This rich and hearty Turkey Chilli is made with lean turkey mince and is an easy and comforting meal with minimal effort, but full of flavour. It is very quick to prepare and you can throw everything into the pan and let it cook away. It is all done in one pot, meaning less washing up and it's a good way to use up what you have in the fridge too. You can even cook it in the slow cooker.
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This thick and rich chilli is made using turkey mince as it is lower in fat than most meats and still has all that comforting flavour of a chilli. A delicious smokey and spicy (can be made mild) tomato sauce that is packed with beans and vegetables and served up in a big bowl.
Top with crunchy tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream and you have yourself a hug in a bowl.
If you are looking for some other chilli recipes, then why not try our quick stovetop Chilli Con Carne, easy Slow Cooker Chilli or our Vegan Bean Chilli?
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Why You Will Love It
- Lean protein - Turkey mince is a great alternative to beef mince. You still have lots of flavour, but it's lower in fat.
- One pot meal - This is all done in one pan, so less washing up.
- Easy to pack with vegetables - Grate all the vegetables up, so they are hidden.
- Freezes well - Make a big batch, as this freezes really well. Perfect for quick and easy meals in the week.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Turkey mince - We used 2% fat turkey breast mince to keep it really lean. However, you could use 7% fat turkey mince, which would add more flavour.
- Onion - We used a small brown onion, however you could use shallots which have a sweeter flavour.
- Red pepper - Any coloured bell peppers work for this, but we like the sweetness of the red pepper.
- Carrot - Make sure that you chop the carrot up small, so that it cooks at the sane rate as everything else.
- Sweet potato - This makes the chilli really filling. You could swap it for butternut squash if you prefer.
- Garlic - Freshly crushed is best, however you could save some time by using frozen of crushed in a jar. Make sure the garlic is very finely crushed, almost like a paste. This will ensure even distribution of the garlic in the chilli.
- Chopped tomatoes - Use the best quality tinned tomatoes you can, as the cheaper ones tend to be more watery. You want a nice thick sauce.
- Kidney beans - Any easy way to give a protein boost to a chilli. You could use less meat and more beans if you prefer.
- Sweetcorn - Gives a veggie boost to the chilli. You could add peas too if you want.
- Tomato puree - This helps to thicken up the sauce and add more of a tomato flavour.
- Chipotle en adobo - This gives a lovely smoky and spicy flavour.
Variations
This is a great recipe to make when you have a few different vegetables in your fridge that need using up. Just chop them all up and add them in. Mushrooms and courgettes (zucchinis) work well, as does aubergine (eggplant) and celery.
We also sometimes add some spinach or kale in at the end for a green veggie boost. You could swap the sweet potato for chunks of butternut squash instead.
How to Make Turkey Chilli
One: Prepare all the vegetables by cutting them into 2cm/1 inch cubes
Two: Heat the oil in a large pan and add the vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes.
Three: Add the turkey mince, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook until all the mince has browned.
Four: Add the garlic, all the spices and salt and pepper. Mix well.
Five: Add the chopped tomatoes, sweetcorn, kidney beans, tomato puree and chipotle paste. Stir until all mixed.
Six: Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
Seven: Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, grated cheese and sliced jalapenos (all optional).
Serving Suggestions
Chilli and rice is the obvious combination, but this chilli is great with so many other things. Try it on top of a baked potato or a hot dog to make a chilli dog. If you want to stick with a traditional chilli and rice combo, then why not add our Easy Homemade Flatbread or some simple tortilla chips to dip in?
If you take your chilli toppings seriously, then you have loads of choices. We just went with a dollop of cooling creme fraiche and a sprinkling of coriander. However, you have so many options. Why not add some slices of jalapeno, grated cheese, diced avocado or swap the creme fraiche for sour cream. Finely diced red onion or Pico De Gallo is a good choice too.
We always make sure that we have some leftover for the next day, as it makes an epic nacho topping. Also, stir some into Mac and Cheese. AMAZING! Oh, or make a spicy lasagna with it. See, SO many uses.
If you are looking for some rice recipes to try with this (although it has sweet potato in so it is filling) then why not try our Oven Baked Rice, Microwave Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice.
Storage
Store: Any leftovers can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freeze: This Turkey chilli recipe is the ultimate batch cook recipe that is just perfect for going in the freezer. This makes 4 portions, so feel free to double it if you want to keep lots in the freezer. Wait for it to cool and then portion it out and put in the freezer. It will keep for 2-3 months.
Defrost: You can defrost it in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Once fully defrosted it can either be heated up on the hob or in the microwave.
