Packed full of hearty ingredients this easy turkey quinoa chili is filling and delicious! Garnish to your heart’s content with goodies like avocado, jalapeño and green onion!
I seriously love chili (and I hope you do do)!!
Seriously, I could go for a bowl of chili any day of the week, but especially now as it’s starting to get cold here in Newfoundland. I love when it’s so thick the spoon stands up, ya know? Nice and hearty!
I enjoy all varieties of chili (three bean chili, white chicken chili, lentil chili), but a particular fave is this ground turkey chili recipe. Not only does it taste delicious, but it’s also pretty clean eating and super hearty.
Why We Love Turkey Quinoa Chili
- It uses a leaner protein (turkey) compared to traditional chili
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Packed with yummy, nutritious ingredients, like black beans, veggies and quinoa.
- It’s straight up delish…the very best turkey chili recipe, if you ask me 😉
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Can I Freeze Chili?
Yep! I love making a big batch of this (even doubling) and freezing for easy weekday dinners.
If you meal prep on Sunday for the week ahead, this is a delicious recipe to add into the rotation.
To freeze simply place (cooled) chili into a vacuum seal bag, seal, place on a baking sheet, press flat and toss in the freezer (don’t forget to date and label).
If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, any freezer safe container works too!
Thaw when ready to enjoy! So for busy weekdays all you have to do is throw into a pot to warm and prep some garnish. Easy peasy!
Can I Omit Beans in Chili?
Yes! If you aren’t a fan of beans, it’s ok to omit them. With everything else that’s in this turkey chili recipe, like quinoa, it’s still super hearty.
Serving and Garnish Suggestions
I love chili as is, but if you really want to amp up your dinner a piece of cornbread for dunking or a side salad would be awesome.
This turkey chili also makes for some extra special nachos for weekend eats!
To garnish, I love any of the these:
- Avocado
- Green onion
- Slices of hot pepper
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Cilantro
- Shredded cheddar cheese
More Recipe Tips
Use ‘unsalted’ chicken broth to control the salt content.
If you can, use ‘no salt added’ black beans. If not, that’s ok (but always rinse and drain whatever you use).
Enjoy things a little spicier? Add more chipotle peppers or some cayenne. If you are so inclined Kevin is Cooking has great recipes for making your own chipotle peppers and adobo sauce.
Don’t have chipotle peppers on hand? Sub with 2 teaspoons (or to taste) of smoked paprika.
I love chili thick (and this one is). If you like things a little looser, add a little more stock.
This recipe calls for 1 cup of cooked quinoa. Before cooking, that’s about ⅓ cup of raw.
Not a fan of ground turkey? Ground chicken would work lovely instead!
More Ground Turkey Recipes You May Enjoy
- Ground Turkey Quesadillas – With lots of ground turkey, black beans and cheese, these easy quesadillas are great for taco Tuesday or any day of the week!
- Turkey Sloppy Joes – With ground turkey and lots of hidden veggies, these always make for a comforting, delicious dinner.
- Turkey Burgers – A tasty burger made in about 20 minutes! Garnish to taste with your favourite toppings.
Hope you love this turkey quinoa chili as much as we do!
If you make this ground turkey chili recipe, be sure to leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed! Thank you!
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Turkey Quinoa Chili
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa (about ⅓ cup before cooking)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce) , minced (or 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika or chipotle powder)
- 796 millilitre can whole peeled tomatoes , blitzed until smooth with immersion blender or mashed with a potato masher
- 2 to 3 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 2 bell peppers , cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 sweet potato , peeled and cut into small cubes
- 19 ounce can of unsalted black beans , rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn (or rinsed/drained canned corn)
Instructions
- Cook quinoa per package instructions and lay to one side.
- Meanwhile in a dutch oven on medium heat add olive oil. Cook onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add turkey, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, tomato paste, and chipotle peppers, Break up turkey with a wooden spoon and stir to combine. Cook 5 minutes.
- Stir in canned tomatoes and broth (start with 2 cups). Add bell peppers. Bring to simmer and cook uncovered (or cover ajar) for 15 minutes.
- Add sweet potato and black beans and cook 15 to 20 minutes uncovered (or cover ajar) and until sweet potato is tender.
- Add corn and cooked quinoa. Stir to combine and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add an additional cup of broth, if desired, if you want it to be looser. Portion and garnish, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use ‘unsalted’ chicken broth to control the salt content.
- If you can, use ‘no salt added’ black beans. If not, that’s ok (but always rinse and drain whatever you use).
- Enjoy things a little spicier? Add more chipotle peppers or some cayenne.
- Don’t have chipotle peppers on hand? Sub with 2 teaspoons (or to taste) of smoked paprika.
- I love chili thick (and this one is). If you like things a little looser, add a little more stock.
- This recipe calls for 1 cup of cooked quinoa. Before cooking, that’s about ⅓ cup of raw.
- Not a fan of ground turkey? Ground chicken would work lovely instead!
Nutrition (estimate only)
