This healthy turkey chili is great for busy weekdays and one of my favorite recipes to meal prep! This flavor-packed chili has both stove top and slow cooker instructions and is ready to knock your socks off!
I’ve fallen head over heels in love with the NYT Turkey Chili recipe from Pierre Franey.
It’s tender, flavorful, a great balance of turkey, veggies, and beans. There are a few adjustments I make to jazz up the flavor even more and it’s about time I shared this deliciousness here on the blog!
Since I’m all about amping up the vegetables in every dish, you’ll find a mix of onion, garlic, celery, jalapeño , and tomatoes in this tasty chili.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Turkey Chili Ingredients
- olive oil
- ground turkey
- onion
- garlic
- celery
- red bell pepper
- jalapeño
- dried oregano
- bay leaf
- chili powder
- ground cumin
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- salt and pepper
- canned diced tomatoes
- canned tomato sauce
- pinto chili beans
Looking to kick things up a notch? I absolutely adore adding 1/2 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to my chili. I tried it once years ago and can’t make chili without it. I add it to the classic meat-based chilis as well as my vegetarian chilis and love the little kiss of richness it adds.
Tasty Chili Topping Options
- sliced jalapeños
- sour cream or greek yogurt
- sliced or cubed avocado
- fresh salsa or pico de gallo
- grated cheddar cheese
- fritos corn chips
- chopped scallions
If I want to give the chili a Tex-Mex vibe (I’m really leaning into this whole moving to TX thing haha) I’ll add cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, and fresh salsa or pico de gallo on top. Deeeeelish!
You can also make this chili spicy by adding the seeds from the jalapeño into the mix or even using two jalapeños in your chili. Another option is some ground cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes for some tasty fire in your bowl!
Chili Serving Suggestions
There’s a big debate in my house in regards to what chili should be served over.
I’m team sweet potato, and will microwave the biggest spud I can get my hands on to serve as the base/bowl for my chili. It’s a hot mess and so incredibly delicious. It’s an easy way for me to really amp up my veg content for the day.
Paul believes chili should be served over fluffy white rice. If I forget to throw some basmati rice in the rice cooker before dinner he will 100% pout. This time around I had the rice ready and he was downright estatic.
One thing we both agree on is the cornbread! My Easy Homemade Cornbread is a must-make for chili night.
Healthy Turkey Chili
The one-pot recipe can be made in a pot on the stove or tossed into your crock-pot for some slow cooker action!
For both versions, browning the turkey will give you the most delicious crumbles so for sure don’t skip that step. We sauté the veggies in the stove-top version to get everything nice and tender and help the chili cook up nice and fast!
Since the veggies will tenderize themselves cooking away in the slow cooker all afternoon, you can skip that step and simply dump everything in after browning the turkey. Easy peasy!
Need more than 3 servings? Simply double the recipe (there’s a little button in the recipe card that will help with measurements) and you’re good to go.
Healthy Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey used 93% lean
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 TBSP chopped fresh garlic
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeño cored, deveined and finely chopped
- 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1.5 TBSP chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
- 1 cup canned tomato sauce
- 1 can pinto chili beans (15-16 oz) mild, medium, or spicy
- ½ tsp cocoa powder optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- cheese and sour cream and lime for topping
TASTY TOPPING OPTIONS – choose your favorites!
- sour cream or greek yogurt
- sliced jalapeño peppers
- grated cheddar cheese
- crispy corn chips
- fresh scallions
- sliced avocado
- pico de gallo
- salsa
Instructions
STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat oil over high heat in a medium-large pot or dutch oven.
- Add the turkey and cook until lightly browned, approx. 5 minutes, chopping/stirring with the side of a spoon or spatula to break it up into crumbles.
- Add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper, celery, and jalapeño along with oregano, chili powder, cumin, and a bay leaf. Mix well and cook an additional 5 minutes to soften the vegetables.
- Next add the diced tomatoes (no need to drain) and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer (somewhere between low and medium) and cover pot with a lid. Simmer for 15 minutes, checking and stirring about halfway through.
- Add chili beans, optional cocoa powder (love it so) and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Divide chili into bowls and top with all your favorite chili toppings!
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat oil over high heat in a medium-large pot or dutch oven. Add the turkey and cook until lightly browned, approx. 5 minutes, chopping/stirring with the side of a spoon or spatula to break it up into crumbles. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Transfer turkey to the slow cooker and add all remaining ingredients. Mix and secure the lid. Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
- Season with any additional salt and pepper desired (to taste) and portion into bowls. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This Turkey Chili recipe was inspired by and adapted from Pierre Franey via The New York Times
Crazy for Chili?
- NEW! Black Bean Quinoa Chili
- Slow Cooker Lentil Taco Chili
- Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili (Instant Pot + Stove Top)
- Vegan Lentil Chili (Instant Pot + Stove Top)
Looking for some tasty ways to serve leftover chili? Here are some of my favorites to make when we have just a little bit of chili left over.
- on top of a fluffy baked sweet potato or russet potato
- decked out queso style with in a Chili Cheese Dip
- as a topping for hot dogs or brats (helloooo chili cheese dog)
- on nachos (yum!) or make chili cheese fries
If you get a chance to try this healthy turkey chili, let me know!
You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Questions & Reviews
You left out when to add the celery and red pepper.
Woot! So happy to hear it!
Thanks Ann! So happy y’all enjoyed it!