The BEST Healthy Turkey Chili recipe made with lean ground turkey, beans and veggies! Protein-packed, full of flavor and easy to make on the stove, in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
This Healthy Turkey Chili recipe has been one of the most popular recipes on my site for the past 10+ years! I absolutely crave chili in the fall and this protein-packed recipe has always been a weekly staple in our home in the colder months. It also really comes in handy when meal planning during the week. Not only does this simple turkey chili recipe make a ton, but its full of veggies, lean turkey, tender beans and is packed with flavor. Great for those busy weeknights, cozy weekends and a great recipe for game day! Serve with my honey cornbread muffins and you’ve got the perfect meal!
Why You’ll Love This
- This hearty turkey chili recipe is thick and chunky with so much flavor!
- Healthy comfort food that is packed with protein and nutrition.
- Has just the right amount of spice that is cozy without being too hot.
- Can easily be made in your Instant Pot, slow cooker or right on the stove.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day!
What Makes this Turkey Chili Healthy?
This healthy turkey chili is made with lean ground turkey for plenty of protein without a lot of saturated fat, along with fiber-rich kidney beans and plenty of veggies. Each serving has about 35 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber for a hearty, filling meal that’s just 266 calories. It’s a lighter take on classic chili without sacrificing any of that thick, cozy texture or bold flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- ground turkey – I used 2 pounds of ground turkey, but you could use ground beef for beef chili, ground chicken or even ground sausage. You could also swap out the meat for some extra beans, chickpeas or even lentils to make vegetarian chili or vegan meal.
- veggies – combination of yellow onion, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and jalapeños for some spice, but you could also add in some chopped carrots, sweet potato or corn.
- beans – I used a can of kidney beans, but you could add black beans, pinto beans, white beans or simply leave them out altogether.
- tomatoes – I like to use a mixture of crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes, along with some tomato paste to thicken up the chili. You could also use tomato sauce.
- beef broth – I used a low sodium beef broth which adds depth of flavor and thins out the chili, but you could also use chicken broth, chicken stock or vegetable broth.
- garlic – this really punches up the flavor and is a must in this soup! Feel free to use garlic powder if that’s all you have on hand.
- hot sauce – gives this chili a kick of heat and more flavor depending on what spice level you want. A little bit goes a long way.
- sweetener – just a small amount helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes and rounds out the flavors of the chili. I like to use a little honey or maple syrup, but brown sugar, cane sugar or your favorite sweetener will work too. You can also leave it out altogether if you prefer.
- seasonings and spices – combination of chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Red pepper flakes make a great addition for a little kick of heat.
How to Make Healthy Turkey Chili
- Brown the turkey. In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground turkey, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until browned. Drain off any excess liquid and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Sauté the veggies. Drizzle a little olive oil in the hot pan and add in the onion, bell peppers and jalapeños, cooking about 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat, until onion is translucent and peppers have softened. Stir in the garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds.
- Let the chili simmer. Add back in the cooked ground turkey, along with the remaining ingredients, and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover, allowing the chili to simmer for about 30 minutes or up to an hour, stirring occasionally so the chili doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add toppings. Ladle the chili into bowls, add your favorite toppings and enjoy! One of my favorite chili recipes!
Favorite Chili Toppings
There are so many fun toppings you can add to this easy turkey chili recipe, I mean the possibilities are endless! Here are just a few that we love:
- Avocado
- Cotija cheese or cheddar cheese
- A dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Cilantro or parsley
- Red or green onions
- Sliced jalapeños
- Crumbled tortilla chips, Fritos or cornbread
Prepping and Storage
To Store: The best part about this turkey chili is that leftovers taste ever better the next day so this is great for meal prep! This chili will last up to a week stored in a sealed, airtight container in your refrigerator.
To Freeze: This chili freezes really well too! Let it cool completely and store in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw completely overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove top or in your microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Brown the ground turkey with the onion and garlic first, then transfer everything to your slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. This is a great option for busy weeknights or meal prep.
