Blue Ribbon Ground Turkey Chili

This Blue Ribbon Ground Turkey Chili is quite literally the best chili I’ve ever tasted. Rich, thick and hearty, it’s naturally low carb and gluten free. It keeps a low fat profile thanks to the lean ground turkey and also packs a serious fiber punch from the dark red and black beans.

And while I would love to be able to take full credit, sadly I cannot. This recipe belongs to my husband. He’s a really good cook. The only contribution I’ve made over the years is taste testing, providing feedback and helping it to evolve to what it is today – the perennial winner of our neighborhood’s Annual Chili Cookoff and a top-5 all-time family favorite.

This Blue Ribbon Ground Turkey Chili will warm you on the chilliest day and make you smile for no reason. It’s got enough kick to earn it’s title, but not nearly enough to scare away children or heat-sensitive people.

Like fine wine, it gets better with age. You can reheat it every night for a week and somehow it tastes better every time.

What’s in this Ground Turkey Chili

Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients in this recipe. You probably already have most of it on hand. The “bones” of this chili are made with ground turkey, beans, green pepper and onion. The rest of the ingredients are just spices!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Worcestershire sauce
• Chili Powder
• Garlic powder
• Paprika
• Cumin
• Cayenne pepper
• Onion powder + dried minced onion
• Garlic
• Salt & pepper
• Masa flour

One of the secrets to this Blue Ribbon Turkey Chili is the one little tablespoon of masa flour. Masa is simply corn flour. You won’t taste it in the chili, but it helps to really thicken it up. Masa flour is a great way to thicken up lots of dishes and still keep them gluten free.

How to Make Blue Ribbon Turkey Chili

It’s important to pay as much attention to the process as the actual ingredients. You’ll be seasoning it in stages, and the seasonings that you’re adding “to taste” are in addition to what’s provided in the ingredients list. Let’s walk through the process:

1. First, measure out all of the dry spices and put them together in a bowl.
2. Brown the ground turkey, seasoning to taste as you go. Don’t worry about the measurements when you’re seasoning – just have fun with it.
3. Then cook with onions and peppers, seasoning again as you go.
4. Finally, you’ll dump all of those spices that you had put in a bowl into the pot along with the tomatoes and beans.

Once it’s all done, just let it simmer on the stove or transfer it to a crockpot to keep warm for hours.

It will be ready to eat right away, but the longer you let it simmer the better it will be. Just be sure to stir it from time to time so that it doesn’t burn the bottom of the pot or slow cooker.

What to serve with Blue Ribbon Turkey Chili

We really like cornbread with our chili. Its sweetness is a nice balance to the bite of the chili. My recipe for Honey Cornbread can be found here. It’s super easy to make too.

I also can’t live without tortilla chips. And this Blue Ribbon Turkey Chili is perfect for scooping up with a nice, sturdy chip. My recipe for homemade chips is here, or grab a bag of sturdy corn chips from the supermarket.

The measurements below will give you a nice, big pot of turkey chili. Trust me, you’ll want leftovers. But if it’s more than you bargained for, it does freeze well. I can’t wait to hear what you think.

And when you make this Blue Ribbon Ground Turkey Chili, let me know about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!

For more comfort food recipes, try these:

• Creamy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Cheddar & Lager Beer
• Pesto Ricotta Stuffed Shells
• Hearty Chicken and Vegetable Stew

For more recipes using ground turkey, try these:

• Healthy Burrito Bowls
• Mom’s Sweet and Sour Meatballs
• Sheet Pan Nachos with Ground Turkey

Blue Ribbon Ground Turkey Chili

Lean ground turkey simmered with tomatoes, beans and spices to make a rich, thick and comforting meal

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 26 oz. box of Pomi chopped tomatoes
• 1 can dark red kidney beans with juice
• 1 can black beans with juice
• 3 lbs ground turkey 85% – 92% lean
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 2 Tbsp. dry minced onion
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp. masa flour
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 2 tsp. pepper
• shredded cheddar cheese for garnish optional
• sour cream for garnish optional
• diced scallions for garnish optional

Instructions

 

• In a large stock pot over medium heat, brown the turkey. Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder as it cooks. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. of the Worcestershire sauce. Remove from the pot.
• Add onions and peppers and saute until soft. Add the minced garlic. Season again with salt and pepper and cook until onion is translucent. Add the remaining worcestershire sauce, the spices and browned turkey to the pot, stirring to combine well.
• Stir in the tomatoes, beans and masa flour. Simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes and up to several hours.

Keyword dairy free, dinner, gluten free

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!