Three bean turkey chili is a delicious hearty chili made with lean ground turkey, canned beans, fresh vegetables, fire-roasted tomatoes, and chili spices.
This recipe was inspired by my mom, who asked me to develop a hearty one-pot stew with beans, vegetables, and lean ground turkey. Serve this chili with vermicelli rice or homemade cornbread.
Lean ground turkey is a lean protein, perfect for the Mediterranean diet. I use lean ground turkey for turkey tacos and this egg white breakfast casserole (with homemade turkey sausage).
Lean Turkey Chili
This is the best turkey chili, made with simple steps and simple ingredients. I made this recipe six times and tweaked it a bit each time. This turkey chili recipe is quickly becoming the family's favorite chili recipe. The total hands-on time for this recipe is 15 minutes, and it reheats beautifully (hello, work lunches!).
Ingredient Notes
- Lean ground turkey: Use 99% lean ground turkey or lean ground chicken breast. You can also use lean ground beef, shredded chicken, or shredded turkey. See notes in the substitutions section for pre-cooked shredded meat.
- Canned beans: I recommend a three-bean combination going on: great northern beans (or white beans), red kidney beans, and black beans. I've tried a few different combinations and that one is my favorite.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes: Canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes add so much flavor to this easy turkey chili recipe. If you don't have fire-roasted tomatoes on hand, you can substitute diced tomatoes.
- Chili seasoning: I like a combination of chili powder, dried oregano, and ground cumin. IMPORTANT! The chili powder should not be spicy. The specific seasoning I use is below.
How To Make Turkey Chili
Steps 1 & 2: Sautee diced onions in olive oil. Add the ground turkey and minced garlic.
Steps 3, 4, & 5: Add the remaining ingredients.
Step 6: Cover and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes.
Chili Toppings
Some of my favorite toppings are tortilla chips, lime juice (or wedges), cilantro leaves, chopped green onions, cheddar cheese, and sour cream (or Greek yogurt).
Variations and Substitutions
- Substitute shredded chicken or shredded turkey breast. Add the pre-cooked shredded meat into the chili for the last 10 minutes if making this substitution. You can use a rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey breast from Thanksgiving.
- Top with fresh cilantro.
- Add a dollop of sour cream or non-fat Greek yogurt to make it creamy.
- Substitute crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, or diced tomatoes for fire-roasted tomatoes.
📋 Recipe
Three Bean Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey (or beef) 99% lean ** see note 1
- 1 can kidney beans 15.5 ounce can
- 1 can great northern beans 15.5 ounce can
- 1 can black beans 15.5 ounce can
- 1 can corn (drained) or substitute fresh corn or frozen corn
- 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes 15.5 ounce cans
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced, see note 3
- 3 celery stalks chopped
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 2-4 cups broth (or water) see note 4
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon McCormick's chili powder see note 2
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper optional
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. Peel and dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Wash and chop the bell peppers and celery.
- In a large pot on medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Sautee the diced onions,in the olive oil for one to two minutes. Add the ground turkey and minced garlic. Use the wooden spoon to break up the clumps while cooking through (about 3 minutes).
- Add the chopped bell peppers, canned corn (drain juice from can), celery, canned beans (including the bean juice in the can), and the fire-roasted canned tomatoes.
- Pour the broth. Add more broth as desired for the consistency you want. Add the chili seasoning: ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and chili powder.
- Mix the turkey chili and cover. Turn the heat to medium and cook for about 45 minutes.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- You can substitute lean ground chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, lean ground beef, or leftover turkey breast (like from Thanksgiving).
- In the U.S., the "chili powder" used for this recipe is not spicy. It's different from spicy chili powder. Make sure you get the right kind, otherwise you might have a super spicy chili!
- Substitute 2 teaspoon ground garlic powder for freshly minced garlic.
- Use chicken broth, beef broth, vegetable broth, or water. Start with 2 cups and increase based on your desired consistency. The liquid might cook off a bit as the chili simmers.
- Storage: Store this chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Charles says
Hi,
Your One Pot Turkey Chili will definitely be added to my chili recipes. Thanks for sharing!
Lily says
Thanks Charles!
Ned says
The Turkey Chili turned out amazing! It's super cold and snowy where I'm at, so it was a great way to warm up on a chili (no pun intended) night! 🙂
Lily says
LOL, chili is the BEST for a cold and snowy day!
Glenda says
This was a satisfying comfort food supper over the weekend! Lots of texture and perfectly seasoned. I adjusted the heat up just a notch by adding some chipotle powder. Absolutely scrumptious!
Lily says
Great addition!
Jeff says
I love this for reducing the amount of red meat I eat. Great flavour in this recipe.
Lily says
I am a huge red meat eater, so it's been nice swapping out red meat in some recipes. But there is definitely a time and place for a ribeye.
Kathleen says
Simple ingredients and simple to make this chili is perfect for my family.
Lily says
Thanks- it was a hit in my home!
MaryGrace Elya says
I just made a pot of this Turkey Chili recipe, I omitted the corn. It has very good flavor. I will served with corn chip, shredded sharp cheddar & a dollop of sour cream. Thank you for sharing.
Lily says
Thank you so much for the comment- cheddar cheese, sour cream, and corn chips sound so good on it!