The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
Make dinner-time easy with this chili recipe. Make it the day before you need it to have dinner ready on a busy weeknight or lunch throughout the week.
You can make six servings of this recipe for about $15.94. That works out to be around $2.65 per serving
This is the Best Turkey Chili Recipe
Everyone loves a warm bowl of chili on a cold day, but we may not love the extra calories of a traditional beef stew. We created this turkey chili in order to enjoy everything we love about chili without the added fat.
We use basic seasonings, canned food items, and ground turkey to make this recipe as simple and tasty as possible. In fact, it only takes about ten minutes to prep this chili which means you will have it ready in about an hour.
And the best part is that this recipe is made in one pot so you do not have a bunch of dishes to clean after making the chili. You can easily double the recipe and freeze half for later, as it is a freezer-friendly recipe.
Make this Ground Turkey Chili for a healthier version of chili. The taste is so good that even your pickiest of eaters will enjoy it!
You’ll love this Easy Turkey Chili
- Healthy option: Ground Turkey is lower in fat than ground beef, making this chili a healthier choice over beef chili.
- Comfort food: Chili is a cozy meal on a crisp fall night or chilly winter night, which makes this recipe an appealing choice.
- Crowd pleaser: This meal feeds a crowd and is always a favorite. Serve it at a potluck, on game day, or for a family gathering. You can easily double the recipe as well.
- Simple to make: You can throw this recipe together relatively quickly, making it a fabulous option for busy nights.
Healthy Turkey Chili ingredients and cost
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil – $0.36
- 2 pounds ground turkey – $7.64
- 1 large yellow onion – $0.45
- 3 large garlic cloves – $0.12
- 2 (15oz) cans tomato sauce – $2.00
- 4 cups chicken broth – $1.69
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin – $0.06
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder – $0.16
- 1 teaspoon oregano – $0.05
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper – $0.05
- 2 (15oz) cans black beans – $1.58
- 2 (15oz) cans kidney beans – $1.78
The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained. The pricing for this recipe was updated in November 2023.
Healthy Turkey Chili Recipe variations
- Instead of tomato sauce, you can use diced tomatoes or Rotel.
- In addition, you can use a variety of beans like chili beans, pinto beans, and garbanzo beans.
How To Make Ground Turkey Chili
***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.
- First, heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Then add onions and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Next, add in the ground turkey and drain when finished cooking.
- Finally, add in seasonings and stir the pot.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.
- Finally, adjust seasons to taste and serve with desired toppings.
Get kids involved in making this Easy Turkey Chili
Ages 2-3: Let them help stir all of the ingredients together in the bowl. They can practice using their muscles!
Ages 4-5: Have your kiddo practice math skills while counting and measuring out the ingredients to pour into the bowl.
Ages 6-8: Teach your child how to use a meat grinder and cook the ground turkey.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe unsupervised while you do the happy dance in the corner!
Storing and serving this Ground Turkey Chili Recipe
Serve: You can keep this ground turkey chili out for about two hours before it needs to be covered and stored in the refrigerator. Store: This tastes great on the first day and even better on the second and third days. Cover the chili and keep it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freeze: Cool the soup and then place it in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag. Freeze for 3-4 months.
Thaw & Reheat: Thaw at room temperature for 4-5 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Then, place the chili in a pot and heat on medium-high heat until warm.
Healthy Turkey Chili Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! You can use turkey in our beef chili recipe for a delicious meal. Or, if you have leftover turkey meat, chop it up and use it in this recipe instead of using ground turkey. Either way, it is still yummy.
Our top two favorites are kidney and black beans. However, you can easily substitute your favorite beans into the recipe. Pinto and Great Northern would work well.
No, ground turkey does not need to be cooked longer than ground beef. It is a leaner type of meat, so it will actually cook faster. If ground turkey is cooked for too long, it will become dry and tough, which is no good!
Generally speaking, turkey is lower in fat than beef, so turkey chili is typically healthier than beef chili, but it will vary depending on the additional ingredients you add to the chili.
As an example, one serving of this turkey chili has 261 calories and our beef chili has 601 calories per serving.
Ground Turkey Chili budget tips
We like to buy ground turkey when it is on sale and buy some extra to stick in the freezer until we are ready to use it. Or pull it out on a rainy day!
More Soups and Chili
- Instant Pot Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Leftover Ham and Bean Soup
- Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
- Leftover Turkey Barley Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Large Batch Chicken Noodle Soup
- Italian Harvest Soup
- Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- Taco Soup
More from Easy Budget Recipes
Healthy Turkey Chili
Recipe Cost 15.94 Serving Cost 2.65Equipment
- large pot
- measuring cups
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 2 15oz cans tomato sauce
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 15oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
FOR SERVING: (all optional)
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sliced avocado
- Diced red onion
- Tortilla strips
Instructions
- Heat oil n a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add oil and onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until onions are tender and translucent.
- Add in ground turkey and cook until thoroughly cooked. Drain and return to pot.
- Next add in garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper stir.
- Add in tomato sauce, chicken broth, kidney beans, and black beans.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for 30-45 minutes.
- Adjust seasons to taste. Serve with toppings (optional).
- Serve immediately.
Gina says
A classic recipe that has all the hearty notes of a good chili! Love it for chilly days when you’re craving a good cozy meal.
Renee Goerger says
Turkey chili is one of my favorites and this recipe tops my favorites. Thanks for the yummy new recipe! I’ll be making this a lot!
Jennifer Maly says
This recipe is delicious, but the serving size says 2C. I believe it should be 1C for the calories indicated.
Jess Jankowski says
So happy to hear that you love this chili as much as we do! Believe it or not, the nutrition calculator is based off of a serving size of 2 cups.
Sue says
If you really want to price this as a budget meal, you should show how to use dried beans. Much cheaper. And easier with a crock pot or instapot!
Jess Jankowski says
Great suggestion Sue!
Elizabeth says
This was delicious but I didn’t know when to add the garlic. Does it get sautéed with the onions or does it just go in raw?
Jess Jankowski says
So glad you enjoyed it Elizabeth! The garlic goes in raw.
*Add in ground turkey and cook until thoroughly cooked. Drain and return to pot.
*Next add in garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper stir.