Ground Turkey Chili
A little sweet and a little spicy, this one pot Ground Turkey Chili recipe is a healthier alternative to classic beef chili, but just as hearty and comforting on a chilly day. Shhh…it has a secret ingredient!
Why make Ground Turkey Chili?
This recipe was inspired by my husband’s family’s classic beef chili recipe that his mom made for him growing up. During the chilly Minnesota Fall and Winter months, I found us craving a hot bowl of it at least once a week, so I decided to re-work it using ground turkey in place of the ground beef for a more heart healthy and lower calorie meal.
My ground turkey version has all of the same bold flavors and “stick to your ribs” heartiness of the original recipe, but with less fat and fewer calories. So we can feel good about having it once a week!
Can you make this recipe ahead of time?
You bet! This recipe is easy and comes together in just a few minutes, but it also great for making ahead of time on busy weeknights. Sometimes I make up a big batch of it on the weekend and put the whole pot in the fridge. Then we just simply re-heat it right in the pot on a busy weeknight of activities.
It also freezes really well so feel free to make a double or triple batch to have on hand for a later date. Freeze in individual servings in ziplock baggies. Check out my favorite technique for freezing chili here.
Looking for more meal ideas that you can make ahead of time and re-heat later? Check out my Easy Sloppy Joe’s or Taco Pasta.
What do you need for this recipe?
A large pot, a hot burner and the list of ingredients below is all you need to whip up a batch of hot and delicious Ground Turkey Chili for dinner tonight.
- ground turkey
- chili beans (I strongly prefer Bush’s brand of either the chili style or the kidney beans )
- worcestershire sauce
- tomato juice
- tomato paste
- brown sugar
- chili powder
- flour
How do you make Ground Turkey Chili?
In a large pot over med-high, brown the ground turkey with a wooden spoon on meat masher like this one. Cook until no longer pink and cooked though. Drain.
Since ground turkey doesn’t have much flavor on its own, we need to season it up a bit with some worcestershire sauce. If you happen to have some left over beef or chicken broth on hand, you can toss in a tablespoon or two of one those as well, but definitely do not open an entire can of broth for just a tablespoon. The worcestershire if fine. Mix 1T of it in with the cooked turkey.
Open the can beans and add to pot along with the tomato paste and chili power. I use mild chili beans when making this dish for kids, but if you’d like some extra spice, you can use the medium or hot varieties.
Now, for the secret ingredient….tomato juice! Its richer than broth, but thinner than tomato sauce, and it just adds the perfect amount of sweet tomato flavor and texture to the recipe. Add it to the meat mixture and give everything a good stir.
Stir in brown sugar and simmer over medium heat for 10 mins stirring occasionally.
Add in flour and give it a good stir. Simmer on med-low for another 10mins.
Serve with any toppings you’d like!
What can you serve with Ground Turkey Chili?
Toppings:
- shredded cheese
- sour cream or greek yogurt
- chopped onions
- black olives
- chopped tomatoes
- cilantro
- avocado
- hot sauce
Sides:
- chips like these or these
- saltine crackers
- veggies and ranch dip
- pretzels and pretzel dip
- fruit
- side salad
- baked potato
- steamed veggies
Ground Turkey Chili
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 can chili beans
- 1 T Worcestershire
- 3 T tomato paste
- 2 c tomato juice
- 1/4 c brown sugar
- 2 T chili powder
- 2 t flour
Instructions
- In a large pot over med-high, brown the ground turkey with a wooden spoon on meat masher like this one. Cook until no longer pink and cooked though. Drain.
- Add 1T worcestershire sauce and mix it in with the cooked turkey.
- Open the can of beans and add to pot along with the tomato paste and chili power. I use mild chili beans when making this dish for kids, but if you'd like some extra spice, you can use the medium or hot varieties.
- Now, for the secret ingredient….tomato juice! Add it to the meat mixture and give everything a good stir.
- Stir in brown sugar and simmer over medium heat for 10 mins stirring occasionally.
- Add in flour and give it a good stir. Simmer on med-low for another 10mins.
- Scoop into individual cups and serve with any toppings you'd like!
My family loved this chili! It was super easy and quick to make. I loved that it didn’t have a ton of ingredients and they were all things I already had in my pantry. And the best part was my kids ate it without complaint! I can’t wait to try more recipes!