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    You are here: Home / Recipes / 20-Minute Turkey Chili

    20-Minute Turkey Chili

    Published on Dec 10, 2012 · Last updated on Aug 31, 2018 · 42 Comments

    20.2K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    20-Minute Turkey Chili

    This 20-minute Turkey Chili is the perfect meal for a busy week night when you don't have a lot of time to cook but still want to enjoy a tasty and healthy dinner with your family. Besides chopping the onion and garlic gloves, there's virtually no prep to do. You just throw the ingredients in the skillet, stir and cook them 15 minutes and you're good to go! Oh, and you only have one pot to clean. Don't you love that?

    20-Minute Turkey Chili

    In this recipe, I'm using turkey. I think it's a good healthy substitute for beef. It's leaner and you won't taste the difference. But if you'd rather use beef, feel free to do so!

    The black beans make this dish high in dietary fibers, and those are good for you! They are known to lower risk for developing heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal diseases. Increasing fiber intake lowers blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels. Black beans are also a good source of protein. Good to know, right?

    This 20-Minute Turkey Chili is not only healthy, it's also hearty and satisfying. A small bowl filled me up. And it makes great leftovers for lunch!

    20-Minute Turkey Chili

    5 from 1 vote
    Print

    20-Minute Turkey Chili


    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Tex-Mex
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 20 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 440 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 tsp olive oil
    • 1 large onion chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 lb ground turkey
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 14- oz can diced tomatoes
    • 2 tbsp tomato paste
    • 1 14- oz can corn kernels drained and rinsed
    • 1 14- oz can black beans drained and rinsed
    • ½ tbsp hot chili flakes
    • ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

    Instructions

    1. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add olive oil, onion and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes.
    2. Add ground turkey and break into pieces. Brown the meat, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
    3. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, corn kernels, blacks beans and hot chili flakes.
    4. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
    5. Remove from heat, add shredded cheese and mix well.
    6. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
    7. Optional: top with sour cream and additional cheese.
    Nutrition Facts
    20-Minute Turkey Chili
    Amount Per Serving (1 /4th)
    Calories 440 Calories from Fat 108
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12g18%
    Saturated Fat 5g31%
    Cholesterol 84mg28%
    Sodium 1011mg44%
    Potassium 1150mg33%
    Carbohydrates 45g15%
    Fiber 11g46%
    Sugar 8g9%
    Protein 42g84%
    Vitamin A 535IU11%
    Vitamin C 18.7mg23%
    Calcium 242mg24%
    Iron 5mg28%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    20.2K shares
     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alyssa

      June 06, 2013 at 8:10 pm

      I love chili! I can tell a difference between ground beef and turkey, but I think they are both delicious.

      Reply
      • Marie

        June 06, 2013 at 10:02 pm

        You can easily sub ground beef for turkey if you like beef best. I made this chili with both and I love it both ways!

        Reply
    2. joan mccallum

      October 08, 2015 at 7:46 pm

      although tasty it is far from being a chilli dish...the amount of chilli added to the dish barely generates any heat at all...suggest add 2 tsp hot chilli powder as well

      Reply
      • marie

        October 12, 2015 at 6:42 pm

        Yes, you should definitely adjust the heat to your liking Joan 🙂

        Reply
    3. Bri

      November 16, 2015 at 8:27 pm

      Did you drain the beans, corn, or tomatoes?

      Reply
      • marie

        November 16, 2015 at 9:33 pm

        Yes, you need to drain the beans and the corn. I'll update the recipe to clarify 🙂

        Reply
        • Bri

          November 17, 2015 at 12:21 pm

          Thank you! Did you also drain the tomatoes?

          Reply
          • marie

            November 17, 2015 at 7:18 pm

            No worries 🙂 No, I usually add diced tomatoes as is!

            Reply
    4. Deborah

      January 05, 2016 at 5:18 pm

      When I "brown" turkey, I can't get it to break up into small bits as with beef, so I always put it into a food processor to make the pieces smaller.

      Reply
      • marie

        January 06, 2016 at 10:51 am

        Does it happen with any brand you use? I don't think I've had this problem before. But using the food processor is a good idea!

        Reply
    5. JJ

      January 11, 2016 at 6:56 pm

      Where's all the spice? This seems great but chili has cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and if you like even bayleaf, juniper, fennel, thyme, oregano...
      Will definitely try, but will also definitely add spice 😉

      Reply
      • marie

        January 12, 2016 at 10:17 am

        It's not a traditional chili, that's for sure 🙂

        Reply
    6. Teri

      January 15, 2016 at 8:12 pm

      My husband and I really love this recipe. I never drain the beans and it turns out just fine.

      Reply
      • marie

        January 18, 2016 at 1:16 pm

        I'm glad to hear it! Less prep time, even better 🙂

        Reply
    7. Julie

      February 02, 2016 at 12:54 pm

      Can you use Chili powder instead of flakes? How spicy is this with the chili flakes? Will kids eat it?

