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Turkey Chili

This Healthy Turkey Chili is a hearty, flavor-packed meal made with lean ground turkey, colorful vegetables, and warm spices. It’s an easy one-pot recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, and freezing for later. Customize it with your favorite beans and toppings, then serve with cornbread, crusty bread, or a simple salad for a comforting family dinner everyone will love. My kids always ask for seconds, and the leftovers taste even better the next day!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Chili:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 2 bell peppers any color, cored and diced
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced
  • 1 can kidney beans
  • 3 lbs. ground turkey I use very lean
  • 1 1/2- 2 cups water, more as needed
  • 1 can tomato sauce (15 ounce)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes in their juices (14.5 ounce)
  • 3 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • pinch red pepper flakes
Optional Toppings:
  • sliced avocado
  • thinly sliced jalapeño
  • shredded cheese
  • plain nonfat Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • cilantro, chopped
  • crushed tortilla chips

Method
 

  1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, bell peppers, carrots, celery, and jalapeños to the pot. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft.
  2. Add the turkey and cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often to break up the chunks.
  3. Once the meat is browned, add 1 1/2 cups water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes in their juices, kidney beans, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a moderate bubble. Let cook, uncovered, until the chili thickens, about 45 minutes, stirring every so often so that the chili does not stick to the bottom. If the chili becomes too thick, add a little water to reach your desired consistency.
  4. Toward the end of the cooking time, taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. Add more cayenne pepper for an extra kick and more salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot with desired toppings.