January 12, 2021

One-Pot Turkey Chili

Soup season is in full swing. It’s been rather chilly down here in Tennessee the last few days—as in, not even getting out of the 40s. To me, that’s perfect chili weather. More specifically, that’s perfect One-Pot Turkey Chili weather.

I wasn’t always the biggest chili person. Most of the time, they were loaded with beans, corn, and other ingredients I wasn’t wild about, that took away from the meat and other flavors. Also, I’m a wimp with spice, and a lot of chili I’d had was too spicy for me.

Then I learned how to make chili myself, and I’ve never been the same. Now, whenever cold, dreary winter weather hits, I can whip up a pot of chili just the way I like it, and I immediately feel better. Add some shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, and cilantro on top, and boom, that’s pure magic.

Why You’ll Love My One-Pot Turkey Chili

Easy ingredients. Chili isn’t meant to be too fancy or complicated. I kept this one simple with easy ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen—or if you don’t, they’re easy to get your hands on. I’m all about simplicity. Plus, no pre-made, store-bought chili seasoning. The flavors are from real spices and ingredients, not salt.

It comes together in about an hour. You can start cooking this chili later in the afternoon and still have dinner ready at a reasonable time. No need to let this one simmer for too long, or cook down in the crock pot.

Make it the way you want. I’m not the biggest fan of beans in my chili, but I want some for texture and taste. This way, I can add as much as I want, and the types of beans I want. In this case, I used dark kidney beans and mild chili beans. If you want to add in more vegetables, go for it.

Additionally, you can use whatever ground meat you prefer. I used ground turkey this time, but ground beef, bison, or even venison would work well here.

As the name suggests, you only need one pot to make it. Fewer dishes to wash is always good in my book! No extra mixing bowls or pans needed here.

It’s the perfect size for two people. My boyfriend and I can each enjoy a hearty bowl of chili for dinner one night. Then we have leftovers and can still enjoy some delicious chili for a day or two after. Mmmmm!

Here’s how to make One-Pot Turkey Chili

To make it, you will need:

Ground turkey (or meat of your choice)
Crushed tomatoes
Tomato paste
Beans
Yellow onion
Minced garlic
Paprika
Chili powder
Cumin
Coriander
Hot sauce
Salt + pepper
Olive oil

First, cook the onion. Dice half of a medium yellow (sweet) onion; it should be about 1 cup of diced onion. Add that do a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with some olive oil, and cook until translucent and starting to brown—about 10 minutes. Add a small amount of minced garlic, and stir until aromatic.

Cook the ground turkey. Add the tomato paste to the onions and garlic first, and stir to combine. Then add the ground turkey and cook through. It’ll only take a few minutes over medium heat.

Add crushed tomatoes and beans. Once the turkey is cooked through, add the crushed tomatoes and stir. If needed, add a cup of water or broth. You could even add some beer here, if you’re into that. Rinse and drain your beans, add them to the pot, and stir again to combine.

Add spices and other flavors. This is where you can really get creative with your one-pot turkey chili. Add whichever spices and flavors speak to you. For this recipe, I went with paprika, chili powder, cumin, coriander, a dash of cayenne, about 8-10 dashes of my favorite hot sauce, and a bay leaf. I like the earthiness that cumin and coriander add to the heat from the other spices and hot sauce. Of course, don’t forget salt and pepper.

Let simmer. It doesn’t take too long! I reduced the heat to low, covered, and let mine simmer for 10-15 minutes, which was just enough time for the flavors to combine and everything to come together. If you need to add more spices or flavors, do so now.

Serve it up and dig in! Ladle hot chili into bowls and top with your desired toppings. I like sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado chunks, and some cilantro.

Sounds pretty delicious and easy, right? I hope you’ll try this One-Pot Turkey Chili this winter, when you need an easy comfort dinner on a cold night. I’ll definitely be making it more than once again!

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