Easy Turkey Chili
- PREP 15min
- COOK 40min
- TOTAL 55min
This easy turkey chili recipe is a win-win. It can be made in less than an hour and tastes fantastic. We prefer ground turkey with a little fat (7-10%). Very lean turkey is fine but will not be as juicy and tender in the chili. This turns out really tasty right away, but gets even better over the next few days. I love it with homemade cornbread.
You Will Need
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, finely chopped (15 to 20)
1 pound ground turkey, 7% to 10% fat
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tablespoons ancho chili powder or homemade chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
¾ cup water or chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper, optional for heat
Directions
1Cook onions and mushrooms: Heat the oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and some edges are browned, about 7 minutes.
2Brown the turkey: Add the ground turkey and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat into crumbles until most of it has browned, about 10 minutes.
3Prepare the tomatoes: While the turkey browns, open the can of tomatoes, pour them into a bowl, and use kitchen shears or your hand to break them apart into smaller pieces (the size is up to you, we like leaving some chunky bits). Set aside.
4Add garlic and spices: Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Cook until the garlic and spices begin to toast and smell fragrant, about 2 minutes.
5Simmer: Add the tomatoes with all the juice, water (or broth), and the rinsed beans to the pot. Stir, then bring to a simmer. Taste the chili, then add salt, pepper, and chili powder to your taste. Add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper if you enjoy spicy chili. Reduce to a low simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced and the chili has thickened, about 20 minutes. Taste again, then adjust with more salt if needed.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: This chili is perfect for making in advance. Store the chili in airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and for up to 6 months in the freezer.
- Ancho chili powder: This is dried, ground ancho peppers, while generic “chili powder” is usually a blend of ground chilies and other spices. Ancho chili powder is on the milder, sweet side. It’s incredibly rich in flavor and works beautifully in this chili. For this recipe, we used ancho chili powder from McCormick. Feel free to substitute other chili powders in this recipe. If you switch things up, add the chili powder slowly and taste how spicy it makes the chili. Amounts might vary. I also love this homemade chili powder, which uses ground ancho chiles as a base.
- Spicy turkey chili: Add hot sauce, ¼ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or 1 to 2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo puree.
- Optional toppings: Avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sliced green onion
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.