Homemade Smokey Turkey Chili

As I mentioned in this post, we were all together with my family for a few nights over Thanksgiving, leading up to the big feast which meant we had to figure out a few yummy easy dinners for a group. One night my mom made two different batches of turkey chili, some salads and yummy rolls for dipping. I asked her to pass along how she made them, not from a set recipe but just a general direction and then I ended up cutting them in half and sort of combing the two for a franken-chili and it was pretty yummy. I think in the end it could have used a tiny more salt or some toppings because I was keeping it real simple that night and didn't add anything to it other than some chunked avocado. What I Used:

  • 1 lb ground turkey thigh (you can use breast but there's more flavor in the thigh)
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes which I crusted with my hands (my mom's chili called for canned diced tomatoes & tomato puree)
  • 1 can of kidney beans, rinse and strained (you could use any kind or make this an all bean chili by removing the turkey thigh)
  • 1.5 Tbsp chili powder
  • 3/4 Tbsp cumin
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire (I used The Wizard Vegan Worcestershire)
  • 1 Tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 Tbsp paprika
  • salt to taste

How To:

  1. In a large pot or dutch oven saute the onion over medium-high heat in oil until starting to turn golden/translucent. Add the minced garlic and stir for a minute or so.
  2. Add in the ground turkey, use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat down and cook it all the way through.
  3. While this is happening, decant the whole peeled tomatoes into a bowl and use your hands to crush them. Then add the tomatoes & the rinsed and drained beans to the pot.
  4. Add all of the seasonings (minus the salt) and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
  5. Give it a taste test and add salt or other seasonings if you want a bit more heat or sweetness.
  6. Let it simmer on low until ready to serve - the longer it goes the more flavor it will have.

*Note that leaving the lid off with make it thicken up so be mindful!