Spicy Turkey Chili with Beans
This spicy turkey chili with beans is made with lean ground turkey, beans, veggies, and spices for one hearty bowl of comfort food.
Recipe Mood: Cold Weather Comfort
Indulgence Level: Moderate
Effort Level: Easy
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Aside from a steaming bowl of pasta e fagioli with sweet sausage, there are few recipes more equipped to chase away the winter blues than a big bowl of hearty chili. And this spicy turkey chili with beans is no exception.
It’s on the thicker side (my favorite kind), and it’s loaded with lean ground turkey that’s anything but dry, a mix of red kidney and black beans, and a medley of vegetables like onions, garlic, peppers, and diced tomatoes.
The trick to moist, tender ground turkey is to season it with some of the spices, cook it in a pan just until browned, then finish cooking it in the pot with the other chili ingredients for a few more minutes.
Of course, you can’t eat chili without your favorite toppings. Whether it’s grated cheese, sour cream, avocado, lime wedges, sliced scallions, or tortilla chips, no bowl of chili is complete without a pile of something equally delicious on top.
Let’s grab a spoon and dig in!
Why You’ll Love This Spicy Turkey Chili with Beans
Hearty: If you prefer thicker chili, this is it!
Nourishing: And in a good way. Filled with lean meat, beans, and vegetables, you can enjoy this chili without the guilt (unless you want to go heavy on toppings like cheese and sour cream!).
Great leftovers: This chili makes awesome leftovers and freezes beautifully.
Key Ingredients
- Ground Turkey: Ground turkey blends into the chili, creating a nice texture.
- Black Beans: These are a classic bean for chili.
- Chipotle Pepper: This adds a rich, smoky element to this recipe (and you don’t need much).
See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make This Recipe
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Pro Tips
Brown the peppers and onions: This enhances the flavor of the chili. Cook them until they just start to give some color.
Use a Dutch oven: If possible, make this chili in a Dutch oven, which distributes heat better than standard pots.
Dice/mince veggies beforehand: You can do this a few hours before cooking the chili. Just store the prepared vegetables in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Variations & Substitutions
-Use ground chicken instead of ground turkey.
-Use chicken stock if you don’t have chicken broth.
-Replace the red kidney beans with cannellini beans.
-Add extra broth if you like more liquid in your chili.
Recipe FAQs
The possibilities are virtually endless, but here are a few: grated cheese like Monterey Jack, pepper jack, cheddar, or a Mexican cheese blend; other options are a dollop of sour cream; sliced or mashed avocado, crumbled tortilla chips or tortilla strips, sliced green scallions, minced cilantro, and lime wedges.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Reheat: If reheating the chili from frozen, defrost it in the refrigerator first. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop on low until warmed through, or reheat in the microwave.
More Comfort Food Recipes
- Cheesy mashed potato casserole
- Hearty Italian sausage and bell peppers
- Pasta e fagioli with sweet sausage
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please take a moment to leave a five-star review below. You could also tag me on Instagram (@forcarbssake) with a picture of your finished dish!
Spicy Turkey Chili with Beans
Ingredients
For the Turkey
- 1.3 pounds lean ground turkey 93% lean (Note 1)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
For the Chili
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ large yellow onion peeled and diced
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided (1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon) (Note 2)
- Ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tablespoon chipotle pepper chopped
- 1 14-ounce can unsalted petite diced tomatoes with liquid
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Sprinkle the ground turkey with the salt, chili powder, and ground cumin, mixing it into the meat without overworking it.
- Warm a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey and cook just until it turns brown (some pink is OK), stirring often, and breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Turn off the heat, and set the pan aside.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low to medium heat. Add the onion, peppers, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions and peppers soften and turn golden, stirring often, 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic cloves halfway through.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for 30 seconds. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and bay leaf, quickly stirring them into the cooked onions and peppers for several seconds. Add the chipotle pepper and stir for a few more seconds.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, and cook them down for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the broth and the other 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir in the beans and the ground turkey. Make sure NOT to pour in any water left behind from when you cooked the turkey.
- Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, partly covered, to allow the turkey to finish cooking. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Enjoy!
This ground chicken chili is delicious! A hearty, flavorful spoonful in every bite.