Hearty Turkey and Three-Bean Chili

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (~1.5 cups)
• 2 bell peppers, any color, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 lbs lean ground turkey
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp kosher salt, to start
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups chicken broth

Build the Chili Base

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Once it shimmers, add the chopped onion and bell peppers. Cook them for ~5-7 minutes, stirring every so often, until they soften up. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the ground turkey to the pot. Break it apart with a spoon and let it cook until it’s browned all over. Don’t just cook it until it’s no longer pink; you want to see some color on it for better flavor. Drain off any fat that accumulates.

Bloom the Spices and Simmer

Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and kosher salt directly to the hot meat and vegetables. Stir constantly for about a minute; this step toasts the spices and deepens their flavor.

Now, add the kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, diced tomatoes with their juices, corn, tomato paste, and chicken broth. Stir until the tomato paste dissolves into the liquid.

Bring the chili to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer for at least 45 minutes. The longer it simmers, the better it gets. Check it occasionally and give it a stir.

Hearty Turkey and Three-Bean Chili

Getting a good, deep brown on the ground turkey is non-negotiable; otherwise, it just steams and ends up tasting flat. Using a mix of three beans gives the chili a more interesting texture than just using one type.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion ~1.5 cups, chopped
• 2 bell peppers any color, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1.5 lbs lean ground turkey
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp kosher salt to start
• 1 can kidney beans 15 oz, rinsed and drained
• 1 can pinto beans 15 oz, rinsed and drained
• 1 can black beans 15 oz, rinsed and drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes 28 oz
• 1 can corn 15 oz, drained
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups chicken broth

Instructions

• Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Cook onion and peppers 5-7 minutes until soft.
• Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
• Add turkey, break apart and brown well.
• Drain excess fat.
• Stir in spices and salt, cook 1 minute.
• Add all beans, tomatoes, corn, tomato paste and broth.
• Stir until tomato paste dissolves.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat to low.
• Cover and simmer at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Notes

Chili develops better flavor with longer cooking time. Can simmer up to 2 hours.