One Pot Turkey Chili Recipe
Turkey chili recipe simmered in one pot with lean ground turkey, kidney and black beans, and a thick chili-spiced tomato base. Ready in an hour.
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
This turkey chili recipe makes a thick, spoon-coating pot of chili with lean ground turkey, two kinds of beans, and enough chili powder to actually taste like chili. Everything happens in one pot, and it’s on the table in about an hour.
The part worth slowing down for is the spice bloom. Chili powder and cumin dumped straight into liquid taste dusty and flat. Stir them into the hot pot with the garlic for a full minute first, until they smell toasty and coat the meat, and the same amount of spice tastes twice as strong.
Then let it simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Turkey is lean, so it doesn’t render fat into the pot the way beef does, and that half hour is what pulls the flavor together and cooks the base down thick enough to mound on a spoon.
Why You’ll Love This Turkey Chili Recipe
- One pot, start to finish. Browning the turkey, blooming the spices, and the whole simmer happen in the same Dutch oven, so cleanup is a pot and a cutting board.
- Thick enough to stand a spoon in. Thirty uncovered minutes cook the tomato base down instead of leaving you with soup.
- Mild enough for kids. Three tablespoons of chili powder brings flavor without burn, and the cayenne is optional so you can dial the heat up for the adults.
- It freezes beautifully. Chili is one of the few dinners that tastes deeper on day two, and it holds for three months in the freezer.
Turkey Chili Ingredients
Buy 93% lean ground turkey, not 99%. The extra-lean kind has almost no fat to carry the spices and it goes dry and crumbly over a long simmer. 93% stays tender and you’re still leaner than most ground beef.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (93% lean)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar, for serving
- 1/2 cup sour cream, for serving
- 3 green onions, sliced, for serving
Recipe Variations
- Swap the ground turkey for ground chicken straight across. Chicken is poultry too, so cook it to the same 165°F before any liquid goes in.
- Move it to a slow cooker. Brown the turkey with the onion and pepper on the stove first and get it to 165°F, then transfer everything to the crock and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3.
- Stir in a drained 15-ounce can of corn with the beans if your family likes the little bit of sweetness against all that chili powder.
How to Make Turkey Chili
- Soften the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until they soften and the onion turns translucent.
- Brown the turkey: Add the ground turkey and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 7-8 minutes, until no pink remains and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Ground turkey is poultry, so 165°F is the number here, not the 160°F you’d use for ground beef.
- Bloom the spices: Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne if using. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the spices smell toasty and cling to the meat.
- Add the tomatoes and beans: Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken broth, then stir in the kidney beans and black beans. Scrape the bottom of the pot to lift anything stuck on.
- Simmer uncovered: Bring it to a gentle bubble, drop the heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. It’s ready when the chili thickens enough to mound on a spoon instead of running flat.
- Taste and serve: Taste and add salt if it needs it. Ladle into bowls and top with the shredded cheddar, sour cream, and sliced green onions.
Recipe FAQs
Can I Make This Turkey Chili Recipe Ahead of Time?
Yes, and it’s better that way. Chili tastes deeper on day two once the spices settle into the tomato base. Cool it, refrigerate up to 4 days, and reheat until it’s steaming at 165°F.
Why Is My Turkey Chili Bland?
Almost always one of two things. Either the spices went in with the liquid instead of into the hot pot, or it didn’t simmer long enough. Bloom the chili powder for a full minute, and give it the whole 30 minutes uncovered.
Is Turkey Chili Really Healthier Than Beef Chili?
Somewhat. 93% lean ground turkey runs close to 93% lean ground beef on fat, and 99% lean turkey cuts it further. The bigger nutrition story is the beans and vegetables, which is where the fiber comes from.
Can I Use Dried Beans Instead of Canned?
You can. Soak 3/4 cup each of dried kidney and black beans overnight, simmer them separately until tender, then stir them in at the same point. Don’t cook dried beans in the chili itself, because the acid in the tomatoes keeps the skins firm and they stay chalky.
How Do I Thicken Turkey Chili?
Keep simmering uncovered, since that’s what reduces it. If you’re short on time, mash about half a cup of the beans against the side of the pot and stir them back in. That thickens it in roughly two minutes.
Cooking Tips
- Break the turkey into bigger chunks than feels right. Ground turkey turns pasty when you mash it into fine crumbs, and larger pieces give the chili something to chew on.
- Use a heavy pot with a thick bottom. Thin pans scorch a tomato base during an uncovered simmer, and burnt tomato is a flavor you can’t stir back out.
- Smell your chili powder before you measure it. Ground spices fade after about a year in the cupboard, and a tired jar is the most common reason a pot of chili tastes flat no matter how long it cooks.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It thickens as it sits, so add a splash of broth when you reheat it.
To freeze: Freeze in portioned containers for up to 3 months. Leave an inch of headspace since it expands, and thaw overnight in the fridge.
To reheat: Warm on the stove over medium-low for 8-10 minutes, or microwave in 1-minute bursts and stir between each, until it’s steaming hot at 165°F.
How to Serve Turkey Chili
Turkey Chili wants something to scoop with, so cornbread, tortilla chips, or a split baked potato underneath all do the job. A crunchy lime slaw on the side cuts through it if you’re piling on cheese and sour cream. Leftovers also make a good topping for baked sweet potatoes the next night.
Loved This Recipe?
Turkey Chili asks for one pot and half an hour of quiet simmering, and it feeds a family twice.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
One Pot Turkey Chili
Equipment
- Instant-Read Thermometer 160-165°F, checked in two spots rather than one.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey 93% lean
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar for serving
- 1/2 cup sour cream for serving
- 3 green onions sliced, for serving
Instructions
- Soften the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until they soften and the onion turns translucent.
- Brown the turkey: Add the ground turkey and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 7-8 minutes, until no pink remains and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Ground turkey is poultry, so 165°F is the number here, not the 160°F you’d use for ground beef.
- Bloom the spices: Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne if using. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the spices smell toasty and cling to the meat.
- Add the tomatoes and beans: Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken broth, then stir in the kidney beans and black beans. Scrape the bottom of the pot to lift anything stuck on.
- Simmer uncovered: Bring it to a gentle bubble, drop the heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. It’s ready when the chili thickens enough to mound on a spoon instead of running flat.
- Taste and serve: Taste and add salt if it needs it. Ladle into bowls and top with the shredded cheddar, sour cream, and sliced green onions.
Notes
If you made this, leave a star rating down in the comments. It takes about ten seconds, and it’s how other cooks decide whether a recipe is worth trying.
