This easy healthy turkey chili is the PERFECT addition to your football Sundays. It's quick and packed with lots of protein making it the perfect easy meal!
If you know me, you know how much I love a good easy, cozy recipe. (If you haven't tried my easy curry or veggie stew you need to ASAP). This healthy turkey chili is the definition of an easy meal. All you need is 15 minutes (if that) of prep, and 15 minutes of cook time and you will have the PERFECT meal for a cozy winter night.
I love chili. It's SUCH a classic comfort food. A warm bowl of chili, spiced to perfection, loaded with toppings, served with a warm slice of toast. I truly cannot think of a more perfect meal for a cold Canadian winter night. For someone who has never been a huge meat eater like myself that may come as a shock. Chili is essentially just a bowl of meat and tomato sauce right? But not the way I make it! By adding tons of beans, some veggies and swapping out the protein sources for one that's a little bit more lean this is a chili that makes you feel good!
One Pot Turkey Chili
Why This Recipe is Dietitian Approved
- One pot meal. I love one pot meals for their ease and limited mess.
- Perfect for meal prep. Turkey chili stores really well and tastes even better once reheated, making it the perfect option to meal prep.
- Great source of protein and fibre. Chili is amazing for packing in lots of protein, fiber and vegetables. When everything is cooked together with the tomatoes and spices, you can't even tell the difference!
Ingredients
Ground Turkey- I use ground turkey because it's a great source of lean protein and we always have it on hand. However any type of ground meat will work (pork, beef, chicken, turkey). You could even try to add additional beans or vegetarian ground "meat" to make this more of a veggie turkey.
Spices- You can't have a good chili without ALLL the spices. For this recipe I use chili powder, cayenne powder and cumin. The amounts are totally up to you! Follow the recipe as is for my perfect level of spice or add a little less or a little more based on how spicy you like things!
Diced Tomatoes- FINALLY a recipe that uses a full can of tomato! All you need is one can of diced tomatoes (and all their juices) and this chili will be PERFECT.
Beans- For this chili I use three types of beans- kidney beans, black beans and white kidney beans. You can 100% customize this recipe with whatever beans you have on hand! Just make sure you stick with three cans of some type of beans or else the chili will get too watery. I have never personally tested this recipe using dried beans but if you try let me know how it turns out in the comments!
Toppings- The absolute best part! I have included some of my favourite toppings in the recipe below but this is where you can get creative. Add whatever your heart desires, the limit of toppings does not exist.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
Note: these instructions are for the stovetop method. Please see the recipe card below for steps on the Insant Pot.
- Step 1: To a large pot over medium heat add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add onions and garlic and saute until fragrant and onions begin to turn translucent in colour.
- Step 2: Add turkey meat and cook until meat is no longer pink in colour.
- Step 3: Once meat is cooked, add the remaining ingredients to the pot, stir, cover and allow to simmer for 30-40 minutes.
- Step 4: Serve with all your favourite toppings.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: this recipe is naturally gluten-free.
To make dairy-free: this recipe is naturally dairy-free. I recommend using dairy-free yogurt and cheese as toppings.
To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut-free.
Equipment
- Pot
- Instant Pot (optional)
Storage
Leftover turkey chili can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container or frozen for up to 3 months.
To reheat, I recommend placing the container in the fridge overnight to thaw. Reheat on the stove when ready to eat.
Top Tips for Success
This is a great recipe to experiment with! You can choose to use one type of bean if that's what you prefer, or use an alternate type of ground meat.
It's also super easy to make it spicier by adding extra chili powder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can! I recommend following the package instructions to soak/cook the beans according to package instructions prior to adding to the recipe.
Yes! Although the instant pot option is the OG variation (and the quicker one), you can 100% still make this easy healthy turkey chili without an instant pot. All you have to do is cook the turkey meat in a sauce pan on the stove separately. Then add everything into a big sauce pot, stir and bring it to a simmer. Allow the chili to simmer for 30-40 minutes to bring out all the flavour. Enjoy! See the 'stove top option' section of the recipe below for more details.
More Meal Prep Recipes
If you liked this turkey chili, you'll enjoy these cozy meal prep recipes too:
- Crockpot Green Chili Chicken
- Simple Turkey Burrito Bowl
- Easy Veggie Italian Ratatouille
- Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this turkey chili, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Easy Healthy Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 white onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 3-4 tbsp chili powder depends on how hot you like it!
- 2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 + ¼ cup chicken broth divided
- 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes and their juices
- 1 cup canned or frozen corn rinsed and drained
- 1 can (14 oz) kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can (14 oz) black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can (14 oz) white kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
Toppings:
- plain greek yogurt
- sliced green onions
- shredded cheese
- jalapeno, chopped
- avocado, sliced
- crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
For stove top option:
- To a large pot over medium heat add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add onions and garlic and saute until fragrant and onions begin to turn translucent in colour.
- Add turkey meat and cook until meat is no longer pink in colour. Once meat is cooked, add the remaining ingredients to the pot, stir, cover and allow to simmer for 30-40 minutes.
For instant pot option:
- Press the saute function on your instant pot and let it preheat until it says hot.
- Add oil to hot instant pot, add ground turkey and cook for about 5 minutes, using a spatula to break the meat into small pieces.
- Add ½ of the chicken broth to help de glaze the pot and leave meat in the pot!
- Press cancel, add the remaining broth, onion, garlic, pepper, corn, beans, canned tomatoes and spices and DO NOT STIR! ( this is important to avoid burning!)
- Close the lid, set vent to dealing position and press pressure cook on high or manual mode for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, carefully quick release the pressure.
- Serve with all the toppings!
Brittney says
Such a great fall recipe! Great for Sunday football too! I threw mine together in the crockpot after prepping the ground turkey and it came out great!
Irene says
How long, and at what temperature did you cook it for in the crockpot?