This turkey chili is a lighter version of chili – with no beef and stuffed with veggies. It’s packed full of flavor with onions, garlic, and spices – smoked paprika, chili powder. The cocoa powder is my secret chili ingredient that gives it a velvety smooth texture and mole-like flavor! It couldn’t be easier to make. And like most chili recipes, the longer it cooks, the more flavor it develops. If you’re making it on the stovetop, you can get away with a 30 minute simmering time, but when I made this I let it simmer away for four hours on the back burner and the flavor was just chef’s kiss. This low and slow cooking method makes this turkey chili a great candidate for a slow cooker or pressure cooker as well – and I’ll provide instructions below for all three cooking methods.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Ground Turkey – while this is specifically a “turkey chili” recipe, you can certainly use another ground meat with the same ingredients if you want, such as chicken or beef! Bell pepper – I used red; any color will do. Onion Garlic Zucchini – or summer squash Frozen corn – or fresh, cut right off the cob. Canned black beans – feel free to use another bean such as pinto or kidney if you prefer. Canned crushed tomatoes Chicken broth – or vegetable broth, beef broth, or water – I used better than bouillon. Spices: chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. You can leave the cayenne out for a mild version of this turkey chili. Cocoa powder – you can omit this if you don’t have any on hand, but it adds such a surprisingly lovely flavor and texture! Olive oil, salt, and pepper
How to make Turkey Chili with Veggies and Black Beans
First, we’ll sauté the onions and peppers in oil. Use a large heavy pot for this, such as a Dutch oven. If using a slow cooker, you can do this step in a large skillet if you prefer. If using a pressure cooker, do it directly in the insert using the “sauté” setting. Then, add the spices and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the ground turkey and zucchini. Continue to sauté until turkey is broken apart and fully cooked. At this point, if you are using a slow cooker, transfer everything to the crockpot. Finally, add the broth, crushed tomatoes, black beans, corn, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together and simmer covered on low for 30 minutes – 4ish hours on the stovetop, stirring ocassionally. Or, set your slow cooker to low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. For the pressure cooker, set it to manual, high, for 20 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes when it’s done. Then, manually release the pressure valve. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions!
What to serve with turkey chili
Once the chili is done, serve topped with your favorite chili fixings! I love some cilantro, red onion, and avocado on mine. Sour cream, cheese, hot sauce, and anything else you’d normally top chili with works well here. This turkey chili is also delicious served with cornbread. I love making jalapeño cornbread to go with chili, or a sweet honey skillet cornbread. It’s also great with just some homemade baked tortilla chips or crusty no knead bread. With all the veggies and flavor packed into this turkey chili, it’s also delicious on its own.
Can you freeze turkey chili?
Yes! This turkey veggie chili freezes really well in an airtight container for about 6 months to a year. So go ahead and double the batch. As long as you use a pot large enough to accommodate it!
Other ground turkey recipes
Spanakopita Turkey Burgers Sweet Potato Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Taco Salad Turkey Enchiladas
Other chili recipes
Vegetarian Chili White Chicken Chili Instant Pot Ground Beef Chili Pumpkin Chili
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