Description
Finally, a turkey chili recipe for chili lovers! This Damn Good Turkey Chili is packed with tender ground turkey, beans, and veggies, all brought to life with smoky spices and a secret ingredient (beer!) for an incredible punch of flavor.
Thick, hearty, and perfectly seasoned—it’s everything chili should be. Just load it up with your favorite toppings for the ultimate cozy weeknight dinner! An easy one-pot recipe, ready in 45 minutes or less.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 2 pounds 93% lean ground turkey
- 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3-4 chipotle peppers (from a can packed in adobo sauce), finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons chili powder (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 12 ounces beer of choice (see Recipe Notes)
- one 16-ounce can tomato sauce
- two 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chilies (such as Rotel)
- three 15-ounce cans beans of choice (black, pinto, kidney, etc.), drained and rinsed
- optional: up to 1 cup chicken stock/broth (may sub water)
- 1 lime, juiced
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Soften the vegetables: Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, add in the onions and peppers. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Brown the turkey: Push the softened aromatics to the outer edges and add the ground turkey to the pot. Season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cook 2 minutes per side, until slightly browned. Once the turkey is nearly cooked through, use a wooden spoon or a meat chopper to break it into fine crumbles and mix with the onions and peppers.
- Cook the aromatics: Add the garlic, chipotle peppers, and all of the seasonings (chili powder – cinnamon) to the pot, stirring to coat the turkey mixture well. Cook 2-3 minutes longer, until fragrant.
- Deglaze the pot by gradually pouring in the beer, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits of fond from the bottom. Once all the beer is added, stir to combine well. Simmer 3-4 minutes, until the beer is reduced by half.
- Build the chili and simmer: Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with chilis (and their juices), and beans to the pot. If desired, loosen the chili up with a little chicken stock/broth or water—I typically use a little to rinse out the tomato cans, then pour directly into the chili. Stir to combine well. Simmer, partially covered, for 10-15 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Stir the lime juice into the chili, then adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings, such as: shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream, smashed avocado or guacamole, thinly sliced jalapeño, crushed tortilla chips, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Chili powder: For best results, use American-style chili powder, a seasoning blend of ground dried chiles and spices. If using pure chili powder (like ancho or chipotle), start with ⅓ the amount indicated and adjust to taste—it’s much spicier!
- Beer: For best results, choose a full-flavored ale (e.g. brown ale, dark ale, hop-forward IPA, etc.)—we really want its robust flavor to come through in the turkey chili.
- Beans: For variety in flavor and texture, I like using a “chili beans” trio (a combination of black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans). Feel free to use whatever you love.
- A note on spiciness: As written, this chili recipe isn’t especially spicy but it has nice lingering heat. If you’d like to add more spice, toss in a few extra chipotle peppers or a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper. If you’d like less heat, swap the chipotles for a few spoonfuls of adobo (the sauce in the can with the peppers).
- Easy substitutions for dietary restrictions: To ensure a gluten-free result, be sure to use your favorite gluten-free beer. To ensure a dairy-free result, be sure to serve your chili with your favorite dairy-free toppings (cheese, sour cream/yogurt, etc.).
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this turkey chili comes from prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance and you can jump straight in to cooking during the week: dice 1 yellow onion and 2 medium bell peppers, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing:
- Storage and Reheating: This turkey chili is incredibly meal prep/make-ahead friendly—its flavors get even better the longer it sits. To store, transfer cooled turkey chili to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezer Instructions: Turkey chili is also incredibly freezer-friendly. Transfer the cooled chili to a freezer container (or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or, for a quicker thaw, submerge the freezer container in room temperature water. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, thinning it out with a splash of water or chicken stock as needed.