Hearty and Healthy Turkey Chili is packed with so much flavor, it’s even better than beef! The whole family is going to love this cold-weather favorite chili!
We know, turkey gets a bad rap. You may wonder why you should bother with turkey when you could have beef or pork instead. The thing is, there are so many of you who are avoiding or limiting beef and pork for personal, dietary, and health reasons. We want to support you in that and give you an amazing chili recipe with a ton of flavor, without relying on beef and pork. We’re using ground turkey in this chili recipe, and to be honest, we don’t miss the red meat. It is hearty and flavorful and we know you’ll agree. So whether you are avoiding red meat or not, you really need to give this one a try!
Ground Turkey:
We tend to use 93% lean ground turkey, but you could use anything from 85-99% lean.
Spice Level of Hearty and Healthy Turkey Chili:
If you are sensitive to spice, you can go ahead and reduce the chili powder. We also recommend looking for cans of mild green chilis.
Bean Options:
We love the combination of cannellini and kidney beans, but you really can’t go wrong with beans in this recipe. Feel free to use your favorite style of beans.
Cooking Time:
We know how tempting it is to shortcut the simmer time, especially on a busy weeknight! But you really want to allow for the full time to ensure the best flavor.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
We love the ability to prep dinner in the morning, making the slow cooker our best friend. To make this in the slow cooker, you will still need to brown the turkey and sauté the onions and garlic on the stovetop. Once that is ready, go ahead and add it into your slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 3 hours.
Instant Pot Instructions:
To make this chili in the instant pot, first brown your turkey on the sauté setting, and then add in the onions and garlic and sauté until tender. Once the onion is tender, add in the rest of the ingredients. Set the steam release valve to the sealed position and cook on high for 25 minutes. Let it do a natural release of pressure for 10 minutes before carefully turning the valve to venting to release the rest of the pressure.
Storage Instructions:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheating in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious chili recipes:
Watch the video below where Caytlin will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Hearty and Healthy Turkey Chili
- 1 1/2-2 pounds lean ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 3 cloves
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 (15 ounce can) red kidney beans rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce can) navy beans rinsed
- 1 (14.5 ounce can) diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce can) tomato sauce
- 2 (4.5 ounce cans) green chilies
- Shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream for serving
- Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes add in the onion and celery and sauté 3-5 minutes until tender. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper and saute 1 minute more.
- Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce beans, and green chilies.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer, covered, 45-60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- Serve topped with cheese and sour cream as desired.
Nutrition
