Easy Turkey Chili without Beans
Who doesn’t love a good bowl of chili on a cold winter day? I’m excited to share my favorite chili recipe with you today.
This recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd, and it’s sure to be a hit with both meat lovers and vegetarians alike. It’s great for a party or make a batch and freeze in meal-sized portions for a quick weeknight dinner.
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It’s a hearty and flavorful chili that’s packed with protein and fiber, and it’s easy to customize to your liking. Plus, it can be made ahead of time and reheated on game day, so you can spend more time enjoying the game and less time in the kitchen.
Just Right Spicy Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey I use 2 pd of meat because we like our chili pretty meaty and we don't add beans
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 1 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes
- 1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt (less is optional)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional if you don't want it as spicy)
- 1 16 oz can of red kidney beans (I don't use beans but you can it you want to)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stockpot on medium heat, add diced onions, and cook until translucent, stirring continually so they don't burn. Then add ground meat and brown. Drain if necessary.
- Add the garlic to the meat and onion mixture and stir for one minute. Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and let cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Nutrition
Chili Toppings
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Cheddar
- Green Onions
- Diced Sweet Onions
- Soup Crackers
- Chucks of Avocado
- Fritos
Chili Sides
- Elbow Noodles – Make it ChiliMac
- Corn Bread/French Bread
- Veggies and Dip
The Basics of a Great Chili Recipe
When it comes to making the best chili recipe, there are a few key components that you simply can’t overlook. Here are the basics of a great chili recipe that will have your guests coming back for seconds (and maybe even thirds!).
Choosing the Right Meat
The foundation of any good chili recipe is, of course, the ground meat. While ground beef is the traditional choice, don’t be afraid to mix things up by using ground turkey or even a combination of the two. For my recipe today, I’m using ground turkey.
Beans or No Beans?
Ah, the great chili debate: to bean or not to bean? While some purists argue that true chili should never include beans, others swear by the hearty texture and added protein that beans provide. Ultimately, the choice is yours. If you’re going for a more traditional chili, stick with pinto beans. If you want to mix things up, try using black beans or kidney beans instead.
We don’t like beans in our house so the choice is easy but we have family and friends who don’t eat meat and in that case, I make two batches. One is my recipe with meat and the other is my recipe with beans instead of meat and vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
Perfecting the Spice Blend
Last but certainly not least, the spice blend is what will take your chili from good to great. While every recipe is different, a good rule of thumb is to use three tablespoons of chili powder and one tablespoon of ground cumin for every pound of meat. From there, you can add other spices like paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder to suit your taste. Just be sure to taste as you go so that you don’t overdo it on the heat! Unless you want to up the heat level (we like spicy) then you want to add cayenne pepper.
By following these basic guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to creating the ultimate chili recipe. Happy cooking!
Another great cold-weather meal is a Dutch oven filled with Beef Bourguignon. When it’s a snow day and I can’t go anywhere I typically have time to cook up this beautiful stew.
Meet Me
Created by Lynn Vogeler, Small House Kitchen is a celebration of the joy found in mostly from-scratch cooking and the magic that happens when great ingredients meet limitless imagination. In our small house, we turn simple ingredients into extraordinary meals with big flavors.
You can find out about all of my other passions; decorating, entertaining, organizing, and gardening over at livinglargeinasmallhouse.com
A great way to remember this recipe is to save it to your Pinterest boards. You can find the pin button when you hover over the photo below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest
This sounds delicious! Sharing it on my Saturday Morning Gather.
Thank you my friend!
Omgoodness it looks so cold at your place! I love a good snow day and even though I work from home now, I still take those days off. Well, I sorta take them off! The chili looks amazing -pinned!
I’m always working even if there is snow but I like looking at it and building a fire in the fireplace. It’s all melted now and just ugly mud but supposed to be back tonight
This sounds amazing! Perfect for this cold rainy day. Hugs to you.
I made it on Sunday for Super Bowl so it was perfect!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. I love cold weather and having fires going.
Thank You Cindy – Thank you for sharing on our Fabulous Friday. I’m so glad that you are a feature this upcoming week.
This looks just about perfect!
Easy, Classic, Yummy!
Couldn’t agree more! Chili is the best on cold winter days! Hope you are enjoying being with your daughter and SIL.