Absolutely. Using the Sauté function on your Instant Pot, cook the ground turkey, onion and garlic until the turkey is browned and cooked through. Add the remaining ingredients, stir everything together, then secure the lid and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for about 10 minutes before carefully releasing the remaining pressure.
Yes! Ground chicken is an easy substitute that will keep this chili lean and high in protein. You can also use lean ground beef for a richer, more traditional chili flavor. Just be sure to drain off any excess grease before adding the remaining ingredients.
If you prefer a thicker chili, simply let it simmer uncovered a little longer so some of the liquid can cook off. You can also mash some of the beans against the side of the pot and stir them back into the chili. They’ll naturally thicken it without adding any extra ingredients.
Yes, this healthy turkey chili is perfect for meal prep because the flavors get even better as it sits. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze individual portions for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, adding a splash of broth if needed.
More Chili and Soup Recipes
- Classic Beef Stew
- Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
- Crock Pot Butternut Squash Chili
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
Hope you all enjoy the BEST Turkey Chili recipe and if you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
The BEST Healthy Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lbs lean ground turkey
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 jalapeños, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, I used Texas Pete
- 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 packet Stevia
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground turkey, crumbling with a spoon, until browned. Drain off any excess liquid and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Drizzle a little olive oil in the hot pan and add in the onion, bell peppers and jalapeños, cooking about 3 to 4 minutes, until onion is translucent and peppers have softened. Stir in the garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add back in the cooked ground turkey, along with the rest of the ingredients, and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover, allowing the chili to simmer for about 30 minutes or up to an hour, stirring occasionally so the chili doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Ladle the chili into bowls, add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am a little confused. I just made this and my chili didn’t turn out to look anything like yours. I had to add a cup of water, use the whole can of tomato paste, and add a can of tomato sauce… Also, how does your turkey look so brown? I was really looking forward to this recipe… I just want to know what I did wrong if you could help? Details on anything? Thank you.
Hi Kelly!
This recipe is amazing! And that picture– I’m drooling!
I’m very interested in including your recipe in a feature article for DailyBurn.com. If you could email me at DBEditorial@dailyburn.com as soon as possible, that would be great!
Thank you!
Alex
I have to say, this really is the best chili I have ever tasted. Its my new go to recipe! I love your blog and all of your recipes! Thank you 🙂
Thank you so much for the recipe – It’s no lie – truly the best chili I’ve ever had! Made one batch last weekend and will make 2 more this weekend to freeze 🙂
This looks amazing! I am going to try it tonight
I just made this Kelly and it was absolutely delicious! Just what I needed on a cold Sunday lunchtime now Autumn is offically here x
Made your Chili tonight and everyone loved it!! 🙂 Can’t wait for lunch tomorrow. I made two modifications and only used 1 lb of turkey and added black beans! Thanks so much!!
Looks great Kelly!
This is so delicious! I want to eat more than one serving! Thank you thank you!
Looks like might be real spicy . Know one said.ceyenne ,hot sauce,jalopenos. Is it?. I like a little lick but not so we sweat lol
This is super spicy! I double checked everything, and while I substituted the canned tomatoes for fresh ones, everything else was exactly to the recipe. It’s really tasty, however I would re-think putting 3 Tablespoons of Chili powder in. Maybe a little less… For the Jalapeños, if you take the seeds out they aren’t nearly as hot (which I did). Luckily my husband LOVES really spicy stuff. I’m going to get some more sour cream for myself though!
I came across this recipe a couple years ago, and it’s the only chili recipe I use now. Absolutely fantastic. Obviously this is meant to be a healthy recipe, but if you’re into regularly sabotaging your diet efforts like me, pairing this with cornbread waffles is highly recommended.
Cornbread waffles! That sounds INCREDIBLE 🙂
O…M…G…. Could that possibly be the most delicious looking chilli recipe I’ve ever seen!?! Also your camera work is fantastic, you make that bowl of chilli look like a million bucks. Thanks for sharing this recipe!