This one pot turkey chili is the perfect dish for cold nights. Packed with lean ground turkey, beans, vegetables, and bone broth, this hearty meal will leave the whole family with full bellies.

I love to make a giant pot of chili so there is plenty of leftovers, which this recipe always provides. That’s important with a large family! Ideally, I try to have enough to can up a few quarts, but this one pot turkey chili is so good that it usually doesn’t last that long in my house. When you have leftovers, try making chili mac or chili cheese dogs. So many meals of comfort food from one time of cooking.

One pot turkey chili pairs well with homemade cinnamon rolls, cornbread, or any other of your favorite chili sides. Top it my favorite toppings of a dollop of sour cream (find a homemade sour cream here), shredded cheese, or tortilla chips for a meal the entire family just devours. Bonus points since turkey is a lean meat, making this a healthy chili recipe. However, feel free to replace the meat with ground chicken, ground beef, or ground venison. Using leftover turkey chunks from thanksgiving is great too! Even extra points if you raise the turkey yourself!

Tips For Making One Pot Turkey Chili

• Make your own homemade turkey broth to kick this easy turkey chili recipe up a notch.
• Use dried beans instead of canned beans for a healthier and cheaper meal. Learn to can your own beans here.
• If you don’t like the beans used in this recipe, feel free to swap them for another bean you like. All these types of beans are good in any big bowl of chili: red kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, great northern beans, or chickpeas.

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Tools You May Need:

• Enameled covered cast iron stock pot or slow cooker
• Garlic Press
• Measuring spoons

How to Soak and Cook Dried Beans

1. Prep this the night before, or up to 24 hours before.
2. Place beans in a strainer and rinse. Transfer beans to a bowl and remove any bad beans or pieces. 
3. Add 4 cups of water for every one cup of beans.
4. Cover and allow to soak for 12-24 hours. This helps break down the phytic acid in the beans which is an anti-nutrient that blocks the absorption of certain nutrients available in the beans.
5. The next day, drain the beans and rinse well.
6. Place beans in a pot and add water. Cook until they are soft, around 45 minutes – 2 hours. Since they will be added to the chili and simmered for 30 minutes, you can partially cook them and finish cooking them in the chili.

One Pot Turkey Chili Ingredients

• Ground turkey: This lean protein can also be substituted with leftover turkey chunks or any other meat of your choosing. Two pounds is a good amount, but if you like your chili less hearty, use only one pound of turkey.
• Onion: Use a yellow onion for the best flavor.
• Bell pepper: The use of a red pepper, yellow pepper, and green pepper just gives this chili an extra something.
• Garlic: Take each garlic clove and mince it to make sure and get that garlic flavor throughout.
• Turkey broth: This can be substituted with chicken broth or even vegetable broth. We like our chili a little liquid-y, so if you like yours with less liquid, use about 1.5 cups less liquid.
• Tomatoes: The use of tomato sauce and tomato paste add a nice acidity to the base.
• Beans: This chili uses a mixture of kidney beans and black beans.
• Seasonings: A mixture of chili powder, cumin, salt and a dash of cinnamon really come out as the chili cooks.

How to Make One Pot Turkey Chili

Dice up once onion and three bell peppers while the turkey is browning in stock pot. Also peel and mince garlic at this time.

When the turkey is browned, add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the chopped veggies to the pot and allow them to soften.

Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beans, and broth. Turn the burner to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, bring to a simmer.

Cover the pot with a lid and allow the chili to simmer for 45 minutes.

Serve and enjoy with your favorite chili toppings.

Turkey Chili Toppings

• Cheddar Cheese
• Homemade Sour Cream
• Avocado
• Fritos
• Salsa

What Goes Well With One Pot Turkey Chili?

• Cinnamon Rolls
• Cornbread
• Crackers
• Pasta
• Salad
• Biscuits
• Buns
• Nachos

Print the Recipe Here:

More One Pot Meals Here:

• One Pot Gnocchi Chicken Pot Pie
• Sourdough Skillet
• One Pot Smoked Sausage Pasta

FAQ’s

What is the secret ingredient to an amazing chili?

Using just a little bit of cinnamon is a surprising spice that can take an okay chili to the best turkey chili ever. Another thing I like to do is add some cut up some small pieces of bacon if I have any left over bacon.

What can I add to my chili to give it a little kick?

If you are looking to spice up your chili, add some cayenne pepper, serrano peppers, or any other spicy pepper.

How do you fix bland turkey chili?

With chili, the longer it sits, the longer the flavors have to really incorporate together. If you find your chili isn’t the most flavorful, try simmering longer (think crockpot) or make it the day before and warm up the next day before eating.

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