chili seasoning you’ll need some salt, cumin, and chili powder. Pretty standard ingredients for a chili mix!
What We Love About This Recipe:
- Big Flavor, Lighter Recipe: Yes, lean ground turkey is a big lighter than ground beef, but it can still pack in big bold flavors if you season it properly! We think we nailed it on the seasoning with this one.
- Busy Nights: This recipe only takes about 10 minutes of hands on time and then you’ll want to let the chili simmer for around 30 minutes to bring out the best textures and flavors. Perfect for busy nights.
- Customizable: Like most of our recipes, you can easily customize this recipe to suit your family’s tastes! Add more beans (or none at all!), stir in extra veggies (corn and bell peppers are perfect here!), and make it as spicy or as mild as you’d like.
- Meal Prep: Chili only gets better the longer it sits so make this as meal prep and enjoy it all week long!
How To Make Ground Turkey Chili Recipe:
Turkey: This healthy turkey chili starts with a pound of ground turkey. I choose the 93/7 variety, but you can get as lean or as fatty as you prefer.
Add the turkey to a pot with a bit of oil and brown the meat.
Veggies: Stir in some onions, minced jalapeno, and garlic. You can use as much or as little jalapeno as you like – I keep it pretty mild for my kiddos and serve with extra jalapeno on the side!
Chili Seasoning: Once your turkey is cooked through, season the turkey with chili powder, salt, and cumin.
Tomato & Beans: Stir in some tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and beans. I like to use the hot or mild chili beans here, but you can use plain kidney beans if you prefer. Either work well!
Simmer: Bring the chili to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for at least 30 minutes. The longer your chili simmers, the more flavorful and tender the meat gets!
Serve: When the turkey chili has finished cooking serve it up hot with all your favorite toppings like cheese, sour cream, or more jalapenos! See below for some more serving suggestions.
What To Serve With Turkey Chili:
Would you believe that in Nebraska people serve cinnamon rolls with their chili? It’s true! We tried it when we lived there for a year and it’s actually really good.
But, a more standard side would be my sweet cornbread recipe! And of course my savory, spicy jalapeno cheddar cornbread would be another great option.
Actually any kind of bread would go well here, like our beer bread or Irish soda bread.
Finally, a grilled cheese or peanut butter sandwich is always a hit in my house.
FAQ’s:
You can keep this turkey chili recipe in the fridge, tightly covered, for 4-5 days. It reheats beautifully and the flavor improves as it sits.
Sure! Most chili recipes freeze well and this one isn’t any different. Let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer safe bag or container. You can freeze for up to a few months.
The jalapeno does add a nice kick to our turkey chili, but we don’t find this recipe overly spicy at all. We serve this up to kids with no issues, but you can easily reduce the heat by using less jalapeno or skipping it altogether.
Liz Yeager says
I have made this several times and it always turns out great! We love it!
Karly says
That’s great to hear, Liz!
Diana Imme says
Wow this recipe was delicious. I added a green pepper and some mushrooms along with another can of kidney beans.
Karly says
So glad it was a hit! Love the addition of mushrooms.
Kris says
YUM! Karly I made a big pot of this today for my trick or treaters. It’s going to be so cold tonight that kids and parents will be invited in and served in a Dixie cup with a spoon and a sprinkle of shredded cheese or Fritos. I only had ground beef on hand and I wanted you to know it tastes delicious for anyone else who doesn’t have ground turkey on hand. I did add the beans and let it simmer all afternoon uncovered and it is thick and so good.
I grew up in Washington and Oregon and we serve cinnamon rolls with chili here too. No frosting, just dredge the bread dough in cinnamon sugar and roll up. It makes a crust on the outside.
Thank you and I know my frozen trick or treaters will be along soon! Happy Halloween!
Karly says
Love that you’re serving it up to trick or treaters! So sweet! Hope you had a great Halloween!
Barb Holland says
I <3 the recies.