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Comfort Food
The thought of Fall, Football and Chili make me feel warm and cozy. This is my FAVORITE time of year! I love making all the comfort foods and this 3-Bean Turkey Chili recipe is a favorite for sure!
I really love making this recipe on the stovetop as a one pot meal but often times I like throwing it in the slow cooker for convenience to serve. Either way you choose to make it, this chili serves up great for a big crowd and also makes great leftovers for a busy work week.
Sure, it’s easy to grab a few cans of chili from the store and heat them up, but I prefer to know what’s going in it and have control over the amount of salt etc. This is a healthier version of chili, but healthy doesn’t have to taste bad!
This 3-Bean Turkey Chili is great because it’s full of so much texture and color. I also add jalapeño for a subtle amount of heat that really warms up the flavors. You can also swap the jalapeño for a small can of diced and roasted green chilies. Either one works great.
After playing around with a good combination of beans, I found I really love black, kidney and garbanzo beans the best. They work well together and make for a really hearty chili.
Recipe Tips and Tricks:
-I do try and use organic beans and tomatoes whenever I can. If you can’t find these, a low-sodium option is best if you’re trying to control the amount of salt. The organic versions usually are already lower in salt. Just make sure to check your labels. I also make sure to drain and rinse the beans every time to have control over the sodium, and I don’t need the extra liquid in the chili.
-The reason I use the McCormick Hamburger Seasoning is because I feel it is just another level of flavor. It is a pretty basic seasoning so it doesn’t compete with any flavors. I like the all-in-one aspect of it. Don’t judge it until you try it. 🙂
-The addition of jalapeño adds good flavor. It doesn’t add too much heat since the seeds are removed. The seed is mostly where the “hot” comes in. If you prefer you can leave it out or swap for a small can of diced and roasted green chilies. These taste great too!
-Some great “add-ins” for this chili are green bell pepper or corn. I feel like those are optional ingredients since I have made it with and without them and I don’t think it changes the recipe much.
-The goal for “healthier” recipes is baby steps. If you can just improve a few ingredients it’s a win. Just swapping regular for organic is a great step. For another healthy recipe check out my spaghetti squash with homemade tomato sauce RECIPE.
Topping Ideas:
-Shredded Cheddar Cheese
-Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese (if you like a little extra heat)
-Sour Cream
-Nonfat Greek Yogurt (healthier option to sour cream but still so tasty!)
-Diced Green Onion (Scallions)
-Organic Corn Chips (Trader Joe’s) These are similar to Fritos brand.
3-Bean Turkey Chili
If you make this 3-Bean Turkey Chili be sure to tag me on social media and follow along for my latest recipes and wellness tips. You can find me HERE @motivate.educate.repeat or use the hashtag #MotivateEducateRepeat.
I hope you enjoy this chili as much as I do! Let me know how you like it and any of the variations you tried in the comments. I would love to learn something new! 🙂
3-Bean Turkey Chili
This is one of my favorite recipes! A hearty meal for any night of the week and a healthier version of a classic chili recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Lb Lean Ground Turkey
- 1/2 Large Onion, Diced
- 1/2 Red or Green Bell Pepper, Diced
- 1 Jalapeño, Minced (-OR- 1 small can of diced and roasted green chilies)
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 1 14.5oz Can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
- 1 14.5oz Can Garbanzo Beans, Drained and Rinsed
- 1 14.5oz Can Kidney Beans, Drained and Rinsed
- 2 14.5oz Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
- 1 8oz Can Tomato Sauce
- 1 1/2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 Tbsp Cumin
- 1 Tsp Coriander
- 2 Tsp Paprika
- 1 Tsp Garlic powder
- McCormick Hamburger Seasoning To Taste
Instructions
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Cut top of Jalapeño off and slice in half (end to end). Use a spoon to scrape out seeds. Mince jalapeño and garlic. In a large skillet pan or large soup pot (for one pot meal) add olive oil, onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic cloves, and some hamburger seasoning to taste.
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Add Ground Turkey to pan and cook thoroughly on medium heat.
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In a 5 Quart Slow Cooker, add browned turkey mixture. For stovetop version, just add all ingredients into the same pot as the cooked turkey meat. Next add black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, garlic powder, brown sugar and all spices. I usually add a little more seasoning at this point as well.
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Stir all ingredients to combine. Put lid on. Depending on the time you have, set Slow Cooker on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours -OR- cook on medium low on stovetop in large pot minimum 1 hour but up to 3 hours. The longer it cooks the better the flavors will be.
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Try not to lift lid during cooking process as it will add 30 minutes of cook time for the slow cooker every time you do. You want to keep the heat and steam in.
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When done, remove lid and stir throughly. Serve in a bowl and top with your favorite toppings. I usually do cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, and scallions (green onions). To complete the meal serve with cornbread and a salad. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. Will keep up to a week for best flavors.
This is some great Chili