This turkey chili satisfies your cold-weather cravings in one big pot. It’s comforting, wildly flavorful, easy to make, and all sorts-of-healthy thanks to ground turkey, kidney beans, and loads of veggies.
A big pot of turkey chili is good for the soul. Chili is one of those meals that makes you feel cozy, nourished, and satisfied. That’s why I have recipes for beef chili, white chicken chili, and vegetarian chili. I’m all about options!
But if you favor ground turkey meat, this turkey chili can’t be beat! It’s hearty, perfectly spiced, and has a little kick of heat, without being overpowering. Just enough to warm you up on a cold fall or winter day.
Turkey Chili Recipe Ingredients
Like my other chili recipes, the ingredients for this turkey chili are budget-friendly and pantry-friendly! Here’s what you will need:
- Ground Turkey: Any type of ground turkey works here, whether it’s dark or white meat. Alternatively, you can use shredded turkey if you make this after Thanksgiving!
- Vegetables & Beans: Onion, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and kidney beans are chili essentials for that deliciously chunky texture. Bonus – kidney beans are loaded with various minerals, vitamins, fibers, and antioxidants!
- Liquid Base: The base requires a mix of diced tomatoes (I’m using fire-roasted tomatoes for extra flavor), tomato paste, and chicken broth.
- Spices: The layers of chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano really amp up the flavor.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How To Make The Best Turkey Chili
The key here is to add layers of flavor, and then let the entire pot of chili slowly simmer so all of the flavors can meld together. Here’s how to make it:
Cook the veggies. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent. Then, add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
Add the turkey. Add the ground turkey, breaking it into small pieces with a spatula, until it’s cooked through.
Pour in the spices and chili base. Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and salt. Stir for another minute, until fragrant. Then add the canned tomatoes with juices, drained beans, and chicken broth, then stir together.
Boil and simmer. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Top Your Chili With Fresh Ingredients
Good news — you have lots to choose from when it comes to chili toppings.
- Cheese. Choose from white cheddar, yellow cheddar, or even Cotija cheese. You could also dollop some sour cream for a cool and creamy touch.
- Veggies: Sprinkle some sliced green onions, red onions, yellow onions, or radishes.
- Fruits: Add a little heat with diced pickled or fresh jalapeños, or diced avocados for a creamy bite.
- Herbs: Chopped parsley or cilantro always adds a fresh green pop.
Storage And Meal Prep Tips
This is hands down one of the best recipes for meal prep. It freezes well and reheats beautifully!
- Store in the fridge: Leftovers are always a delight to enjoy throughout the week. Pour into airtight containers and store in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- Freeze for later: Freeze the chili for up to 3 months in Souper Cubes or freezer-safe containers. Just make sure to let it cool before storing away.
- To reheat: Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.
More One-Pot Meals For Busy Weeknights
These flavorful, one-and-done meals will make your busy weeknights flow a lot smoother. You can never go wrong with stew and soup recipes!
- Taco Soup – It’s almost like chili, but with a zesty taco spin.
- Stuffed Pepper Soup – If you love stuffed peppers, you’ll love this soup version!
- Avgolemono Soup – This Greek lemon chicken and rice soup is a winner.
- Lentil Soup – A light and fresh lentil soup with Mediterranean flavor.
- Irish Lamb Stew – Lamb meat lightens up the classic beef stew recipe.
If you make this turkey chili recipe, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below. And if you’ve got leftover ground turkey, you can make these delicious ground turkey recipes, including turkey burger patties or turkey meatloaf!
Description
Video
Equipment
- Dutch Oven My favorite large pot for chili recipes!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ pounds ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon paprika (or smoked paprika)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (28-ounce can) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 (15-ounce cans) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent. Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
- Add the ground turkey, breaking it into small pieces with a spatula, until it's cooked through.
- Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and salt. Stir for another minute, until fragrant.
- Add the canned tomatoes with juices, drained beans, and chicken broth, then stir together.
- Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- To serve, ladle servings into individual bowls. Garnish with sour cream, avocado, green onion, cheese, cilantro, or any other toppings.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally published January 2023, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
I’ve been making your healthy turkey chili for about 5 or 6 years now and it’s my favorite go to chili recipe I turn to every time. It’s light and flavorful and healthy
Happy to hear this has become your go-to turkey chili, Susan!
