This Turkey Chili Recipe has been on the regular rotation for years. It is hearty – loaded with ground turkey, beans, and veggies in a flavorful tomato base. It’s an easy weeknight meal that comes together in one pot – after the turkey and onions are sauteed, the rest is just dumped and simmered. Get those tortilla chips ready for dipping into the best turkey chili!
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The Best Turkey Chili Recipe
My friend Gina from nursing school (did you know I used to be a registered nurse?), shared this award-winning slow cooker chili recipe with me that she learned from her mother. She made it for a chili cook-off fundraiser at the university, and I couldn’t stop refilling my bowl. It’s delicious! When she told me how easy it was, I could hardly believe it but it’s become a staple on our menu. I’ll share all of my best tips to really amp up the flavor of your chili!
This turkey chili recipe is loaded with great ingredients–like lean ground turkey, veggies, and high-fiber beans that make it a little lighter than traditional chili but just as satisfying. It also reheats well, so it’s great for meal prep (see my storage tips below).
Turkey Chili Recipe Video
After you watch the video, two things will happen: you’ll realize how easy it really is, and you’ll crave it until you make it. Dinner = solved!
We love filling, warming, one-pot meals, like our Beef Stew, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and Slow Cooker Chili. This turkey chili recipe will quickly become one of your family’s favorites since it’s so easy and is packed with nutritious ingredients without sacrificing that crave-able chili flavor.
Helpful Reader Reviews
“Probably the most flavorful turkey chili I’ve had/made. I’ll definitely make it again. And it will probably replace my beef chili!” – Josie ★★★★★
“Two thumbs up from my entire family! Including two teenagers. This was great!” – Lori ★★★★★
Ingredients for the Best Turkey Chili
One of the things that makes this recipe so simple is it uses a ton of canned pantry staples, but you can substitute with homecooked beans and veggies if you prefer. I usually always stock the cans so I can make chili anytime the craving starts and I don’t mind it now that more companies offer BPA-free cans
- Ground Turkey – Since ground turkey is naturally pretty lean, there usually isn’t a need to drain it after browning. Any ground turkey will work here.
- Onion – dice a medium red or yellow onion. Gina recommended red onion for chili because it sweetens as it cooks.
- Chili Spices – here’s where you can really amp up the flavor with chili powder, cumin powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. This recipe is pretty mild but if you prefer spicy, add 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper.
- Tomato Base – I combine a 28 oz jar of canned diced tomatoes with their juice (seasoned or plain), and a 15 oz can of tomato sauce. You can substitute the tomato sauce with crushed tomatoes if that is what you have on hand.
- Beans – I like a mix of 3 beans-black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans, but you can substitute with what you have on hand. I often swap in some white beans or use a canned blend of beans. It’s best to rinse and drain beans to remove excess salt and any tinny flavor.
- Green chilis (or) Jalapenos – for more flavor, add a small 2oz can of diced jalapenos or green chilis. I use mild, but you can use hot if you like more heat.
- Corn – you can use 1 can of sweet corn, frozen corn, or fresh corn from 2 ears of corn. I’ve always loved the sweet bite that corn adds to chili, but you can omit it if you’d prefer.
How to Make Turkey Chili
Stovetop chili is the quickest and easiest way to make chili. It all comes together in one pot and the cooking time is minimal.
- Add oil to a pot or Dutch oven and brown ground turkey.
- Add diced onion and spices and sautee until onions are softened.
- Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Toppings for Turkey Chili
Every good chili needs a “chili bar” to go along with it so everyone can customize it just the way they like it. Set the toppings out in separate bowls so people can pile on their favorites. We love turkey chili with tortilla chips, but it’s amazing over Baked Potatoes (or Air Fryer Baked Potatoes) with a side of cornbread or Homemade Biscuits.
- Shredded cheese (Mexican, cheddar, Colby Jack, etc)
- Sour Cream
- Sliced Avocados or Spicy Guacamole
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Chopped green onion
- Sliced jalapeños (fresh or canned)
- Hot Sauce – a splash of Tobasco or Cholula
- Sliced olives
Can I Make Turkey Chili in a Slow Cooker?
I love crockpot chili recipes; set ’em and forget ’em. I make this slow cooker turkey chili in the morning and it’s ready for my children to enjoy when they get home from school.
