Delicious and flavor-packed Turkey Black Bean Chili that is ready in less than an hour start to finish! Gluten-Free and Freezes Great!
This Turkey Black Bean Chili recipe is loaded with flavor and really easy to make! Very similar to my Butternut Squash Chili but made using ground turkey breast, black beans, some frozen sweet corn, and a mix of chili powders including Mexican and Ancho.
This turkey chili recipe was originally published in 2011 shortly after I started my website and it has always gotten rave reviews. In fact, one of my readers (Hey Kathleen!!) used this recipe in a charity chili cook-off and won 2nd place. How fun!!
Turkey Black Bean Chili Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Onion
- Celery
- Ground Turkey (or Chicken)
- Spices
- Canned Crushed Tomatoes
- Canned Tomato Sauce
- Black Beans
- Broth
- Frozen Corn
- OPTIONAL TOPPING IDEAS:
- Chopped or torn cilantro leaves
- Chopped green onion
- Chopped white onion or sweet onion
- Sliced jalapeños or Pickled Jalapeños
- Sliced or Cubed avocados
- Shredded Cheese
- Lime wedges
- High-quality corn tortilla chips
- Plantain chips
- our fav Cassava chips
RECIPE TIPS:
- TIME-SAVING TIPS:
- Use a food processor to save time chopping the garlic, onion, and celery.
- Buy already peeled garlic.
- Use canned beans.
- Keep the toppings simple!
- I used ground turkey breast meat. You can substitute dark turkey (thigh) meat OR ground chicken breast or thigh.
- This is a MILD chili. If you would like to have more of a kick, double the crushed red pepper flakes OR add in some finely chopped jalapeño along with the onion, garlic, and celery.
- Freezing:
- Allow turkey black bean chili to cool completely. If you want to freeze the entire batch for a future family meal, use a large freezer-safe container (I prefer glass containers). Otherwise, freeze in individual portions or double portions.
- Reheating:
- Reheat in a saucepan with a lid over medium-low heat OR in a microwave-safe bowl covered with a damp paper towel.
- How to adapt for the Instant Pot:
- Set your 6-Quart or larger Instant Pot to Saute.
- Follow instructions per the stove-top recipe below but use 1/2 cup of broth instead of 1 full cup.
- Set to high-pressure for 7 minutes. Allow for natural pressure release (can take up to 25 minutes).
- How to adapt for the Slow Cooker:
- Follow instructions but use a frying pan to saute the garlic, onion, and celery, transfer to slow cooker.
- Use the same frying pan to saute ground turkey breast, transfer to slow cooker.
- Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT for 1 cup of broth (omit).
- Cover and set to LOW for 4 hours.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Delicious and flavor-packed Turkey Black Bean Chili that is ready in less than an hour start to finish! Gluten-Free and Freezes Great!
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 5 medium garlic cloves chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 medium celery stalks chopped
- 1 pound ground lean turkey meat
- 3 Tablespoons Mexican chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1.5 teaspoons Ancho chili powder
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 whole dried bay leaves
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 3 cups cooked black beans if using canned, two 16-ounce cans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup broth vegetable, chicken or beef
- 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
Measure spices (chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes and bay leaves) into a small dish.
Rinse and drain beans (if using canned beans).
Chop garlic, celery, and onion.
If you want to use the food processor to save time, place garlic in first, process until finely chopped, add celery, repeat. Quarter peeled onion and place into the bowl of food processor with already chopped garlic and celery. Pulse until just chopped (you do NOT want the onion watery).
Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and celery mixture. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.
Add ground turkey, break up with a spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally until turkey is cooked through and no pink is showing.
Add spices, cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
Toss in drained beans, broth, tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes.
Bring to a boil, cover, keeping lid slightly ajar and lower to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in corn, cook uncovered an additional 15 minutes.
Top with your favorite garnishes and Enjoy!
- TIME-SAVING TIPS:
- Use a food processor to save time chopping the garlic, onion, and celery.
- Buy already peeled garlic.
- Use canned beans.