Your chili is, without a doubt, the best chili I have ever had. I’ve already added it to my recipe book because there is no way I’m not making this again. The flavors come together beautifully, rich, deep, and perfectly balanced, and the spice mix is absolutely spot-on. Nothing overpowers anything else, yet every bite is full of character and warmth. It tastes like one of those recipes that has been perfected over years, even though I just discovered it. Thank you to the author for this wonderful creation. This chili is a real keeper and an instant favorite in my kitchen.
Thanks for leaving a review Anna! I’m so glad you’ve found the perfect chili recipe.
Easy, economical, and delightful. Will save this recipe. Just the right amount of heat.
Glad you’re loving this turkey chili, Julie!
I looove this turkey chili! It has been in the regular rotation in my house since I first tried it about a year ago. I never make my usual beef chili anymore; this one is lighter with perfectly balanced flavors. Even my picky 8-year-old and mother-in-law eat it happily! Thanks for another awesome recipe, Lisa 😊
Thrilled to hear everyone is loving this turkey chili, Tara!
I made this on Sunday and have been eating it all week. It is delicious 😋
The perfect meal prep option! Enjoy, Beth!
I love this healthy chili! So much great flavor. I make enough for left overs for the week!
Hi Gina, I’m so glad you’re loving this turkey chili!
The best chili I’ve EVER HAD! This has been my partners and I go to diet meal! High protein, high fiber and delicious! Instead ground turkey we use ground chicken.
Wonderful! I’m so happy you both loved it. And yes, it’s a great high protein, high fiber meal. I have it on repeat myself. ;)
Hands down the best Turkey Chili recipe ever! I make it on repeat all winter long.
Thanks Lisa for sharing this amazing recipe!😋
You’re more than welcome, Carol! Enjoy!
I made this recipe two days ago and we looove it. It really makes the best chili ever, soo tasteful snd easy to prepare! Thank you for all your great recipes .. you are a grest inspiration in my cooking 😀👏🏼💖
Thanks so much for your kind words, Christine! I’m glad you enjoyed this turkey chili. And have enjoyed many of my other recipes as well!
so good! I added a few different seasonings I had on hand! this will be in rotation
Hi Lauren – I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this turkey chili!
This “I-can’t stop-eating” chili is the best I’ve ever tasted. I enjoy making your recipe. I learned the difference of how much better turkey tastes by the way you added the ingredients to the pot. I’ve always cooked the turkey separately. The spices, aroma and adding avocado as a topping places this recipe at the top of my go to for this winter season. I’ll definitely be trying the other chili recipes.
I’m so thrilled to hear you think it’s the best you’ve ever tasted, yay!!
So easy and so delicious! Another 5 star recipe to share with family and friends!
Thank you!
PS: I’m now slicing bell peppers your way! So much easier. 😊
Yay, I’m happy you love this turkey chili, Robin! And I hope you find that new way of slicing bell peppers easier. I know I sliced them the wrong way for way too long, haha.
Absolutely love this recipe! I added two bags of baby spinach and 3 medium sized sweet potato’s for extra nutrition and it’s absolute perfection. I made this for my weekly lunch meal prep this week, perfectly makes 6 servings.
The perfect healthy meal prep for the week! Glad you’re loving this chili recipe, Jenny.
This was the perfect dinner dish to make for the first day of October! I used ground turkey breast for less fat and it was still juicy. My husband loves smoky flavors so I used only Smoked Paprika and it was a big hit with him! We used cilantro and Cheddar/Jack cheese to top it off and had buttered sourdough bread on the side.
What a great way to celebrate the fall season! Glad it was a hit with your husband as well, Holly!
WOW …….this will be my new ‘go to’ chili recipe!!!! I am 87 yrs old, so have tried many recipes, but this one is the best ! Thanks, Lisa, for all your delightful, delectable recipes!
Happy to hear you found a new favorite chili recipe, Ruth!
This healthy turkey chili is by far, the absolute BEST I’ve ever had! It was a big hit in my home and we ate it for an entire week! I substituted yellow onion with green onion (scallions), added some carrots and paprika and a dash of sugar. Absolutely amazing! Thank you for this recipe that will become a “staple” in our home!
Oh wonderful! I’m so glad you’re loving this turkey chili recipe, Mildred.
Chili is my comfort food. We’re trying to eat healthier and this recipe was a hit. I’m not a cumin person so I added a little my red chili powder and top each bowl with fresh jalapeños from our garden. I live in New Mexico and we like things with more heat.
Glad this turkey chili was just what you were looking for, Sunflower!
We loved the chili! It had wonderful flavors. I will make again.
Happy to hear you loved this turkey chili, Cindy!
