Turkey Chili With Black Beans

Last Updated January 4th, 2024 at 11:31 pm by Lisa

Earning years of rave reviews, this one ranks in the all-time family favorites. This Turkey Black Bean Chili Recipe has earned the title of a great recipe. I have made and handed it out countless times over the years.

People love that you can make it in a slow cooker, a crockpot, or on the stovetop. A simple recipe for an easy dinner or party food idea to serve a crowd on big game days.

Whip up a big batch and top with cool sour cream. One of my favorite parts is the mixed the cheese and onions. Bake up some cornbread muffins, and you have warm cozy comfort food in a bowl...

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Why This Recipe Works

• Only one pot to clean.
• Cook on the stove!
• An easy slow cooker turkey chili recipe.
• It's a healthy turkey chili.
• An easy weeknight dinner.
• One pot meals save time.
• An easy turkey chili for beginner cooks.
• You can make it spicier if you wish.
• Freeze last night leftovers in an airtight storage container.
• An easy recipe that is fast to put together.
• Serve ground turkey chili at parties or on game days.
• The leftovers are incredible!

How To Make Turkey Black Bean Chili

All You Need...

ground turkey: Lean ground turkey is healthier than ground beef and gives a lighter flavor to the chili. You can swap in ground beef or ground chicken if you wish. You can also turn this into a vegetarian chili, just leave out the meat.

jalapenos: Can add a lot of heat..so go easy if you use a fresh jalapeño. I recommend finely diced canned jalapeños into very small pieces, taste them before adding. Watch the heat scale on the side of the can. Add just a tablespoon or so. You could also swap in chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for some smoky flavor. Another idea is to add ancho chili powder, but it can run really spicy so taste it first and add tiny small amounts. If the whole family doesn't like it spicy, you could just add some sweet orange bell pepper or red bell peppers.

butter: It is one of my top cooking secrets to building a winning flavor profile when sauteing onions, but you can swap in a tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil in its place.

beer: This is optional, if you don't want beer in the chili, it will be just as delicious. But a pub-style lager beer (try English Boddingtons if you can find it) adds something special and might just be my secret ingredient. You can leave it out or add an equal amount of chicken broth or stock.

black beans: Drain the beans, you don't have to rinse them but can if you wish. I prefer the size of black beans in this recipe, but you can substitute other types of canned beans like pinto beans, navy, or kidney beans.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups yellow diced onion (2 medium or 1 large onion)
• 3 pound ground turkey package
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 3 tablespoons regular chili powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 28 oz organic cans of tomatoes undrained
• 1 tomato paste
• 1 small can of green chilies (low heat)
• 2 organic black beans drained
• 12 ounces good beer Lagers give rich flavor-I use Boddington's or Longboard

Toppings

One of my favorite ways to eat a hot bowl of black bean turkey chili is to load on the toppings!

• grated cheese - Mexican 4 cheese blend
• sliced green onions
• sour cream
• tortilla chips

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Turkey Chili Recipe Instructions

1. In a regular slow cooker, simply add the butter and onions to the bottom of the pan. If you have a slow-cooker with the sauté function, turn it on medium-high heat or are using a large pot, saute the diced onion in butter until just turning brown scraping up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. This is not necessary but adds great flavor.
2. Next, add all 7 spices (cayenne, chile powder, garlic powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, black pepper, sea salt) to the onions, and stir for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add ground turkey, tomato paste, beer, tomatoes, green chiles, and black beans. Stir to combine.
4. Cook for 4 hours on low in Slow Cooker. Stir once an hour. Or cook on high for 2 hours, stir once an hour.
5. Stovetop: In a large pot, saute onions and 7 spices, brown ground turkey, add tomato paste, beer, tomatoes, green chilis, and black beans. Cover and cook for 1 hour on medium heat.
6. Stir and serve in soup bowls with grated cheese, sour cream, green onions, and tortilla chips.

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A Word On Slow Cookers/Crockpots

For years I owned an inexpensive ceramic crockpot that finally wore out. I replaced it, and learned that slow cookers have come a long way!

PRO TIP: Buy a slow cooker that has a browning saute function. What a game-changer. I upgraded to a Wolf Gourmet Multi-Cooker with a stainless lining. I love it, and it offers many other features like sous vide. But it is pricy, there are many models available now. The stainless lining was a priority so I chose this one. I LOVE to saute onions and spices first before adding all the other ingredients into recipes. I believe it is a great way to build a strong flavor profile, making you one heck of a good cook!

Turkey Chili Crockpot FAQ

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