Make this easy No Bean Turkey Chili recipe for game day or busy weeknights. Top this low carb no bean chili with sour cream, cheese, and green onion or any of your favorite chili toppings!
One-pot
Minimal prep
You’ll Learn: How to add depth to chili with a secret ingredient
Worth It: It’s a satisfying, protein-forward option that actually keeps you full
Bonus: Easy to tailor to common diets
Fall and Football Season means turkey Chili for Dinner
This no bean turkey chili is the perfect companion to those chilly (no pun intended) fall days. Whether your favorite team is playing or you just really want a cozy bowl of comfort food, this turkey chili will warm your soul.
I used to think chili had to be an all day affair, but this recipe only takes a little over an hour, making it an easy weeknight dinner as well.
Toppings for this healthy turkey chili
My favorite toppings for this chili recipe with no beans include sour cream, sliced green onions or scallions, cheese, and sometimes even corn chips! I also love to serving this simple chili recipe with cornbread.
Kitchen Tools
- Cutting board and sharp knife
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid Measuring cup
- Dutch Oven or heavy bottomed pot with a lid
- Wooden mixing spoon
- Glass storage container for leftovers
Why cocoa Powder in my chili?
It may seem new to some people to add unsweetened cocoa powder to a no bean turkey chili, but it really brings a boldness to chili that is unbeatable. Adding the right amount of cocoa powder can boost the other flavors, enhancing the chili as a whole.
This is a very old tradition coming from Mexico and Central America! Just be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder.
Ingredients
- Oil
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Ground turkey
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Chili powder
- Salt
- Cumin
- Dried Oregano
- Cayenne
- Bell peppers
- Frozen diced butternut squash
- Crushed tomatoes
- Diced tomatoes
- Chicken broth
Ingredient substitutions
There are many ways to alter this simple chili recipe. You can use ground chicken or ground beef in place of the ground turkey. Also, you can swap the chicken broth for turkey broth or beef broth.
This is meant to be a chili without beans, but if you love beans in your chili, feel free to add beans before you simmer the chili.
How to make this vegan
You can easily make this no bean turkey chili vegan by using tofu or soy crumbles or even impossible meat in place of the ground turkey. Also, use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.
How to make this No Bean Turkey Chili
Step 1: Prepare and Cook the Aromatic Veggies
Dice the yellow onion and bell peppers and mince the garlic. Heat the oil in your dutch oven or large pot and add the onions and garlic to the pot. Saute these for several minutes, until fragrant and soft.
Step 2: Brown the turkey and add your spices
Add the ground turkey to your pot with the onions and garlic. Break the meat up as it browns. Add in the cocoa powder, chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Stir everything together.
Step 3: Add in remaining ingredients and simmer
Stir in the bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, frozen butternut squash, and chicken broth. Increase the heat to high and bring the chili to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce to low and allow to simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Serve with your favorite toppings
Allow the chili to cool slightly and serve with your favorite chili toppings!
Alternative cooking methods
You can make this turkey chili in a slow cooker or instant pot instead of on the stove top. In the instant pot you can saute the ingredients the same way you do on the stove top and then instead of simmering for an hour, set the instant pot to manual high pressure for 14 minutes.
To cook this in a slow cooker, saute the garlic, onions, and ground meat on the stove top. Then, add everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.
Storage and reheating
Allow the turkey chili with no beans to cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for up to three months.
Reheat on the stove top in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Heat until fully warmed through.
If reheating from frozen, you can place the chili in the sauce pan from frozen with a little extra broth.
Serve this delicious savory chili with a piece of cast iron cornbread.
Check out these other Comforting recipes!
If you’re looking for another protein packed ground turkey recipe, try this ground turkey meatloaf.
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
No Bean Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 2 bell peppers
- 12 oz bag frozen diced butternut squash
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Dice yellow onion and bell peppers and mince garlic. Set bell peppers to the side for later. Heat oil over medium low heat in a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot and place yellow onion and garlic in the pot.
- Saute for 4-5 minutes or until the garlic and onion is soft and fragrant. Add the ground turkey to the pot and increase the heat to medium. Brown the ground turkey and break into crumbles.
- Pour cocoa powder, chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano, and cayenne into the pot. Toss to mix the seasonings into the turkey, onion and garlic.
- Pour the bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, butternut squash and chicken broth into the pot. Stir to mix all of the ingredients together.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the chili to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and allow the chili to simmer on low for at least one hour, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat off and allow the chili to cool slightly. Serve with your favorite toppings!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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