The BEST Healthy Turkey Chili

The BEST Healthy Turkey Chili recipe full of fresh veggies, lean ground turkey and loaded with flavor!  The perfect cozy chili you can easily make in our instant pot, crock pot or right on the stove!

This healthy turkey 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 and really comes in handy when meal planning and prepping during the week.  Not only does this recipe make a ton, but this chili is full of veggies, lean turkey and is packed with flavor.  Serve with my honey cornbread muffins and you’ve got the perfect cozy Sunday meal!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• This turkey chili is thick, chunky and so flavorful!
• 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!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• ground turkey – I used 2 lbs of lean ground turkey, but you could use ground beef, ground chicken or even ground sausage. You could also swap out the meat for some extra beans, chickpeas or even lentils to make this a vegetarian or vegan meal.
• veggies – combination of onion, red and 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 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.
• 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, vegetable broth or any stocks you have in your pantry.
• garlic – this really punches up the flavor and is a must in this soup!
• hot sauce – gives this chili a kick of heat and more flavor.
• sweetener – I know this seems weird, but I always like to use one packet of Stevia in this chili and you’d be surprised what a difference it makes!  Feel free to use any type of natural sweetener though or even 2 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup.
• seasonings and spices – combination of chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

How to Make Healthy Turkey Chili

1. Brown the turkey. 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.
2. 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, until onion is translucent and peppers have softened.  Stir in the garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds.
3. Let the chili simmer.  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.
4. Add toppings. Ladle the chili into bowls, add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

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!  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 and reheat on the stove top or in your microwave.

More Soups, Stews and Chilis You’ll Love

Hope you all enjoy this Healthy Turkey Chili and if you love this recipe as much as we do, please leave me a five-star rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!