Quick And Cozy Turkey Chili Recipe

My mom is the queen of Americana comfort cooking. Casseroles, pies, quiches, roasts, grilled meats, pasta salads and crock pot meals are her go-to meals. She makes a great chili, in fact, all my aunts, great aunts, and my grandmother are great chili cooks. -Not the soupy and mushy chili recipes of the south, but the hearty and meaty recipes of the North East. This recipe is loosely based on the chili recipes of my childhood, but other than that, it is completely made up by me. I make one good turkey chili recipe that I have perfected over the past several years and I am proud to share it with you.

Full of ground beef, chili, hearty vegetables, and beans, these chili recipes from my childhood are great, but I wanted to take that inspiration and make it slightly healthier and simpler for myself and my husband. I don’t eat a lot of red meat, but you will not miss it with this recipe. In fact, I much prefer a turkey chili over all others these days. A leaner and heart healthier swap was switching to ground turkey meat over ground beef. It also makes this recipe more environmentally friendly and affordable to make in bulk for large gatherings or to have extra to freeze for later. I promise that swapping to turkey meat does not hinder the flavor, in fact, I think the turkey meat absorbs more of the chili and garlic, giving this recipe a boost of flavor. I also simplified the ingredient list to accommodate my husband who prefers his chili without onions and certain vegetables (but you can of course add in as much as you want). Every recipe is tweakable, including this one. Add or subtract ingredients that fit your personal taste.

It took me so long to share this recipe because it is completely made up. I did not follow anyone’s recipe while making this chili so I had a bit of imposter syndrome with the idea of sharing it. I thought I was making it the wrong way and experienced cooks would criticize it. I also eyeball and taste test the quantities so I did not know where to begin with recommending amounts for each seasoning. That being said, every time I make this recipe it has always been a big hit. Even picky eaters I know request it a lot in the autumn and winter months. I happen to really enjoy it myself. I hope this chili recipe might become one of your winter dinner staples.

The Ingredients:

Double all quantities for larger gatherings. This recipe happily serves four with a little extra left over for seconds or for leftovers.

1.5 lbs. of ground turkey meat
Chili powder
Cayenne pepper
Garlic salt
Onion powder
Garlic Powder
Ground black Pepper
Paprika
One can of diced tomatoes with garlic (10-14.5 oz.)
One can of diced tomatoes (10-14.5 oz.)
One small can of tomato paste
One can of red kidney beans (15 oz or close)

How To Make The Chili:

One. In a large pot or Dutch oven cook your turkey meat on the stovetop at medium heat. With ground beef you will want to drain out the fat, but with the turkey chili recipe I leave the melted fat and moisture from the meat in the chili for extra flavor and for a creamier consistency. The melted meat fat and moisture from the meat blends beautifully with the chili powder and turkey meat is much leaner than beef. Make sure to chop up your meat into small chunks.

Two. Once the meat is fully cooked turn down the stovetop to low-medium heat to keep it simmering and add one tsp of the garlic salt mix and stir. Add a few pinches of grinded black pepper. (I grind my pepper right over the pot a few times.)

Three. A lot of my seasonings are added by eyeing it and taste testing instead of measuring exact amounts. I am going to give you quantities here to get you started and you can add more if you desire. By tasting the chili every so often you can determine if it needs more chili pepper or cayene. You are going to start with 1/4 cup of chili powder. This recipe uses a lot of chili powder and you will be adding more in later.

Four. Add your can of tomato paste and stir it in, mixing well with the turkey and chili powder. The tomato paste will give the recipe a creamier texture as the chili powder can be a little dry.

Five. Cayenne pepper is what makes your chili very spicy. It has a lot of kick! To go mild, just add a couple light shakes from the seasoning dispenser. Stir well and complete the recipe before deciding to add more. If you want it spicier, it is best to wait to the end.

Six. Add in a shake or two of onion powder and garlic powder. Stir well and let simmer. Add a teaspoon of paprika.

Seven. Add in another 1/4 cup of chili powder and stir well.

Eight. Now it is time to add your diced tomatoes. Do not drain the juice from the cans as this gives the recipe extra flavor and creaminess. Stir well. (This is also the time to add your chopped vegetables if you want to add onions, carrots, or anything else. I keep out the rest to appease picky eaters and also because I like a simpler chili with chili, tomatoes, and beans.)

Nine. Let simmer for about ten minutes on low heat, stirring occassioanlly.

Ten. Give your chili a taste test. By this point, the canned tomatoes might dilute the chili mixture. You can add another 1/4 cup of chili powder if needed. Or even more if desired. If you want a stronger hot kick add in more cayenne pepper, but be careful with how much you add as a little goes a long way. Stir well and let simmer. This is all about your personal preference.

Eleven. Now it is time to add the beans. you add them last because you do not want them to get chopped up or smooshed while making your chili. make sure to drain the can of liquids before adding the beans to your chili. Stir well.

Twelve. Give the recipe a final taste test and add more chili pepper or cayenne as needed. Let simmer another ten minutes before serving.

You can serve right away or let simmer. I like to transfer my chili into a crock pot to keep it warm and to let the flavors simmer more for a gathering or party. I also cook up a pot of millet (a grain similar to rice) to serve the chili over. You can use rive, but the grittier texture of millet goes so well with the chili and it does a good job of taking some of the spiciness off. I put a small scoop into the bottom of my bowl before putting the chili on top.

I provide sour cream and shredded mozzarella cheese for toppings if my guests want them. It is also great to serve this recipe with rolls or warm crescents right out of the oven.

This turkey chili recipe freezes well for transporting for weekend getaways or to save for later. In a freezer safe bag it will last a while in the freezer to be brought out later on a cold winter night. Personally, I love this chili the second day because it has more time to simmer in and soak up all the flavor. This chili recipe reheats well. Enjoy on a chilly evening or to bring with you to work for a cozy lunch.

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