This No Bean Turkey Chili recipe is easy to make with minimal prep. This delicious chili is flavor-packed, can be made in the slow cooker and is a great weeknight meal for the entire family.
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Ground turkey chili is one of my favorite dishes to enjoy when the weather gets cooler. Curling up with a big bowl of chili is my favorite way to warm up on a cold day. This chili recipe is the perfect vessel for all your favorite toppings.
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🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Easy to make. This no-bean chili is very easy to put together and can be made on the stovetop or the slow cooker, depending on how hands-on you want to be.
- Easy to customize. Beanless turkey chili can easily be customized with any ground meat and your favorite chili toppings. This delicious meal will quickly become a favorite recipe.
- Great for meal prep or making ahead of time. This is a perfect meal prep recipe to have ready to serve on busy weeknights. Check out my Weekly Meal Planning and Prepping Tips for more ideas.
🥘Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipe requires classic chili ingredients you will find in most recipes.
- Ground turkey- ground turkey is a leaner meat option. You can substitute it with lean ground beef, ground pork or even sausage.
- Peppers- I recommend a red and green pepper as well as jalapeño for some additional spice. You can also add in a can of green chiles like in my white chicken chili.
- Diced tomatoes- make sure there are no added flavors such as basil in the can. I like to buy diced tomatoes with no salt added so I can control the sodium content of the chili.
- Broth- you can use either chicken, beef or vegetable broth.
- Spices- this chili without beans requires several different spices including garlic powder, paprika and cumin.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
🔪Instructions
This chili recipe without beans can be made on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. You can find instructions for both methods in the recipe card.
Step 1: Brown the ground turkey. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then add ground turkey and cook until browned.
Step 2: Add the diced onion and peppers to the pan and cook on medium heat until the onion is translucent.
Step 3: Next, stir the remaining ingredients including chili seasonings into the pot and simmer for about 45 minutes.
Step 4: Serve with your favorite chili toppings and enjoy!
💭Recipe FAQs
The key to thick chili is to use less liquid and to let the chili simmer uncovered until it reaches your desired consistency. You can also add a tablespoon of cornstarch or flour to thicken.
Some great options are grains such as rice and quinoa. Lentils, edamame and even pasta make great additions.
If using a slow cooker, begin by browning the lean ground turkey in a skillet over medium heat and then add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker with the cooked turkey. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. More details are outlined in the recipe card.
Yes, while this is a no-bean chili, you can definitely add some black beans and/or kidney beans.
🥑Toppings
Enjoy this turkey chili as is on its own or top it with your favorite toppings.
- Cheese- cheddar cheese, Mexican blend cheese or pepper jack are great options.
- Sliced avocado
- Jalapeño slices- add even extra spice!
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro or sliced green onions
- Greek yogurt or sour cream- helps to cut the heat and adds creaminess to the chili.
- Crumbled tortilla chips add the perfect crunch!
👩🏻🍳Chef Tips
- Let the chili simmer long enough for the flavors to develop.
- If you want more spice, add more jalapeño or increase the amount of cayenne pepper.
- Feel free to add extra vegetables such as sweet potato.
- This is perfect to make ahead of time. Make it on Friday to serve for Sunday game day! It keeps well for a while in the fridge.
🥗Serving
Serve this chili with my Jalapeño Cheddar Jiffy Cornbread and Spicy Grapefruit Margaritas!
Storage and Reheating
- This recipe is perfect for meal prep and can be stored in the fridge all week long. It also freezes well and can be stored in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. Store in the freezer for a few months.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
More Soup and Chili Recipes
- Creamy Chicken Taco Soup (No Beans)30 Minutes
- Italian Pastina Soup35 Minutes
- Easy Broccoli Soup40 Minutes
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili35 Minutes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below—I’d love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Recipe
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Easy No Bean Turkey Chili
See the full post for extra tips and photos
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, deseed and diced
- 1 (15 ounce) can of diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can of tomato sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 cups chicken, beef or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Stovetop
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, then add ground turkey and brown while crumbling with a spatula, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the diced onion, bell peppers and jalapeño to the pan. Stir and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic, a can of diced tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce. Stir to combine.
- Stir in the spices, salt, black pepper and broth. Bring the chili to a simmer. Turn down the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 45 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, let cool for a few minutes and serve with your favorite toppings.
Slow Cooker
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add ground turkey and brown while crumbling, about 6-8 minutes.
- Turn off the heat then add the turkey to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
- Turn off the slow cooker and serve with your favorite toppings.
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Sarah's Tips
- Let the chili simmer long enough for the flavors to develop.
- If you want more spice, add more jalapeño or increase the amount of cayenne pepper.
- Feel free to add extra vegetables such as sweet potato.
- This is perfect to make ahead of time. Make it on Friday to serve for Sunday game day! It keeps well for a while in the fridge.
- This recipe is perfect for meal prep and can be stored in the fridge all week long. It also freezes well and can be stored in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. Store in the freezer for a few months.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Nancy Holt says
Just made this for dinner
I did add a can of kidney beans
Delicious and because I doubled the recipe we have leftovers for few lunches
Trish Harr says
So good! Brought this up for a ski weekend. The perfect apres meal.
Sarah Holt says
The perfect aprés ski recipe!
Rehoboth says
Excellent post