      Reply
      • marie

        February 02, 2016 at 8:03 pm

        It's not very spicy for my taste but to be on the safe side for kids, I would leave it out and maybe add a few flakes only in the adults' plates. And yes, you can definitely use chili powder instead 🙂

        Reply
    8. Dede

      September 05, 2016 at 9:38 pm

      I loved this recipe!! It's gonna b a perfect addition to my meal prep this week. ?

      Reply
      • marie

        September 15, 2016 at 12:48 am

        Yay so glad to hear Dede 🙂

        Reply
    9. Chris

      October 23, 2016 at 10:14 am

      I just wanted to tell you that I have made this recipe several times and absolutely love it. Quick, easy and tasty. Thanks for posting it.

      Reply
      • Marie

        October 23, 2016 at 7:31 pm

        So glad to hear that Chris, thank you! 🙂

        Reply
    10. Alexis

      October 30, 2016 at 2:53 pm

      I just wanted to say I just made this recipe and it was absolutely delicious!

      Reply
      • Marie

        October 31, 2016 at 1:12 am

        Yay so glad to hear that Alexis! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Alexandria

      November 29, 2016 at 3:28 pm

      IF you use fresh tomatoes how many (Roma) I like fresh veggies?

      Reply
      • Marie

        November 29, 2016 at 6:02 pm

        I'm not sure how many exactly but about 2 cups once chopped. So that would be maybe 5 to 8 Roma?

        Reply
    12. peggy courtney

      November 29, 2016 at 11:38 pm

      could you use canned pinto beans instead? are pinto beans as good for you as black beans

      Reply
      • Marie

        November 30, 2016 at 1:23 am

        Hey Peggy! Yes, you can definitely use pinto beans instead of black beans.

        Reply
    13. L.D.

      December 26, 2016 at 5:00 am

      Heck, when I make my chili I use ground turkey browned with some of the onion and chili powder, chili powder, garlic, 1/2 cup red wine, diced tomatoes with green chilis, dice one large onion and black, pinto, dark red kidney, and red beans, so take that Texas !!! I find if I over spice my concoction you can put a TBSP or two of peanut butter to buffer the heat. Toss this mess in a crockpot with some instant low sodium beef or chicken broth, around 4-6 cups put it on high for 4-6 hours for all the spices to meld. I'm goin' to make a batch today but this time I'm gonna add a TBSP of instant coffee, I've heard of using cinnamon too.

      Reply
      • Marie

        December 28, 2016 at 12:25 pm

        Sounds delish!

        Reply
    14. Mary Borowski

      October 09, 2017 at 11:39 pm

      Delicious, but I think the sodium content eliminates it as a healthy meal for those of us who have to watch our sodium intake.

      Reply
    15. Clarice

      November 28, 2017 at 3:42 pm

      Do you reckon ground chicken will work as well as turkey?

      Reply
      • Marie

        November 29, 2017 at 9:54 am

        Yes definitely Clarice!

        Reply
    16. Mary Lynn Bogdanovich

      January 06, 2018 at 8:19 pm

      Please tell me the saturated fat

      Reply
      • Marie

        January 10, 2018 at 2:22 pm

        I'm not sure, sorry but feel free to log the ingredients in a calorie tracker like MyFitnessPal or similar.

        Reply
    17. shirley

      January 29, 2018 at 5:48 pm

      sounds good I am sure you can use any bean you want they are all healthy.

      Reply
      • Marie

        January 30, 2018 at 8:14 pm

        You sure can!

        Reply
    18. Jaylovegoodcooking

      March 30, 2018 at 8:40 pm

      Hello! Loved ur recipe THANKYOU!

      Can it be frozen ?
      Also I would like to use it to make a copycat rest style enchilada for my bf( any tips) -I find the ones outside quite bland & would love to have any tips from a pro home cook like u
      TX in advance!

      Reply
      • Marie

        April 08, 2018 at 8:36 am

        Thank you 🙂 I've never tried myself but I'm pretty sure it can be frozen yes! As for the enchilada, I'm really not a pro myself - I think I've made enchilada once in my life but I know Gimme Some Oven has a great recipe: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/best-chicken-enchiladas-ever/

        Reply
    19. Jaylovegoodcooking

      April 08, 2018 at 11:08 am

      THANK YOU LOVELY 🙂 Im so glad Ive found your blog 🙂

      Reply
    20. Craig Dane

      October 11, 2018 at 2:52 pm

      Just wanted to confirm it is 440 cals. in ONE serving? 1680 in whole recipe? Seems like a lot for "healthy" turkey!

      Reply
      • Marie

        December 11, 2018 at 10:06 am

        It is. 440 calories for a meal is more than reasonable!

        Reply
    21. Rose Martine

      November 07, 2020 at 6:09 am

      This looks tasty but might I suggest that you swap cage-free organic for pastured organic. From what I know, it seems like a kinder option!

      Reply

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