The turkey chili sounds delicious!! Unfortunately, I need to leave out the bell pepper as it doesn’t agree with me. Should I add something else to replace it?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa, my twins ( foodies) and i have made several of your recipes and we are obsessed!
Is there a way to make your turkey chilli in the slow cooker?
Hi Wendy – While I haven’t made this recipe in a slow cooker yet, other readers have reported success with a low temperature setting for 6 to 8 hours. If you try it, let us know what worked for you!
I made this recipe last week and I could not stop raving about it! Everything about it was easy and tasted absolutely fantastic! Even my kids loved it. Will definitely be keeping this on rotation at least twice a month!
Amazing! Glad the whole family loved this turkey chili recipe, Chikera.
I’ve made this several times now and it has become my go to chili recipe. The use of turkey, roasted tomatoes and beans puts so much flavor on the plate. I omit the salt now that I mix my own spices. Thank you for your posts
Hi Catherine – Happy to hear this turkey chili has become a staple now!
Can I leave out the Jalapeno and sub another spice for chili? Is there a chili powder you know of that doesn’t have heat? I don’t like heat, so how can I get the chili flavor without using chili powder?
Hi Wen – paprika is great for giving a spiced flavor with no heat. Enjoy!
My family and I really enjoyed your turkey chili but I was wondering if you can suggest what to change in the recipe to make it less spicy. I did leave the jalapeño pepper out but it was still really spicy. Thank you so much for all of your delicious recipes.
Hi Robyn – Thrilled to hear you and your family loved this turkey chili! As for spice, you can reduce the amount of chili powder. Hopefully that helps!
I had a similar question, it didn’t make it to the forum. Would you mind at least emailing me a reply? Is paprika really that spicy, I thought it would be the chili powder? How do you get that chili flavor without adding any heat?
Hi Wendy – yes, it’s the chili powder that’s more spicy, the paprika is just flavorful. So if you’d like to reduce the heat, you’d reduce the chili powder and omit the jalapeno pepper.
I’ve made turkey chili before but this recipe was terrific! It will definitely be my go to chili recipe every time. So delicious, healthy and loved how quickly it was ready. My family loved how yummy the smoked paprika and fire roasted tomatoes tasted in this recipe. Can’t wait to make it again! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
The paprika and fire-roasted tomatoes give this turkey chili some oomph! Happy to hear you and your family love this turkey chili, Jaimie.
Absolutely delicious. I increased the amount of broth and added more veggies and beans. Family loved this, will be making it again!
Hi Angela – I’m so glad the whole family is loving this turkey chili! You can always tweak this recipe to your liking.
Absolutely delicious!
Glad you enjoyed this turkey chili, Crystal!
My first time cooking my own chili and decided to go with a healthy recipe. I always come back to your website or your book when I’m not sure lol
I was amazed by the recipe, absolutely delicious! I used McCormick chili mix to help out and it worked wonders and added smoked paprika too and fresh tomatoes.
Very flavorful, I’ll make it again with turkey bacon too.
Thank you Lisa for all your wonderful and healthy recipes!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this turkey chili recipe, Caroline! Thank you for trusting my recipes and purchasing my cookbook as well. :)
Excellent chili recipe!!!! We absolutely loved! Just for personal taste, we decreased the chili powder a little.
Thanks so much for the positive review! I’m so happy you loved it, and yes, definitely feel free to adjust the chili powder to your personal preference. Enjoy!
This is THE perfect recipe for chili. No need to look for something better. I’ve spent my 74 years looking, and I finally hit on this one. This chili really delivers on flavor, and the added bonus is it’s healthy. Well done, Lisa and thanks for sharing.
Oh yay, so happy you love it!
In a world full of chili recipes I like this a lot more than I thought I would!
Thanks, Joel! I’m happy to hear this one stands out. :)
Lisa, love beef chili but feel like I must serve Turkey for a gathering the day after Thanksgiving. Could still call it turkey chili if I only use half ground turkey and possibly half ground beef to make it meatier. Do you think that would work? Is it safe to mix ground turkey and ground beef in same pot of chili?
Will also be serving Tatchos (Tater Tot Nachos) for kiddos using same Chili on top of tater tots!
Hi Shannon – yes, you can mix ground beef and ground turkey together, no problem! In fact, ground beef and ground pork are often combined together in chilis. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you Lisa.
Recipe turned out great! I added some black pepper as it needed some personally, and poured it over some white rice.
I’m glad you enjoyed this turkey chili, Patrick!
Best chili ever!
I’m so glad you love this turkey chili, Pam!