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Turkey Chili

I love soups and chilis, especially this turkey chili. Packed with protein and vegetables, and clean ingredients, this makes for the perfect meal on the go – while keeping you on track!

I usually make this chili with beans, but I left them out of this recent batch to make it Whole30 compliant. I love beans and the fact that you can’t consume them while following the program is difficult for me, but I honestly didn’t miss them in the chili.

For this batch of chili, I made a large amount so that I could keep leftovers in the refrigerator, plus store some in the freezer for an easy meal on the go!

If you want to make a smaller batch of this chili, I have revised ingredients below.

For the large batch of chili, you will need:

  • 2 pounds of ground turkey (I use 98% fat-free)
  • 1 whole onion, diced
  • 4 bell peppers, any color will do
  • 2 TB olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 TB chili powder
  • 1/2 TB cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 TB garlic powder
  • 1/2 TB onion powder
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5, 14.5 ounce cans on diced tomatoes, the kind with the NO salt added
  • *if you prefer beans in your chili, you can opt for a red bean, black bean or a white baby bean

For the smaller batch of chili, you will need:

  • 1 pound of ground turkey (I use 98% fat-free)
  • 1 whole onion, diced
  • 3 bell peppers, any color will do
  • 1 TB olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 TB chili powder
  • 1/2 TB cumin
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1 TB garlic powder
  • 1/2 TB onion powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3, 14.5 ounce cans on diced tomatoes, the kind with the NO salt added

To start, begin by prepping your vegetables by dicing them into small chunks. Next, heat up the oil on medium heat, add half of the diced onion and mix around. Then, add the turkey meat [or whichever meat you prefer] and sauté for seven minutes, or until the meat looks cooked.

Next, add the other half of onion and the diced peppers. Sauté that for three minutes, before adding in all the seasoning and bay leaves. Cook for another two minutes before adding in the cans of tomatoes. This is when you can add in the beans, if you are making this recipe with them. Cover the pot until this comes to a boil, still on medium heat. This should take about five minutes.

Once the chili comes to a boil, adjust the heat to medium-low and let the chili simmer for one hour. You can serve immediately, or turn off the heat and let the chili sit to stay warm until you are ready to serve. Enjoy with any of your preferred yummy toppings. I used cheese, but note that this was before I officially started the Whole30 plan, otherwise, you can kiss dairy goodbye for 30 days! Regardless, I love to serve my chili over some steamed cauliflower rice. So good – trust me!

Featured Dish