If you cook for a family, you know how rare a universally loved recipe can be. No matter what you make, someone usually refuses to eat it. For our household, however, this turkey chili — my mom’s best recipe — is the exception. It has become a family favorite and a tradition. We serve it for Sunday dinner, birthdays, and other special occasions. When my daughters moved out, they called home asking for the recipe, and even my new son-in-law learned to make it.
Mom’s Best Turkey Chili
This turkey chili is warm, spicy and deeply satisfying. It’s high in protein, low in fat, and loaded with vegetables. The recipe below makes a double batch — about 12 servings — so I usually freeze half for busy days. As a working mom, having ready meals in the freezer is a lifesaver.
I like to serve the chili with shredded cheese, diced avocado and sliced green onion, with tortilla chips on the side. The recipe works with or without beans; if you choose to add them, kidney or pinto beans are best.
Mom’s Best Turkey Chili
The method is simple. Start by sautéing ground turkey in a little olive oil with garlic, salt, oregano and chili powders. Browning the turkey and cooking the spices briefly helps develop their flavor. I like a blend of mild chili powder and some chipotle chili powder for smokiness.
When the turkey is nearly cooked, add the diced onion and bell pepper and sauté until they begin to soften. Because tomatoes are acidic, adding them too early can prevent the onions and peppers from becoming tender; sautéing them first avoids crunchy, raw-tasting vegetables in the finished chili.
Once the meat is browned and the vegetables are softened, puree canned tomatoes with their juice and add them to the pot. Simmer the chili, uncovered, for about an hour. Taste and adjust seasonings as it cooks. Note that chipotle powder can intensify with long cooking, so start conservatively. If the chili becomes too thick, add water to reach the desired consistency.
Mom’s Best Turkey Chili
This turkey chili is one of our family’s go-to comfort foods. I hope your family enjoys it as much as ours does. Try it and leave a review to share how it turned out!
Mom’s Best Turkey Chili
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 packages 1.25 pounds each 85% lean ground turkey
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons mild chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons chipotle chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons oregano preferably Mexican
- 2-3 teaspoons salt
- 2 medium onions diced fine
- 4 bell peppers diced fine
- 2 28- oz. or 4 14-oz. cans tomatoes diced or whole
- 2 cans kidney or pinto beans optional, drained and rinsed, or 3 cups cooked beans
Instructions
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Chop the onions and bell peppers and set aside.
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Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high. Add the turkey, garlic, salt, chili powder and oregano. Brown the meat, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks.
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When the turkey is almost cooked, add the bell pepper and onion. Continue cooking and stirring until the vegetables are translucent and beginning to soften.
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Puree the tomatoes with their juice in a blender until smooth. Add the pureed tomatoes to the pot and simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for one hour. Taste about halfway through and adjust seasonings. Remember that chipotle powder can grow spicier with long cooking. Add water if the chili becomes too thick.
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If using beans, add the drained, rinsed beans near the end and simmer until heated through.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 12g
Protein: 15g
Fat: 11g
Disclosures: The author was not compensated for this post. The post may contain affiliate links; purchases through those links may provide a commission that helps cover site costs.
Photos by Marsha Maxwell and Yulia1971/Shutterstock.com