- Start steps 1 and 2 on the stovetop (or use a slow cooker with a sautee function)
- Transfer ground turkey mixture to crockpot, add remaining ingredients and 1/2 cup of broth or water and stir to combine.
- Set on low for 3 to 4 hours until piping hot. Season to taste and serve.
Storing and Reheating
Once leftovers are cooled, transfer portions to an airtight container or a freezer-safe ziptop bag.
- To Refrigerate: store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
- Freezing: store in the freezer for 3 months.
- To Reheat: You can reheat from frozen, but start with lower heat as it thaws. Heat in the microwave or on the stove until hot. Thin with Chicken stock or water if needed.
This satisfying Turkey Chili Recipe will quickly become a favorite for your family since it is so easy to make and cooks in just 30 minutes on the stovetop.
Turkey Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 medium red onion, diced, or yellow onion
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp fine sea salt , or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes, seasoned or plain, with their juice
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz pinto beans with their juice, or white beans with their juice
- 2 oz jar of diced jalapeños or mild green chilis, or to taste
- 15 oz canned corn, drained, or use frozen or fresh corn kernels
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or water, or as needed, to thin the chili
Instructions
- In a 5 Qt pot or Dutch oven over medium/high heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and sautee ground turkey until cooked through (5 min).
- Add diced onion, chili powder, cumin powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Sautee 5 minutes or until onions are softened.
- Add canned diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, beans, diced jalapeños or chilis, and corn.
- Stir to combine and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water or chicken stock towards the end if you prefer a thinner chili. Keep in mind it thickens slightly as it cools. Season to taste towards the end of cooking (I like to add an extra 1/2 tsp salt).
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Comforting Stew & Chili Recipes
- Easy Stovetop Beef Chili
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Lamb Stew
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Potato Soup
- Split Pea Soup
- Borscht Recipe
I am thiking about using tomato juice instead of tomato sause? What would you suggest?
I prefer tomato sauce because it has richer flavor and if you use tomato juice, your chili will be much more watery.
Made this last night….it was so easy and fast. 🙂 I left out the pinto beans since we do not like a lot of beans in our chili, and I added some more cumin and chili powder. My picky husband loved it!! Thank you!
That’s so great! Thank you for the nice review Sharon and you are very welcome 😁.
Could this be cooked on high in the crock pot to reduce cook time? I’m inpatient :p
Hi Marisa, yes that would work fine! 🙂 2 hours on high heat should do it!
Hey Natasha! Is there any way this could be made on the stovetop without changing the recipe? Made this recipe multiple times in a crock pot and it’s bomb.com! Now wondering if I could make it on the stovetop since someone “borrowed” my crockpot for quite some time now and this 39 week belly be craving this amazing chili 🎉😂😭
Hi Angie, yes absolutely! You can actually make it a one-pot chili by cooking the meat in a pot then adding everything else to the pot, setting over medium/low heat and letting it cook until boiling hot, stirring occasionally. You can probably heat it over a higher heat but stir frequently so it doesn’t scorch to the bottom. Once it’s at a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes. You don’t have to cook it long since all of the ingredients are “cooked” 🙂 but I would simmer at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. And you just gave me a really really great idea for a stove-top chili! Ha! thanks Angie 🙂
Can I substitute beef instead of turkey?
Yes, definitely! Ground pork would work well also.
This recipe was absolutely amazing… People here think I need to open a restaurant because of this, but it was all you!! Thank you for making me a great cook!! 😄😄😄
Geena, thank you so much for a great review and you are welcome 😀.
I have never made chili before so this was an experiment altogether for me!
I followed the recipe for the most part, I made sure all my ingredients were clean (the tomato sauce there is no way around but i did get the organic so it was as clean as possible) and I added 2 tablespoons of minced garlic to the spices when adding to the cooked turkey. The flavor was good, it just did not have enough spice for us, so we added a bit more of the cumin and chili powder 3 hours in and let it cook another 30 minutes on high (the first 3 hours were on low but I was hungry and impatient) and it was perfect! Thank you for such a quick and easy recipe that has great flavor!
Melissa, thank you for such a great review and nice job improvising 😀 .
What size crockpot does this recipe call for? I have a 6qt pot. Will this recipe fit or do I need to double it?
Christine, ours is about 6qt so it should fit 🙂 .
