Description
This hearty White Bean Turkey Chili is a flavorful, protein-packed dish perfect for a cozy meal. Featuring lean ground turkey, cannellini beans, and a blend of spices such as cumin, chili powder, and oregano, this chili offers a mild heat and creamy texture, enhanced by a touch of green chilies and optional toppings like avocado and shredded cheese. Whether cooked on the stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot, it’s an easy, versatile recipe for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 pounds 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chilies
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons chili powder (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 (15.5 ounce) cans cannellini or navy beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
Optional Toppings
- Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
- Diced avocado
- Cilantro
- Sliced jalapeno
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Chopped scallions
Instructions
- Prepare the pot: Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium flame. When hot, spray it with olive oil to prevent sticking and enhance flavor.
- Sauté aromatics: Add chopped onions and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring often, until they become soft and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Cook the turkey: Add the ground turkey to the pot. Break it up with a spoon and cook until it’s no longer pink and fully cooked through, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add spices and chilies: Stir in the diced green chilies, kosher salt, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes to toast the spices and develop their flavors.
- Puree beans and combine: Pour one can of the rinsed beans and 1 cup of chicken broth into a blender. Blend until smooth, then add this puree to the pot along with the remaining beans, broth, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer the chili: Cover the pot, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. This allows the chili to thicken and the flavors to meld perfectly.
- Finish with sour cream: Stir in the reduced-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and salt as needed.
- Serve with toppings: Ladle the chili into bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings such as shredded cheese, diced avocado, cilantro, sliced jalapenos, additional sour cream, or chopped scallions.
- Slow cooker option: For a slow cooker version, follow steps 1 to 5 but reduce the chicken broth to 1 1/2 cups. Transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Instant Pot option: To use an Instant Pot, reduce the broth to 1 1/2 cups and ensure you have an 8-quart pot or halve the recipe. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes, then release pressure according to manufacturer instructions.
Notes
- Based on user feedback about the chili being too liquidy, the broth has been reduced to 2 cups to achieve a thicker consistency.
- If you prefer a spicier chili, adjust crushed red pepper flakes and chili powder according to your taste.
- Using lean ground turkey keeps the chili lower in fat while still providing hearty protein.
- For creamier texture, pureeing one can of beans adds both body and thickness to the chili.
- Optional toppings add flavor and texture variety but can be omitted for a simpler, dairy-free version.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 470mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
