This thick, robust, hearty turkey chili recipe uses ground turkey, kidney beans, onions, garlic, and the perfect blend of seasonings. It is one of our favorite chili recipes; the whole family enjoys it.
I love to serve this with cornbread or cheddar beer bread for a complete meal. What warms the soul better than a big pot of slow-cooked meat, vegetables, and beans? Dinner doesn’t get much better than that. Chicken tortellini soup, white chicken chili, and loaded potato soup are just a few of our favorites.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Ground turkey: I prefer using ground turkey with dark and white meat. Ground turkey breast is too lean and lacks flavor. You can substitute ground beef or ground pork. If using ground beef, switch to beef broth.
- Seasonings: chili powder, cumin, dried oregano (fresh is too bitter), smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a little bit of ground cayenne.
- Crushed tomatoes: if you prefer chunkier tomatoes, use a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes and a 6-ounce can of tomato paste.
- Chicken broth: preferably low-sodium
- Dark red kidney beans: you can substitute pinto beans or black beans
How to make Ground Turkey Chili
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Brown the ground turkey over medium-high heat in a Dutch Oven or heavy stockpot on the stovetop. When the turkey is about halfway brown, add the onion and cook until the onion is soft. Drain any excess fat from the pan.
Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, paprika, onion powder, ground black pepper, and ground cayenne pepper. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Next, add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, kidney beans, pinto beans, and brown sugar. Simmer for about 35-45 minutes or until all the flavors have melded together and the chili has thickened. Spoon into bowls and top with your choice of toppings.
Preparation Tips
- Instead of tilting the large pot over to drain the fat, lean it until the fat drains to one side. Then, use a paper towel to absorb the excess grease. It is so much easier, and you won’t lose any meat while trying to eliminate the fat.
- Adjust the seasonings to your taste. If you love spicy food, read the section above on kicking up the heat.
- Try bell peppers, sweet potatoes, celery, or carrots if you want more veggies.
- Customize with your favorite toppings, such as pickled jalapenos, crispy bacon, sour cream, green onions, avocado, chopped cilantro, and tortilla chips.
Store and Reheat
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
To freeze, thoroughly cool the chili. Then, spoon it into an airtight container and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power. I always use reduced power so the beans do not explode.
Frequently Asked Questions
My daughter loves spicy food. She loves this chili, but in her opinion, it is mild. If you like your chili moderately spicy to the hot range, add some crushed red pepper, more cayenne pepper, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, sriracha, or sambal oelek. Just add a little as you go, and be sure to taste it so you don’t exceed your heat threshold.
To make it in a slow cooker, follow the recipe up to and including the step where you add the garlic and other spices. Once that step is complete, transfer everything over to a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the beans) and cook on low for about 5 hours, then add the beans and cook for 1 hour.
Easy Turkey Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey not turkey breast
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes do not drain
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown the ground turkey in a Dutch Oven or heavy stock pot over medium heat. When the ground turkey is about halfway browned, add the onion and continue cooking until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, kidney beans, pinto beans, and brown sugar. Simmer for 35-45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Instead of tilting the large pot over to drain the fat, lean it a little bit until the fat drains to one side. Then, use a paper towel to absorb the excess grease. It is so much easier, and you won’t lose any meat while trying to eliminate the fat.
- Adjust the seasonings to your taste. If you love spicy food, read the section above on kicking up the heat.
- Try bell peppers, sweet potatoes, celery, or carrots if you want more veggies.
- Customize with your favorite toppings, such as pickled jalapenos, crispy bacon, sour cream, green onions, avocado, chopped cilantro, and tortilla chips.
Nutrition
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Christian Foremost
Yum yum yum!! Some chili sounds good right about and I haven’t had it with turkey so this is definitely something new!
Kat
I love the fact that you can freeze this up to 4 months! but I think I’m going skip the chilis. I’m not a fan of spicy food. My palate just can’t take it. This looks so yummy! I am actually going to make a batch or 2 for the family this weekend.
Myyellowapron
My whole family loves this recipe. Its not only healthier but I think chili tastes better with with turkey meat. I substituted pinto beans for the kidney beans and it worked out well.
Colleen
I love it. A combination of dark and white meat really adds depth and richness of flavor too.
Brianna
This was great! I can’t eat beef so this was just perfect for me. Thanks for the great recipe. Next time I am going to kick it up a little with some minced jalapenos.
Tweenselmom
I never had turkey chili before, and this was so yummy! The spices were spot on, thanks for the recipe 🙂
Bryan
I prefer my chili made with beef, but turkey is a viable alternative. It helps cut down on the fat and other negative qualities associated with red meat.
Neely Moldovan
WE are big turkey chili lovers and this recipe did not disappoint. I will certainly make it again!
Heather
Turkey chili is by far my favorite comfort food dish. I make it often. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Glamor Medical
This turkey chili is always a go-to meal in our house. The husband and kids love it! We fix it year round and I use fire roasted tomatoes in it.
EAM
As a devoted ground turkey user, this chili recipe is pretty good. It’s easy, uncomplicated and covers all of the flavor bases. You could jazz it up with ancho chile powder or Tajin, a wonderful Mexican chile-lime spice mix or ground some arbols, easy to find in bags–if you like to add heat. I’ve tried this chili with every one of the toppings, varying the spice mix and the beans as well. One thing that makes this recipe good: it’s easy to tweak it to make it all your own.
Beth Pierce
Glad that you liked it. You could also heat it up with some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
Kade
Just made this to have a few easy dinners on hand I can heat up fast during the week and whoa baby, this was so, so good!! Definitely going into our regular rotation. Thank you so much!
Beth Pierce
So glad that you like it! The pleasure is all mine!
Melissa Cushing
This looks absolutely delicious! I have never made Chili with ground turkey but am pinning this as we are eating healthier and this is the perfect way to do that 😉 Delicious!
Marysa
This looks so fresh and delicious! I haven’t ever actually made chili, and this would be a great recipe to try.
Samantha
Such a lovely recipe! My husband would love this, he loves turkey chili!
MELANIE EDJOURIAN
I’ve never thought to make chilli with turkey instead of beef. It would be a great, lower calorie option.