Turkey and Fresh Veggie Chili is a one pot wonder! Quick and easy and healthy too. Gluten free, dairy free and a great way to cut back on red meat, but still enjoy a filling meal.
This post was originally published January 2016 and has been updated.
Sugarbuttereggshamturkeypiecookiescookiescookiescandygravymashedpotatoesrollschocolatenutspumpkin is where I was living for the past two months. It’s time to make an effort to eat something on the healthy side! This Turkey and Fresh Veggie Chili is our new favorite dinner. It takes minutes to throw together and is loaded with good for you ingredients.
One item of interest, when I first published this recipe in January of 2016, I received so many comments from readers on Instagram saying they made this for their family and the kids LOVED it! I was caught by surprise thinking that adults would love this but the kids not so much because of the peppers, not true! There were many reports of families loving this recipe and asking for seconds.
We started off the new year with a little workout in the snow. Snowshoeing is something I love to do with Grant. It’s beautiful and peaceful and so fun to be out in the snow and sun.
January is probably the most difficult month of the year to live in Utah. The Christmas let down has settled in and it’s just plain COLD. The once beautiful snow is now coated with black along the sides of the streets and thick layers of ice are starting to develop in areas that don’t see the sun. Ugh. One wonderful bright spot in the month of January is cozying up in the kitchen and making dishes that fill us up and keep us warm!
This Turkey and Fresh Veggie Chili is perfect for curing winter blues. Ground turkey? I’m usually not a huge fan, although I do LOVE this recipe for Ground Turkey Enchiladas which remains among my favorite enchilada recipes!
I was going for something healthy and simple, colorful and fresh in this recipe. The problem with ground turkey- it’s kind of bland. You have to compensate with spices and flavors that really compliment the turkey. I choose many of the same flavors in the enchilada recipe mentioned earlier. Lots of fresh peppers, onions, garlic and cilantro make this turkey chili as appealing to the eye as it is to eat!
Instead of using a thickening agent that might add more calories, I whipped out one of my favorite kitchen tools, my immersion blender. KITCHEN TIP: I know. You’re thinking I don’t need that. I thought the same when my SIL gave me one years ago. In fact, it sat in the box, in my closet for about a year before I pulled it out one day.
The immersion blender is my secret weapon when I want to make gravy or sauces smooth without pouring into a blender. I use it all of the time for making dressings too. Stick it in the jar or bowl and pulse or blend. The beauty of the immersion blender is it can blend hot liquid without a mess or danger of the hot sauce spattering. If you don’t have one, you can buy the same one I have here.
You can make this Turkey and Fresh Veggie Chili early in the day and leave it in a slow cooker on low (see notes on recipe), or it can be ready to eat in thirty minutes for a quick mid-week dinner. Either way, I know you’re going to love it.
Turkey and Fresh Veggie Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 large onion
- salt and pepper about 1 1/2 teaspoons each
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground oregano
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Anaheim chilies chopped
- 1 each: yellow red and orange bell pepper (or any combination of colors)
- 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
- 1 can small red beans 15 oz
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (14.5 oz
- 1-2 cans chicken broth 14.5 oz each
Instructions
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Place turkey and chopped onion into a large stockpot.
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Cook over medium high heat, stirring often to make sure turkey does not burn.
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While cooking, season with salt and pepper, cumin, chili powder and oregano.
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Cook for about 5 minutes, breaking up meat a bit while cooking.
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Add garlic and cook for another minute.
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Add all of the chopped chilies and peppers to pot.
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Reduce heat to medium.
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Add the remaining ingredients.
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Using an immersion blender, place the blender into the pot of chili and pulse a few times to thicken the chili. You may also remove 1-2 cups of the chili and place in a blender until the chunks are gone, then pour the blended chili back into the pot.
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Simmer until ready to eat.
Recipe Notes
-This recipe can be served immediately after making or left to simmer all day. If served immediately, the vegetables will remain bright, if simmered for a long period of time, the vegetables will lose their color, but the flavors will intensify. -The chicken broth amount will vary according to how much liquid you would like to have in your soup/chili. You may also add a bit of water if you run out of chicken broth. Broth will give the chili a better flavor.-to increase the serving amount, you may add an additional can of beans without adjusting the other ingredients.
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This is arguably one of the BEST go-to recipes! I just fed a hungry group of 9 men for cards night.. huge hit! I always double the recipe. If I don’t serve it all, it keeps well and is almost better the next day! I like to add a can of diced green chiles and sometimes a jalapeño or two. This time I added a little sprinkle of cayenne for some heat.
Thank you so much for this great, easy, healthy, YUMMY recipe!
Thank you Molly! I’m glad you love this recipe. Thanks for reading ABK!
We made this recipe for Super Bowl Sunday and it was amazing! Most favorite chili recipe out there! We didn’t have anaheim green chilis so we substituted a can of mild green chilis, a can of creamed corn, and a can of hormel no bean chili and it was great! This is a great recipe!
Thanks Alex! We love this recipe and make it often for a quick dinner!
Made this tonight and loved it. Substitutions we did: 1 lb of ground hamburger instead of turkey. Added 1 whole zuchini diced, 1 cup of white mushrooms diced, added half chicken/half beef broth and 1/3 cup ketchup and omitted the beans (Allergy). I used 1/2 can mild green chiles and found it too hot for our liking! I added another can of diced tomatoes to counteract but still get a lot of heat in my mouth after a bowl. Next time would only do 1/2 TB or 1 TB max of canned diced chiles. (oh and blended 1/3 of it for thickness per Si’s suggestion.)
AWESOME, pretty, flavorful, quick meal. Will definitely make again (just with less heat).
Thanks, Si!
This sounds delicious, Liz! I love hearing all the variations people use for recipes. I might have to try this one. Thanks for sharing and for reading ABK!
xo
Si
Love the freshness of this!
Next time will try mashing the beans before I toss them in instead of tge immersion blender step.
My husband doesn’t like
peppers so I get this all to myself 😉
I love that idea of mashing the beans before putting them in. All the fresh flavors in this recipe make such a difference. Thanks for sharing!
Si
I love this recipe!! I’ve recently undergone several dietary changes to try and help us on our fertility journey. It has been HARD. I thought I ate a well balanced diet before—so coming up with dinners that eliminate SO many food groups is tricky. Especially trying to balance my needs with my little families for dinner. This is one meal where I’m never left wanting—and my family doesn’t feel like they are giving anything up either. Thanks Si!
Another winner dinner! The flavors were perfect and very easy to make. Thank you @abountifulkitchen for another great recipe!
Thank you Jann! Glad you loved this too!
XO
Si
This is my new favorite recipe for chili! Instead of ground turkey, I used Italian ground turkey for a richer flavor in the meat. All the veggies plus the beans make this super healthy, rich in color and flavor. Add ABK’s bread and it’s a winner dinner especially on those cold January nights. Definitely going to make this again and again and again 🙂
Thanks Si!