If you cook for a family, you know how rare it is to find a recipe that everyone loves. No matter what you prepare, there’s usually someone who won’t eat it. For our family, this turkey chili is the exception. It’s become a beloved tradition—served for Sunday dinners, birthdays and many cozy weeknights. When my daughters moved out, it wasn’t long before they called home asking for the recipe. Even my new son-in-law learned to make it.
Mom’s Best Turkey Chili
This turkey chili is warm, spicy and deeply satisfying. It’s high in protein, low in fat, and full of vegetables. The recipe makes a double batch—about 12 servings—so I usually freeze half for a busy night. As a working mom, having freezer meals ready is a lifesaver.
I like to set out shredded cheese, diced avocado and sliced green onion for toppings, with tortilla chips on the side. The chili works with or without beans. If you add beans, kidney or pinto are my favorites.
Mom’s Best Turkey Chili
Making this chili is straightforward. Start by sautéing ground turkey in a little olive oil with garlic, salt, oregano and chili powders. Browning the meat and toasting the spices helps release their flavor. I use a combination of mild chili powder and chipotle chili powder for a smoky depth.
When the turkey is nearly cooked, add diced onion and bell peppers and sauté until they begin to soften and become translucent. This step is important because the acidity of the tomatoes will prevent the vegetables from tenderizing during the long simmer. You don’t want crunchy, raw-tasting onions or peppers in a bowl of chili.
Once the turkey is browned and the vegetables softened, blend the tomatoes with their juice until smooth and add them to the pot. Simmer the chili gently on the stove for about an hour, uncovered, so flavors have time to meld. Taste halfway through and adjust seasonings. Note that chipotle powder tends to intensify as it cooks, so start modestly and add more if needed. If the chili gets too thick, thin with a little water while simmering.
Mom’s Best Turkey Chili
This is one of our family’s all-time favorite recipes. I hope your family enjoys it as much as we do—give it a try and, if you like, leave a note about how it turned out.
Mom’s Best Turkey Chili
45 mins
1 hr
1 hr 45 mins
Soups & Stews
12 servings
193 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 packages — 1.25 pounds each 85% lean ground turkey
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons mild chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons chipotle chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons oregano (preferably Mexican)
- 2–3 teaspoons salt, to taste
- 2 medium onions, diced fine
- 4 bell peppers, diced fine
- 2 28-oz. cans or 4 14-oz. cans tomatoes, diced or whole
- 2 cans kidney or pinto beans (optional), drained and rinsed, or 3 cups cooked beans
Instructions
- Chop the onions and bell peppers and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high. Add the turkey, garlic, salt, chili powder and oregano. Brown the meat, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks so the spices bloom and flavor the meat.
- When the meat is almost cooked, add the bell peppers and onions. Continue to cook and stir until the vegetables are translucent and beginning to soften.
- Puree the tomatoes with their juice in a blender until smooth. Add the pureed tomatoes to the pot and simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for about one hour. Taste halfway through and adjust seasonings. Remember that chipotle powder intensifies with cooking. Add a little water if the chili becomes too thick.
- If using beans, add the drained and rinsed beans near the end of cooking and simmer until heated through. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Nutrition
Disclosures: The author was not compensated by any person or company for the content of this post. The post may contain affiliate links; purchases made through them may provide a small commission that helps support publishing these recipes.
Photos by Marsha Maxwell and Yulia1971/Shutterstock.com
