Light & Easy Turkey Chili
Turkey Chili
A couple times a year at our house we focus on clean eating for a whole month, usually right before summer begins and then again in early fall, before the holidays hit. I really believe in living life in moderation, in all aspects, as much as possible. This light & easy Turkey Chili is the perfect meal to whip up when you’re looking to prepare a quick healthy meal. It’s so flavorful, you’ll never notice it’s missing beef and/or sausage. The ground turkey seems to absorb all of the chili flavors, so it ends up tasting like a delicious bowl of chili and not necessarily like turkey at all. Of course, you can easily sub in ground beef, the recipe remains the same and it will also be fantastic!
Clean eating is cooking with fresh, organic ingredients, eliminating all processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, gluten, sugar, dairy and soy. I find that doing this a few times a year is like a reset button for my body and I end up feeling great. Of course I also end up feeling like I’m really ready for a glass of wine!
This Turkey Chili can be considered a clean eating meal, as long as you leave off the additional toppings of cheese and sour cream. You could also add diced avocado on top if you want something a little creamy. I think it’s just as good with a squeeze of lime and some fresh chopped cilantro. If you know how to cook healthy meals that taste great, it doesn’t really feel like you’re missing out on anything at all…except maybe that glass of wine. Our kids like to garnish with corn chips and sour cream, but who wouldn’t, right? Another great thing about this meal is that you’ll have plenty of leftovers. You can warm them up the next day, which in my opinion is even better than night one. Or, you can cool it down in individual containers and freeze it for a night when you need something quick to heat up and serve. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of beef chili but I think you’ll be surprised with how tasty this turkey chili is, I hope you enjoy!
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Course
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
6 servings
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp. black pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 chipotle in adobo pepper. chopped
1 Tbsp. chipotle in adobo sauce (2 Tbsp. if you want extra spicy)
2 lbs. ground turkey
2 cups chicken broth, plus more while simmering if needed
1- 28 oz. whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes and juices
15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and strained
Sliced scallions, Cilantro, Avocado, Shredded Cheddar, Sour Cream, Lime, Corn Chips optional garnishes
Instructions
Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat, add extra virgin olive oil, diced onions, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Add chopped garlic, chili powder, oregano, smoked paprika, cumin & bay leaf. Stir to combine and cook for another 5 minutes to toast the spices until you can smell the fragrance.
Stir in the tomato paste, chipotle pepper and sauce. Move the mixture to the sides of the dutch oven and add the turkey meat into the center. Cook until all the raw color is gone, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and combining with the onion chili mixture. This should take about 7 minutes.
Add in the chicken broth and whole tomatoes and their juices, breaking them up with your hands as you add them. Add the kidney beans. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, uncovered until reduced and slightly thickened, about 30 mins. Serve with optional garnishes of sliced scallions, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, shredded cheddar, lime or corn chips.
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