Easy Turkey Chili (thick and hearty)

I make my easy turkey chili recipe with lots of lean ground turkey meat and minced veggies, so it’s thick and hearty. I skip the broth and use hand-crushed whole tomatoes, which gives the chili plenty of flavor and texture.

My easy turkey chili is thick enough to sit up on the spoon, and it gets there without any broth, stock, or water. One can of whole tomatoes is the only liquid in the pot. I crush them by hand as they go, so some stay in ragged pieces, and the rest cooks down into the sauce around the meat.

The flavor comes from the vegetables. An onion, two red bell peppers, and two stalks of celery, all minced, go into the pot before the turkey and cook until the onion starts to brown at the edges. That’s a lot of vegetables for a pound and a half of meat, and minced that small, they disappear into the chili rather than turning up as chunks in the bowl. The celery earns its place more than it looks like it should.

Turkey and one can of kidney beans, nothing watering it down. And like most chili recipes, it gets even better on day two.

What to serve with turkey chili

A bowl of chili this thick wants something to scoop with, and cornbread is what I make most often. My cheesy chili zucchini cornbread muffins go in the oven while the chili simmers, so both are ready at the same time.

After that, I keep it simple. Something green with a sharp dressing does more next to chili than anything rich does, so pick whatever salad you’re in the mood for. A scoop of rice or a split baked potato under the chili stretches one pot further if you’re feeding more people than the four it serves.

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4.98 stars (37 ratings)

Easy Turkey Chili (thick and hearty)

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 45 minutes mins

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A thick, meat-forward turkey chili built on a minced vegetable base and one can of hand-crushed whole tomatoes. Twenty minutes of simmering on the stovetop, and it tastes better the next day.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium onion (minced)
• ▢ 2 red bell peppers (minced)
• ▢ 2 stalks celery (diced)
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
• ▢ 1 ½ lb lean ground turkey
• ▢ ¼ cup mild chili powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper (more to taste)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon chili flakes (optional if you want more spice)
• ▢ 28 ounce can whole tomatoes (see notes)
• ▢ 15 ounce can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Instructions 

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add the onion, and cook for 6-7 minutes, until it starts to brown.
  2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion
• While the onion cooks, mince the peppers, celery, and garlic. Add them to the pot and cook for 5 minutes.
  2 red bell peppers, 2 stalks celery, 4 cloves garlic
• Push the vegetables to the side of the pot, add the ground turkey, and cook for about 10 minutes, until it is no longer pink, crumbling it as it cooks. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and (if using) the chili flakes.
  1 ½ lb lean ground turkey, ¼ cup mild chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon chili flakes, 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
• Add the tomatoes to the pot, crushing them by hand before adding them, then bring the pot to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
  28 ounce can whole tomatoes
• Stir in the beans and let them warm through. Add the brown sugar, then season to taste with extra salt and pepper.
  15 ounce can kidney beans, 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Notes

Whole tomatoes: I love the rough edges of hand-crushed tomatoes. They are less uniform than diced tomatoes, which I think creates a better texture. If you don’t want to squeeze juicy canned tomatoes, go ahead and use diced. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 457kcal (23%), Carbohydrates: 41g (14%), Protein: 51g (102%), Fat: 14g (22%), Saturated Fat: 2g (13%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 94mg (31%), Sodium: 1489mg (65%), Potassium: 1695mg (48%), Fiber: 15g (63%), Sugar: 13g (14%), Vitamin A: 6634IU (133%), Vitamin C: 99mg (120%), Calcium: 189mg (19%), Iron: 8mg (44%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

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