Just 2 thoughts to make a wonderful recipe even more amazing: instead of adding spices to meat after cooking, consider “toasting” the spices in the hot oil before adding the meat. Just for a minute–until you smell them; it only take a few moments. Your kitchen will automatically be aromatic heaven. Secondly: not very healthy perhaps, but I added chorizo to the ground turkey to amplify the flavor. Thanks for a lovely recipe.
I love your suggestions! Thank you for sharing :). That additional chorizo sounds amazing!
Hello Natasha and k.mf: I actually just did this last night when making a butternut squash soup! It called for curry powder but I didn’t have any so I googled the ingredients and made my own. Then just as the onions and garlic were softening, I added 2 tsp and let it cook for 1 minute. Then I added the roasted squash, peppers etc. This method truly enhances the flavour! Also, my kitchen still smells amazing today! Cheers,
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!!
Made this for dinner last night. Had to replace red beans for the pinto beans because I didn’t have any, and the chili turned out great. I heated up some tortilla chips for the top and everyone (including my 3 year old) ate it all up. Another great recipe!
Thank you Lisa-Marie, reading your comment is making me hungry for some chili :D.
Love this!! Super easy to make plus I froze the left overs to take for work lunches. Is there a calorie count listed somewhere I may be skipping over?
Hi Lyndsey! I’m so glad you like the chili. I don’t usually put up calorie counts, but when I need to research something, my best source: Caloriecount.com – sign in for free and then go to “tools” and then click “recipe analyzer” You can copy and paste your list of ingredients and it spits out the nutrition info. It’s a great tool.
This looks absolutely delicious! Really want to make – few questions.
1. You put makes 8-10 servings- how much is a serving though?
2. Do you have the calorie count for this?
Thank you
Hi Heather, I didn’t measure it exactly, but each serving is about 1 cup. I don’t usually put up calorie counts, but when I need to research something, my best source: Caloriecount.com – sign in for free and then go to “tools” and then click “recipe analyzer” You can copy and paste your list of ingredients and it spits out the nutrition info. It’s a great tool.
Thank you for great recipe, Natasha! I tried this once and now planning to do it again but want to cook my own beans: should the beans be slightly undercooked since I intend to cook them for an additional 3+ hours in crock pot? What is the ideal time for cooking the beans?
My beans were fully cooked for this. They won’t turn mushy or fall apart in the crock pot, don’t worry :). I’d recommend fully cooking them.
Made this today and it was delicious. I held the jalapeños and increased the amount of chili powder to about 3tbsp. I also held the corn water and the consistency was perfect, not runny at all. I was wasn’t sure my husband was going to like it but he inhaled 3 bowls!! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear you loved it! Thank you so much for sharing your modifications and your awesome review! 🙂
Great recipe:) definitely will try making it soon! Thank you for sharing about canned foods not being BPA free.
You are welcome Sveta :). Let me know how it turns out.
Hi Natasha. I’ve noticed you said you cooked your own beans, can you give some specifics on how to do that? I want to do that myself because canned food is not as good as fresh obviously, but I’ve never done that before. And you also mentioned you’ll freeze them as well? Does that work well?
Thanks 😉
Olga.
Freezing them works wonderfully – that’s why I make big batches when I cook beans. Freeze in ziploc bags with their cooking juices and then thaw and drain (and rinse if needed) as you would with canned beans. Here is the method that I used to cook the beans. It takes some time but it’s easy to do: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-beans-on-the-stove-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-182717
Hi Natasha!
If I’m cooking the beans and not using canned, do I have to undercook them since they will be in a crockpot?
Mine were fully cooked when I made them at home. The slow cooker process will not make the mushy so go ahead and cook them fully.
A big hit with the family, loved it!!
That’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
Just shared this recipe with my sister. Her 3 older boys love chille and she never made it at home. So will see what she reports back!
Let me know! I hope they love it! 🙂
She just reported back lol. They loved it! It was a little spicy for her, but her boys were in heaven. Lol (she used beef instead of turkey and said it was awesome!)
This was my first time making this recipe. It was delicious, but very watery. The consistency never thickened the way I imagine Chili to be……
I think next time I will try modifying the following:
– use a mix of dark & light turkey meat, instead of just lean.
– drain the liquid in the beans & corn
– replace the Pinto Beans with Dark Red Kidney Beans for a darker, richer color.
– use an additional can of fire-smoked diced tomatoes instead of 2-cans of tomato sauce.
I love your ideas! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