Jul 09 2026
Restaurants›The Monica›Homemade Turkey Chili Recipe

Homemade Turkey Chili Recipe

Inspired by The Monica
Time1h 20m
Serves6

Make Homemade Turkey Chili Recipe in just 1h 20m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Chili

Garnish & toppings

Method

Chili

  1. 1

    Prepare produce and beans

    Chop the onion and bell pepper into ~1/2-inch pieces. Mince the garlic. Drain and rinse the canned kidney beans in a colander and set aside. If using frozen corn, measure and keep ready. Open the crushed tomatoes and diced green chiles.

  2. 2

    Brown the turkey

    Heat a large heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil (2 tbs). Once shimmering, add the ground turkey (900 g) and break it up with a spoon. Cook 6–8 minutes until mostly browned with small browned bits. Season with 1 tsp black pepper as it browns.

  3. 3

    Sauté aromatics

    Push the turkey to one side, reduce heat to medium, and add the chopped onion (1 each) and bell pepper (1 each) to the cleared space. Sauté 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic (4 cloves) and continue cooking 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

  4. 4

    Add spices and tomato paste

    Stir in chili powder (2 tbs), ground cumin (1 tbs), smoked paprika (1 tbs), dried oregano (1 tsp), and cayenne (0.25 tsp). Cook 1 minute to bloom the spices. Add tomato paste (2 tbs) and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, to deepen the paste's flavor.

  5. 5

    Deglaze and simmer

    Pour in the chicken or turkey broth (480 ml) and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze and lift any browned bits. Add the crushed tomatoes (800 ml), drained kidney beans (2 cups), corn (1 cup), and diced green chiles (0.5 cups). Stir to combine.

  6. 6

    Season and finish

    Add brown sugar (1 tbs), bay leaf (1 each), and kosher salt (2 tsp). Bring the chili to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and chili thickens. Taste and adjust salt and heat: add more cayenne or chili powder if you want spicier.

  7. 7

    Final adjustments

    Remove the bay leaf. If the chili is too thin, simmer 5–10 more minutes uncovered; if too thick, stir in up to 120 ml more broth or water. Final seasoning: squeeze half the lime (reserve half for serving) over the chili and stir; add chopped cilantro (reserve a small amount for garnish) into the pot or use it only as garnish per preference.

Garnish & toppings

  1. 8

    Prep toppings

    While the chili simmers, shred the cheddar cheese (1.5 cups) if not pre-shredded, slice the green onions (0.5 cup), chop the remaining cilantro (0.5 cup total; reserve some for garnish), slice the avocado (1 each), and cut the remaining lime into wedges. Portion out sour cream (0.75 cup) and tortilla chips (2 cups).

  2. 9

    Serve

    Ladle the chili into bowls. Top each serving with shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, sliced green onions, avocado slices, and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips and lime wedges on the side for squeezing over bowls.

  3. 10

    Storage and reheat

    Cool leftover chili to room temperature, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently over low-medium heat on the stove, adding a splash of broth or water if thickened; stir occasionally until warmed through.

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