best turkey chili
There are a lot of turkey chili recipes that claim to be the best. Here’s our version - veggie packed and toddler approved (ours were obsessed)!
There’s a good amount of chopping involved and the whole chili takes about 1 hour start to finish, but it’s a great make ahead and freeze ahead meal. In fact, chili is always better the next day, so if you can, we recommend making it a day in advance (or even a few hours ahead of when you plan to eat it) - don’t worry if you can’t, it’s still delish.
Best turkey chili
serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large or 2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1-2 bell peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 15-ounce jar or can white beans
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
to serve (optional):
pickled jalapenos
greek yogurt or sour cream
lime wedges
scallions
shredded cheese
Directions
Combine all the spices, salt, brown sugar and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the zucchini, peppers, carrots, onion and garlic and saute until soft, ~4-7 minutes.
Push the veggies aside and add the turkey to the pan. Saute until no longer pink, breaking up with the back of a spoon, around 6-7 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and spice mix and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until the turkey vegetable mixture is evenly coated.
Add the beans, crushed tomatoes and broth, stir, and bring to a bowl. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes, and up to 60, until the flavors blend and the chili has reduced and thickened to your desired consistency (note: for best flavor, if you have time, allow the chili to sit at room temperature for another 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge!).
Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and any optional fixings (or freeze up to 3 months).