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One Pot Turkey Chili

There’s nothing like a big pot of chili on a cold day. If you’re looking for a really flavorful recipe that the whole family will enjoy — that comes together in one pot — this One Pot Turkey Chili recipe is for you.

For more ideas of what to cook, check out all of our recipes.

Chili in a yellow bowl with yellow cheese on top and the words "One Pot Turkey Chili" digitally written on top.

I love chili. It’s one of my favorite dinners. My mom used to make it a lot and I was always so excited when we would have it for dinner.

Now that I’m a grown up, I can make it anytime I want it. Which means I don’t have to wait for cold nights. I can make it any time of year.

But chili just tastes better this time of year, when you’re bundled up in long sleeves and a blanket at the end of the night.

Okay, maybe that’s just me.

But, whenever you feel like eating chili, this easy turkey chili recipe will be here for you. This great recipe is made in one pot, which means you only have one pot to clean up after dinner. And that’s, arguably, the best part. It also makes a lot of chili, so you’ll have leftovers to eat for dinner or work lunches the next day.

And it’s honestly even better the next day.

A bowl of chili with cheese on top and the words "One Pot Chicken Chili" digitally written on top.

If you want another chili recipe for the winter, our One Pot Chicken Chili is great. It’s made in one pot as well (the same one pot, actually), but with different ingredients. That one has corn and red and green bell peppers, which give it so much flavor.

One Pot Turkey Chili Recipe

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One Pot Turkey Chili Ingredients:

How To Make One Pot Turkey Chili:

Diced onions in the bottom of a Dutch oven.

Dice the onions into small pieces.

Heat a little olive oil in a Dutch oven and add the onions.

Quick note: If you don’t have a Dutch oven, a large pot works. I just prefer the Dutch oven because it holds the heat really well and cooks evenly. But any big pot will work.

Cook them about 10 minutes until the onions start to get soft and translucent.

Diced onions and garlic in the bottom of a Dutch oven.

Chop the garlic and add it to the pot.

Cook about a minute.

A wooden spoon breaking up ground turkey in a pot.

Add the ground turkey and start to brown it, which should take about five minutes.

Make sure to break it apart as it cooks so you end up with turkey crumbles, not a large chunk of meat.

A measuring spoon with dark liquid over a pan with a wooden spoon and meat in it.

When the turkey is cooked, stir in the Worcestershire sauce.

Quick note: If you wanted, you could use a different ground meat in this (either ground chicken or ground beef), however, you might have to adjust the seasoning a little bit if you change the protein.

Canned tomatoes poured on top of ground meat in a Dutch oven.

Add in the chili starter and the diced tomatoes.

Red and black beans on top of ground meat in a Dutch oven.

Drain and rinse the beans, then add then to the Dutch oven.

Water being poured from a measuring cup onto chili in a Dutch oven.

Finally, add the chicken broth.

Chili in a Dutch oven that's come to a boil.

Bring the entire pot to a boil.

When it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium heat so that the chili can simmer.

Stir in the salt, chili powder, and garlic powder.

Turkey chili in a Dutch oven.

Let the chili simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Turkey chili in a yellow bowl.

Serve the chili into bowl and top with your favorite chili toppings.

Personally, I add shredded cheddar cheese and crush in saltine crackers while I’m eating. Pete adds a dash of cayenne pepper to make it a little spicier. You could add a dollop of sour cream and serve it with tortilla chips if you prefer.

Turkey chili with yellow cheese on top in a yellow bow next to saltine crackersl.

One Pot Turkey Chili: Frequently Asked Questions

What canned tomatoes work best in canned chili?

I prefer using diced tomatoes in my chili. You end up with small chunks, which add a nice texture to the chili.

My mom prefers using stewed tomatoes in her chili. Those are larger, so you’ll want to break them down a little bit. They’re also a little sweeter than diced tomatoes because of how they’re prepared (slow cooked with sugar) before they’re canned. That extra sweetness is why most people like them.

Personally, I don’t prefer a sweet chili, so those aren’t my top choice.

What beans work best in canned chili?

I love the combination of kidney beans and black beans in chili. I think it’s the most classic paring. My mom, however, prefers pinto beans in her chili.

That’s the fun thing about cooking. You can make any changes that you want and make the recipe your own. So, whatever can of beans is in your pantry, use it. But if you’re going to the grocery store to buy ingredients for this meal, buy the kidney and black beans.

How can you store leftover chili?

​Let the chili cool to room temperature. Then, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay about three to four days that way.

To reheat it, you can either microwave it on high for 90 seconds or reheat it in a pot on the stove top until it’s heated through. Then, top it with your favorite toppings and enjoy.

Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes are a great dinner idea. Plus, after you make the sauce from scratch, you'll never buy a packet of mix again.

More Ground Turkey Recipes:

If you bought too much ground turkey and you’re wondering what to do with it, we have a few other ground turkey recipes for you. My favorite is our Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes. Our most popular recipe is Turkey And Rice Stuffed Cabbage Rolls.

You could also just freeze the extra turkey so you can make this chili again. Whatever works for you.

Yield: 6 Servings

One Pot Turkey Chili

There’s nothing like a big pot of chili on a cold day. If you’re looking for a really flavorful recipe that the whole family will enjoy — that comes together in one pot — this One Pot Turkey Chili recipe is for you.

Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 small onions
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 15 oz. can chili starter
  • 14.5 oz. can no salt added diced tomatoes
  • 15.5 oz. can dark red kidney beans
  • 15 oz. can black beans
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Dice the onions into small pieces.
  2. Heat a little olive oil in a Dutch oven and add the onions.
  3. Cook them about 10 minutes until the onions start to get soft and translucent.
  4. Chop the garlic and add it to the pot.
  5. Cook about a minute.
  6. Add the ground turkey and start to brown it, which should take about five minutes.
  7. Make sure to break it apart as it cooks so you end up with turkey crumbles, not a large chunk of meat.
  8. When the turkey is cooked, stir in the Worcestershire sauce.
  9. Add in the chili starter and the diced tomatoes.
  10. Drain and rinse the beans, then add then to the Dutch oven.
  11. Finally, add the chicken broth.
  12. Bring the entire pot to a boil.
  13. When it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium heat so that the chili can simmer.
  14. Stir in the salt, chili powder, and garlic powder.
  15. Let the chili simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 469Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 96mgSodium 1182mgCarbohydrates 40gFiber 12gSugar 5gProtein 36g

Did you make this recipe?

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Have you tried this One Pot Turkey Chili recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments.

Terri S

Monday 29th of February 2016

OHHHH!!!! This sounds so good! Thank you for sharing the recipe with us!

Yesenia Salgado

Friday 20th of February 2015

Yummy! I need to try this someday!

nicole dziedzic

Thursday 19th of February 2015

I have not made chili in quite some time, and with the cold weather it is the perfect time to make chili, great recipe!

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