- Keep the toppings simple!
- I used ground turkey breast meat. You can substitute dark turkey (thigh) meat OR ground chicken breast or thigh.
- This is a MILD chili. If you would like to have more of a kick, double the crushed red pepper flakes OR add in some finely chopped jalapeño along with the onion, garlic, and celery.
- Freezing:
- Allow turkey black bean chili to cool completely. If you want to freeze the entire batch for a future family meal, use a large freezer-safe container (I prefer glass containers). Otherwise, freeze in individual portions or double portions.
- Reheating:
- Reheat in a saucepan with a lid over medium-low heat OR in a microwave-safe bowl covered with a damp paper towel.
- How to adapt for the Instant Pot:
- Set your 6-Quart or larger Instant Pot to Saute.
- Follow instructions per the stove-top recipe below but use 1/2 cup of broth instead of 1 full cup.
- Set to high-pressure for 7 minutes. Allow for natural pressure release (can take up to 25 minutes).
- How to adapt for the Slow Cooker:
- Follow instructions but use a frying pan to saute the garlic, onion, and celery, transfer to slow cooker.
- Use the same frying pan to saute ground turkey breast, transfer to slow cooker.
- Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT for 1 cup of broth (omit).
- Cover and set to LOW for 4 hours.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
UPDATE NOTES: This recipe for Turkey Black Bean Chili was originally published in December 2011 and was most recently updated in August 2020.
My bf doesn’t like onions, but you have to have them for flavor. I never would have thought of putting them in the processor to make such a fine dice – he can’t even find the onions, and I love the flavor. Between that method and your blend of spices, this is my new favorite chili recipe. Thank you!!
Awesome!! So happy to hear it 🙂
I tried this recently and I loved following along with your step by step pictures. I don’t think mine came out as good as I wanted though, probably because I overcooked it. Nonetheless, loved your presentation and will try to make this again for sure.
This was delicious, thanks!
So glad to hear it Susan!
I have my go-to Vegetarian chili-but this is a delicious increased protein alternative! Loved the spicy taste-my husband approved.
Awesome Pam! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
I love finding healthier alternatives for our family favorites!
Yes! It’s so great to find something everyone loves that is actually made with real food ingredients!
This recipe is so full of flavor! It’s a keeper for sure!
Awesome Christina!! Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know!
Definitely wins the award for best ground turkey chili in our family. Great flavor!!
Love it!!! Thanks for letting me know!
This chili is A+++
Thank you Anne!! So glad you loved it <3
This is our favorite chili recipe!! We always make a double batch and portion out for easy lunches.
Perfection!! I bet you are happy when you have your freezer stocked!
We’ve been making this chili for several years, since we found it on your website. Everyone who has tasted it just loves it, in fact we won a 2nd place trophy in the specialty chili division at a local charity chili cook-off! We, too, always double it to freeze and enjoy later. Thanks!
Wow Kathleen!! How cool – thanks so much for sharing my recipe with so many people 🙂
We probably make this recipe the most out of all of yours, and that’s really saying something! In fact, I always double it and freeze for later.
So glad to hear you are getting good use out of this one Scott! I need to re-do these pictures – they don’t do it justice 🙂
Very tasty chili and a nice bite at the end. We always take chili camping cause it’s easy, and I like the idea of seasoning it myself instead of using a packet of seasoning from the store. Off to Yosemite with my chili. Thanks again!
Great to hear Scott! Have a fantastic camping trip to Yosemite and a Happy Memorial Day weekend 🙂
Mmm, definitely a winter favorite in my house! I haven’t made chili yet this year and I think it’s about time I did! Love the use of black beans, for some reason I’ve never used them in chili — but I will!
Definitely time for some Chili! I usually love Pinto and Kidney Beans but the Black Beans pair nicely with the Turkey. Yum!
Would this still be so good if you use beef instead of ground turkey(out of it)?
Hey Deb! Yep, it would be fine but I would recommend using lean or extra-lean beef for this one OR straining the beef fat after sauteeing the ground meat.