One-Pot Turkey Chili
Looking for a cozy, one-pot meal? This flavorful turkey chili is packed with onions, garlic, bell peppers, and chilies, all simmered with seven warming spices for a deliciously hearty bowl. With lean turkey, beans, and a rich tomato base, it’s a nutritious, satisfying recipe that fills your kitchen with the best fall aromas—perfect for chilly night.
About this Award Winning Chili Recipe:
Who doesn’t love a big bowl of chili on a frosty day when the weather is terrible and its a blustery 24 degrees outside?
My version is an award winning recipe that you can add to your weekend dinner plans and not feel guilty about eating it.
I use ground turkey, not beef, tons of fresh veggies and a flavorful spice blend that takes seconds to mix together. My daughter and one of her roommates, made this while at The University of Washington and it won the best chili award. The judges were Washington rowers and coaches- so I’ll brag about pleasing that hungry crowd any day.
Serve this chili with my Southern cornbread and dinner is ready in under an hour. This is also a great recipe for a crock pot.
Ingredients in One-Pot Turkey Chili:
- ground turkey
- canned chilies
- chopped tomatoes with green chilies- I like Ro-Tel brand
- fire- roasted tomatoes
- tomato sauce
- pinto and red kidney beans
- red and green bell peppers
- onion
- garlic- fresh
- salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, cayenne or chili powder, garlic powder
- OR- Meggen’s Taco Spice blend
- toppings- avocado, lime wedge’s sour cream, cheese, fresh oregano
Equipment needed for this recipe:
- large stock pot or dutch oven
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- measuring cups and spoons
Pro-tips for success:
- Brown the turkey in olive oil and add in the seasonings to give it lots of flavor. Turkey can be very dry so it needs a bit of help to make it more robust.
- Sauté up those veggies. Just tossing the veggies in the pot without sautéing them in oil and spices does not bring out their earthy and vibrant qualities.
- It’s OKAY to add in more spices and salt to make the chili more spicy, savory or to adjust to what you like. The spices add everything to this dish- so feel free to tinker with the amounts. Always add in your “hot” spices last and in small increments.
- Low and slow is the way to allow the flavor to develop. This is a great recipe to let simmer for an hour or two or pop in the crock pot or slow-cooker once you have the meat and veggies cooked.
What to serve with One-Pot Turkey Chili
- Southern Cornbread
- Chips with Roasted Salsa Verde
- Saltine Fire Crackers
- Sweet Potato Fries or baked sweet potatoes
- Cold beer!
- Pickled red onions
- Ranch Water Seltzer
Great toppings for One-Pot turkey Chili:
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
- Sliced Avocados
- Fritos
- Corn tortillas
- Grated Cojita, Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- Diced Onions
- Pickled Jalapeños
- Pickled Red Onions
- Diced Jalapeños
How to Make this recipe:
Brown the turkey, vegetables and add in the spices to large stock pot or Dutch Oven. Here is my favorite. Do not use ground turkey breast– it has almost no flavor or fat.
Once the vegetables, turkey and spices have combined, add in the canned tomatoes. This recipe uses a combination of three types- Fire-roasted, tomatoes in chilies and tomato sauce. Do not rinse the cans- they will be filled with water later to help loosen up the chili if needed. I prefer Ro-tel canned tomatoes with chilies. for Fire-roasted- I love the robust taste of Muir Glen.
Finally, add in the beans and remaining spices– if wanted to give the chili more heat. Add in the remaining spices- just 1/4 or a 1/2 tsp at a time. Check for saltiness. I almost always add in more cumin, but that is up to your personal preference.
Use a mix of pinto and red Kidney beans. Adding in a can of chili beans in spices, like Ranch Style Beans also adds a ton of that warm chili flavor you want. I always use no- sodium or low sodium canned beans and be sure to rinse them.
If the chili is too thick, add in water from the reserve tomato cans. Cover and simmer at least a half an hour. This is also a good time to transfer to a slow cooker and let the chili cook over low heat for up to three hours.
Common Questions:
Yes, absolutely. Feel free to add in 1 lb of lean ground beef.
Certainly! It will be a different recipe, but perhaps double the amount of turkey and vegetables to make it more hearty.
You can assemble everything a day or two before serving except DO NOT add the beans- they soak up tons of liquid and make it a thick mess. Store in the fridge in a glass container. Add in the beans, then warm up on low temperature for 20 minutes stirring often to keep the chili from scorching.
Omit the turkey, add in Impossible Ground Meat substitute (optional) and one more can of beans.
The only dairy ingredient is the topping of sour cream, greek yogurt, and cheese which can be Omitted. Add the avocado as a topping- it is creamy and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 10 oz can chopped tomatoes with green chilis
- 4 oz can chopped green chilies
- 14.5 oz can chopped fire roasted tomatoes
- 15 oz can tomato sauce do not rinse- save the can
- 15 oz can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 15 oz can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chopped green pepper
- 1 cup chopped red pepper
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 2 TBSP ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder- add 1/2 tsp at a time
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper- add 1/4 tsp at a time
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 TBSP fresh oregano chopped
Toppings
- avocado slices
- lime wedges
- Full fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
- grated sharp white cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 TBSP Meggen’s Taco Seasoning blend
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all spices: garlic powder, cumin, half of the chili powder, salt, pepper, half of the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. Reserve some of the chili powder and cayenne pepper for later.
- In a large dutch oven, heat 1 TBSP of olive oil . Over high heat, brown the ground turkey. Do not use turkey breast meat- it has almost no flavor and little fat, if any.
- Add in green and red peppers and onions. Sauté until fragrant and translucent. Add in the garlic.
- Stir in the spice blend and sauté reducing heat to low. Add in oregano. Stir in on low heat until well combined.
- Pour both cans of tomatoes and tomato sauce into turkey mixture. Fill the tomato sauce can with water and reserve for later. Finally, add in the beans.
- Cover and let simmer over low heat stirring occasionally to combine and keep chili form sticking. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove cover. Check for seasonings and add more salt and chili powder if desired. If chili is too thick add in the can of reserved tomato sauce/water. If chili is fine, just save the tomato water for tomorrow to help thin out the chili if serving leftovers.
- To serve: prepare avocado slices, lime wedges, grate cheese and serve buffet style letting guests top their own bowls. Serve with my corn bread recipe which you can find here.
