Packed full of hearty ingredients this easy turkey quinoa chili is filling and delicious! Garnish to your heart’s content with goodies like avocado, jalapeno 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 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!
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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 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
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 (thinner), add a little more broth.
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
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!
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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 ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce) , minced (or 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika or chipotle powder)
- 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
- 19 ounce can of unsalted (or no salt added) black beans , rinsed and drained (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup frozen corn (or rinsed & drained canned corn)
Instructions
- Cook quinoa per package instructions and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pot or 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. Break up turkey with a wooden spoon (or something similar) and stir to combine. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in canned tomatoes and broth (start with 2 cups). Add bell peppers. Stir. Bring to a simmer and cook (with cover ajar) for 15 minutes.
- Add sweet potato and black beans, stirring in, and cook (with cover ajar) 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). Upon serving, garnish (if desired) with your favourite chili toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe calls for 1 cup of cooked quinoa. Before cooking, that’s about ⅓ cup of raw/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.
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 🙂