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The Best Turkey Chili
5 from 21 votes

The Best Turkey Chili

The Best Turkey Chili is a slow-cooked dish featuring ground turkey, a mix of vegetables like celery, carrots, onion, and peppers, seasoned with chili powder, cumin, and cayenne for warming spice. Beans, tomatoes, corn, and lime juice add layers of texture and brightness. The chili offers a mildly spicy, hearty texture with savory depth, perfect for a filling meal.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
8 hrs
Total Time
8 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 14 servings
Course: Main Course, Dinner
Cuisine: American, International

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground turkey lean
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup celery finely chopped
  • 2 carrot diced
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper seeds and ribs removed, diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper seeds and ribs removed, minced
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons light brown sugar optional but recommend
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cumin ground
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 4 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 ounce can crushed tomatoes if using diced tomatoes, don't drain, or diced tomatoes in tomato juice
  • 3 ounce cans Kidney Beans rinsed and drained
  • 3 ounce cans pinto beans
  • 3 ounce cans black beans
  • 1 and 1/4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup corn frozen
  • 1/4 cup lime juice fresh

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the ground turkey and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink, breaking the meat up into large chunks as it cooks.
  2. Add in the olive oil, celery, carrot, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño pepper; cook for another 5 minutes, or until softened.
  3. Add in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring the tomato paste into the meat mixture.
  4. Transfer mixture into a 5-qt (or larger) slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, vegetable broth, and corn mixing well to combine.
  5. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Stir in the lime juice right before serving! Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, and cheese, if desired. Serve warm, with extra lime wedges.
To Make in a Dutch-Oven (Stovetop)
  1. Cook as directed above, up to step 4. Instead of transferring to a slow cooker, keep the dutch-oven or soup pot on the stove.
  2. Add the tomatoes, beans, and broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce to a simmer and cook for an hour, stirring occasionally.
  3. Stir in the corn and lime juice, and simmer for another 20 minutes. If the chili appears to be getting too thick, add a little more broth or water as needed.