Packed full of hearty ingredients this easy turkey quinoa chili recipe is filling and delicious! Garnish to your heart’s content with your favourite chili toppings or enjoy a big bowl as is.
I seriously love chili (and I hope you do too)!
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 favourite is this ground turkey chili recipe. It’s delicious and super hearty.
Why We Love Turkey Quinoa Chili
- It uses a leaner protein (turkey) compared to traditional chili.
- Great on its own or over fries (hello chili cheese fries).
- Packed with yummy ingredients, like black beans, veggies and quinoa.
- It’s simply delicious, the very best turkey chili recipe (if you ask me)!
Can I Omit Beans in Chili?
Yes! If you aren’t a fan of beans, it’s okay to omit them. With everything else that’s in this turkey chili recipe, like quinoa, it’s still super hearty.
Serving and Garnish Ideas
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
Tips and Variations
- Enjoy things a little spicier? Add more chipotle peppers or some cayenne. If you are so inclined, try 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 (thinner), add a little more broth.
- Not a fan of ground turkey? Ground chicken would work lovely instead!
More Ground Turkey Recipes
If you make this ground turkey chili recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
Turkey Quinoa Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa, about ⅓ cup before cooking (cook per package instructions)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce), minced (or to taste)
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, blend tomatoes with an immersion blender or roughly mash with a potato masher to break up before using
- 2 to 3 cups low sodium chicken broth, depending on how thick you want your chili to be
- 2 bell peppers, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1 (19-ounce) can no salt added black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels, or rinsed and drained canned corn
Instructions
- Cook quinoa per package instructions and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, stir, and cook 1 minute. Add turkey, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, tomato paste, and chipotle peppers. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking the turkey up into crumbles as it cooks.
- Stir in canned tomatoes and broth (start with 2 cups). Add bell peppers. Stir. Bring to a simmer, cover with lid slightly ajar and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add sweet potato and black beans, stirring in, cover (again, with lid slightly ajar) and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until sweet potato is tender.
- Add corn and cooked quinoa. Stir to combine and cook 2 to 3 minutes. If desired, add an additional cup of broth and heat through (if you want it to be looser or thinner).
- To serve, divide the chili into bowls. Garnish with your favourite chili toppings (if desired) or enjoy as is.
Notes
- This recipe calls for 1 cup of cooked quinoa. Before cooking, that’s about ⅓ cup of uncooked quinoa.
- I love chili thick (and this one is). If you like things a little looser (thinner), add a little more broth or water.
Nutrition (ESTIMATE ONLY)
Nutrition estimate (if provided) is based on 1 Serving.
Nutrition information (if provided) is provided as a courtesy and should be considered an estimate only. Ingredients can vary and Girl Heart Food makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are guidelines only.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Monica | Nourish + Fete
Girl this looks incredible! I absolutely love quinoa in chili, it adds the greatest texture, and the idea of pairing it with turkey sounds SO delicious. Making this on a cold day ASAP!
David @ Spiced
I’m a huge fan of chipotle, so this chili definitely needs to go on the list! I don’t know what it is, but chipotle flavors just go so well in soups/stews/chilis. Perfect for cold winter days! And I hear ya on wanting that spoon to stand up straight in the bowl…that’s how I like my chili, too!
Girl Heart Food
Same here! Love it! And you can’t go wrong with hearty chili on a cold day 🙂
Miriam
This recipe has so many things going for it – healthy, full of flavour and I love that you can freeze it as well. Those are my favourite recipes 🙂 A little bit of spice is great for this time of the year, warming you up from inside out. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend, Dawn ♡
Girl Heart Food
So true! Thanks Miriam! Hope you had a lovely weekend too 🙂
Marissa
Literally just made a shopping list to make this, Dawn! LOVE everything about it!! It’s exactly the kind of meal I’m craving right now!
Girl Heart Food
Yay! Hope you love it, Marissa 🙂 Thanks so much!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Loving this chili! Delicious with lots of goodness, too 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Thanks so much Jennifer 🙂
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings
I love putting quinoa in my chili! More protein! This looks like the perfect bowl of goodness for a fall evening.
Girl Heart Food
Totally! Thanks Karen 🙂
Kelly | Foodtasia
Dawn, you have so much yummy in this chili! I’ve made a big pot of chili two weeks in a row and have eaten it every day for lunch. It’s so healthy and so satisfying. I love how you added sweet potato and corn! The sweet must make a lovely contrast to the spicy and smoky peppers. I’ll have to give the quinoa a try. It looks like it makes the chili nice and thick.
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Kelly! The quinoa really does make the chili nice and thick – super hearty for a cold day 🙂
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
This looks so totally delicious Dawn! So perfect for the winter season ahead. And I love that it’s healthier than the regular chili. I’ll be trying this soon!
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Mary Ann! Enjoy 🙂
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
It’s finally getting (sort of ) cold here and I’m craving comfort foods–this sounds perfect. I love the addition of quinoa! And I love all your garnish suggestions; any time a dish calls for garnishes like avocado and jalapeños you can be sure my bowl will be filled with mostly garnish and just a little of the actual food :). Have a great weekend, Dawn!
Girl Heart Food
Lol! Love garnish too! Thanks Kelsie 🙂 Hope you had a great weekend too!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
I love my chili thick too Dawn! And a clean eating chili recipe is just my thing! I really enjoy the thickness that quinoa adds to this recipe and the sweet potato is a nice touch. We are definitely going to need all the warm, comfort food this fall in Newfoundland!
Kevin | Kevin Is Cooking
This looks delish Dawn and thanks for the mention here my dear! Been loving the comfort food soups, stews and chili season lately. 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Kevin! It was my pleasure! Love all kinds of comfort food this time of year 🙂