Dannii's Top Tips
- You can swap the turkey mince for beef mince, chicken or even a vegetarian alternative. Or, use just beans.
- Grate a little bit of dark chocolate in, along with a sprinkle of cinnamon to really intensify the flavours.
- Add some extra vegetables with butternut squash, spinach or kale.
- You can serve this in a bowl by itself, or with rice or on a baked potato.
- If you wanted to prep some of this in advance, you could brown the turkey and vegetables the day before and then just dump everything in the pan when you are ready to cook it.
Frequently Asked Questions
You could use any ground meat in this recipe, so feel free to swap the turkey for beef, chicken, pork or lamb. You could even make a vegetarian version with tofu, extra beans or a vegetarian mince alternative.
Yes, this recipe can easily be adapted to be made in the slow cooker. Simply follow all the steps until the tomatoes go in, and put it all the in the slow cooker and then cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
Yes, just make sure that you have a pan big enough for all the ingredients.
As long as you use gluten free stock and make sure that there is no cross contamination, then this can be gluten free.
More Turkey Recipes
If you've tried this turkey chilli recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Turkey Chilli
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lb) of Turkey mince
- 1 (1) Onion - diced
- 1 Red bell pepper - diced
- 1 (1) Carrot - diced
- 1 Sweet potato - peeled and diced
- 3 (3) Garlic clove - crushed
- 400 g (14 oz) of Chopped tomatoes - canned
- 400 g (2.25 cups) of Kidney beans - canned; drained
- 150 g (1 cups) of Sweetcorn
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) of Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon of Tomato puree
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) of Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon of Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) of Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of Smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) of Chipotle en adobo
- 1 pinch of Sea salt and ground black pepper
- 125 ml (0.5 cups) of Vegetable stock
To serve:
- Sour cream
- Jalapeños - sliced
- Fresh coriander (cilantro) - chopped
- Cheddar cheese - grated
- Limes - quartered
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Prepare 1 Onion, 1 Red bell pepper, 1 Carrot and 1 Sweet potato by cutting them into 2cm/1 inch cubes
- Heat 1 tbsp of Olive oil in a large pan and add the vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add 500 g of Turkey mince, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook until all the mince has browned (about 5 minutes)
- Add 3 Garlic clove, 2 tbsp of Chilli powder, 1 tsp of Ground cumin, 1 tsp of Dried oregano, 1 tsp of Smoked paprika and 1 pinch of Sea salt and ground black pepper. Mix well.
- Add 400 g of Chopped tomatoes, 150 g of Sweetcorn, 400 g of Kidney beans, 2 tbsp of Tomato pureeLimes and 1 tbsp of Chipotle en adobo. Stir until all mixed.
- Add 125 ml of Vegetable stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Serve with Tortilla chips, Sour cream, grated Cheddar cheeseFresh coriander (cilantro) and sliced Jalapeños (all optional).
Recipe Tips
- You can swap the turkey mince for beef or chicken or even a vegetarian alternative. Or, use just beans.
- Grate a little bit of dark chocolate in, along with a sprinkle of cinnamon to really intensify the flavours.
- Add some extra vegetables with butternut squash, spinach or kale.
- You can serve this in a bowl by itself, or with rice or on a baked potato.
- If you wanted to prep some of this in advance, you could brown the turkey and vegetables the day before and then just dump everything in the pan when you are ready to cook it.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Amy says
A regular addition to our meal plan. Super tasty, easy to make and feels much healthier than beef. Thank you!
Antonia Gibala says
Regards for helping out, fantastic information.
Scarlet says
I just love chili and I love how many great variations there are on one simple idea. Using turkey is a great way to make this dish even healthier since my husband shouldn't eat too much red meat.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
I love delicious and comforting dishes such as this. I'm trying to think up new and tasty meals for the family to eat in lockdown so we will definitely be trying your recipe.
Adrianne says
Yum Turkey Chilli is the best!! We all need to eat more white meat. Love this recipe it looks great.
Mustapha says
Oh this looks so good.
Ethel says
Thank God I have seen this recipe in time for Thanksgiving! I have tried it and it tasted amazing, my guests were thrilled! A different kind of Thanksgiving meal. Happy holidays!
Damian Teevan says
At least you tried to let her out because it's not good if she stayed to long in your womb. If spice didn't work the trick, then it works for me, it's perfect for the cold evening. Something spicy for dinner is awesome!
Lisa Lambert (mumdadplus4) says
We love cooking Turkey soup in the winter is so simple to make and cheap as well.
The London Mum says
I have never thought of using turkey as my chilli meat- but its a greta idea!