Turkey Chili

July 12, 2023Teresa Ambra

Gluten Free Living – 2023

I made up a batch of Turkey Chili back in May. I had a lot of ground turkey in my freezers that I wanted to use up. The thing with using ground turkey is that it is extremely bland. It’s not good in an Alfredo sauce or milder sauces. It needs to be jazzed up in chili, spicy soups or well-seasoned spaghetti sauce where it absorbs the flavors.

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This recipe includes bacon grease to help flavor the meat, along with chili powder and chili peppers in adobo sauce to amp up the flavors a little. I also used cans of Mixed Chili Beans so there was additional seasoning from the beans. A little red pepper flakes and paprika added just the right amount of heat without being overwhelming.

John and I enjoyed that pot of Turkey Chili for several days. It was savory and delicious. It’s great served with cornbread or dinner rolls. But it’s certainly satisfying enough for a one-dish meal. If you’re trying to cut calories, try this great chili recipe with ground turkey instead of beef. It’s so good.

Turkey Chili is wonderful.

Serve with Cheddar cheese, Tortilla Strips, sour cream or fresh cilantro.

Every mouthful was delectable.

Here’s what I did.

I used these ingredients. I didn’t use all that turkey for this recipe.

Spoon bacon grease into a large Dutch oven. (If you don’t have bacon grease, use avocado oil or olive oil). Add onion and green pepper. Heat over low to medium heat.

Stir to combine and sauté until vegetables are just about tender.

Add ground turkey.

Use a hamburger masher to break the meat down into tiny pieces while frying.

Cook until turkey is completely cooked through and no pink remains. Turkey cooks up white in appearance while beef cooks up brown.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce.

Stir ingredients to combine.

Place chili powder in a very small bowl.

Add a little water and stir to combine.

Add chili powder mixture to chili mixture.

Add remaining seasonings and bay leaf.

Cover with lid and cook over low heat for about an hour.

Remove bay leaf.

Add chili beans.

Stir and heat through.

Add a little water if you feel the mixture is too thick.

Serve with cornbread or dinner rolls, if desired.

Turkey Chili is great with flavored Tortilla Strips on top. The seasonings from the strips add even more great flavor.

Ground turkey has to be used in recipes that have a lot of seasoning or it’s too bland. Chili is perfect for using ground turkey.

Cheese, cilantro and sour cream are always good with chili.

Here’s the recipe.

TURKEY CHILI

(My own concoction)

Turkey Chili

Teresa Ambra

Turkey Chili is one of those mouthwatering and irresistible chili recipes that's great all year round. This one includes ground turkey and is spiced up with Mixed Chili Beans, Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce and chili powder. It's wonderful served with cornbread or dinner rolls. If you enjoy chili, this lower calorie, gluten free version is marvelous.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 25

Course Main Dish, Soup, Stews and Chowders

Cuisine Tex-Mex

Servings

Calories 277 kcal

Equipment

1 large Dutch oven with lid
1 wooden spoon
1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
1 hamburger masher to cut meat down in small pieces while frying
measuring cups
measuring spoons

Ingredients

2 tbsp. bacon grease (drippings) or use avocado oil or olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 green bell pepper seeded and chopped
2 lbs. ground turkey
30 oz. can petite diced tomatoes with green peppers, celery, and onions (two 15-ounce cans)
6 oz. can tomato paste
2 chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce
1 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. garlic salt
1 tbsp. chili powder (dissolved in a little cold water)
1 bay leaf
1 cup water or, as needed
32 oz. can mixed chili beans (two 16-ounce cans, undrained)

Instructions

Brown onion and bell pepper in bacon grease in a large Dutch oven over low to medium heat.
Add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink.
Mash turkey down with a hamburger masher until the meat is broken up into small pieces.
Add remaining ingredients except the beans.
Reduce heat to low.
Cover chili with lid and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove bay leaf.
Add chili beans and heat through.
If mixture seems too thick, dilute with a little water.
Serve chili with sour cream, Cheddar cheese, tortilla strips or corn chips and fresh cilantro, if desired.

Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 29gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 1199mgPotassium: 1193mgFiber: 8gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1052IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 4mg

Keyword chili, chili beans, gluten free, ground turkey, main dish, turkey chili

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