This easy Turkey Vegetable Chili is serious comfort food for a cold winter day! Once the veggies are chopped, everything comes together in just one large pot or Dutch oven in 30 minutes. It's packed with lean protein, tons of veggies, and different types of beans. It's a healthier alternative to traditional chili and one of my go-to recipes in the fall and winter months! 😊
As a dietitian, I love the challenge of making healthy ingredients taste amazing. And this turkey chili is so hearty that even the picky eaters will enjoy it! I recently made some friends 3 different chilis to taste test and this was everyone's favorite! I hope you love it as much as we do! 😊
This healthy Turkey chili recipe is a budget-friendly meal for the whole family. It's a complete meal with a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. And a great way to get in your veggies. Plus, if you have leftovers it tastes even better the next day!
It's a great recipe to serve on game day or a perfect meal for busy weeknights during colder months. If you're looking for more chilis, try my Pumpkin Chili or Crockpot White Chicken Chili, delicious recipes for cold weather!
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
This Turkey Vegetable Chili is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Be sure to check the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
- Lean Ground Turkey - I suggest using 93% lean ground turkey, but if you want to cut back on fat, you can use 99% lean. You can substitute turkey with ground beef or ground chicken.
- Yellow Onion - yellow onion adds flavor and serves as the base of a great chili recipe like this one.
- Garlic - fresh garlic adds aromatics and antioxidants that support immune health!
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - you can use avocado oil if you prefer. Either one works great and both are heart-healthy options.
- Vegetables - this recipe calls for zucchini squash, red pepper, carrots, sweet potatoes, canned or frozen corn kernels, a can of mild green chiles, and a large can of fire-roasted tomatoes. Using a variety of vegetables is what makes this turkey veggie chili recipe SO flavorful and hearty. It also adds many different nutrients including dietary fiber for a healthy gut, vitamins A and C, and antioxidants that help support brain health and overall health. Feel free to use green bell peppers or yellow squash if you prefer!
- Beans - this recipe calls for 2 different kinds of beans - black beans and pinto beans. Pinto beans are a bit softer and will break down a bit in the chili. I love the texture they add, but if you like more sturdy beans use kidney beans instead.
- Chicken Broth - use low sodium broth to make it easier to control the saltiness of the chili.
- Blend of Spices - a combination of chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano is the perfect mix of spices for this chili. The chili does have a little kick! If you prefer less spice, cut back on the chili powder.
- Salt and black pepper - the perfect way to tie all the flavors together!
- Optional: toppings - add your favorite chili toppings! I love using diced avocado, salsa, green onions, a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream, and tortilla chips.
How to Make Turkey Vegetable Chili
Below are the instructions for how to make this Easy Turkey Chili recipe with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
Step 1 - Prep by chopping the vegetables including the onion, garlic, sweet potato, zucchini, red pepper and carrots. Drain and rinse the beans and corn. Do not drain the tomatoes.
Step 2 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven on medium heat on the stove top. Add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the garlic and seasonings until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey and break up the meat.
Step 3 - To the pot, add the veggies including the sweet potato, zucchini, red pepper, and carrots. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until meat is cooked and vegetables are softened.
Step 4 - Add the chicken broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, and green chiles to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes. Add more salt if needed. Remove from heat and add fresh lime juice (optional).
Hint: Meal prep for this recipe by chopping the veggies in advance!
Dietitian Tip
One of the best ways to ensure you'll eat your veggies is to make them taste great! And prepping a recipe in advance so it's ready to go when you are hungry is key. Make a big batch of this Turkey Veggie Chili so you have plenty leftover for lunch the next day - the flavor gets even better after a day or two!
Video of How to Make Turkey Vegetable Chili
Here's a video of how to make this recipe that I hope is helpful!
Variations
The best part of making a ground turkey chili at home is that you can customize it to your taste! Below are some ideas for you, but feel free to get creative and add your own spin on it!
- Spicy - add cayenne pepper or chipotle chili powder if you love spice.
- Kid friendly - this chili is a great meal for the whole family, but it does have a bit of a kick. Cut the amount of chili powder in half if you or anyone you're feeding is sensitive to spice!
- Deluxe - feel free to add another can of beans or extra veggies to make this recipe even heartier. I love to add oven roasted diced eggplant!
Storage for Turkey Vegetable Chili
Store leftover turkey veggie chili for later using the tips below.
- Refrigerator - let the turkey veggie cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. To meal prep, portion it into containers you can grab-and-go the next day.
- Freezer - store in a freezer-safe container for up to 4 months. Be sure to put the date on the freezer container so you remember when you made it! Thaw frozen chili in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Expert Tips
- I like to chop the vegetables into very small pieces for this recipe.
- If you like your chili on the thicker side, cut back on the chicken broth and use 3 cups instead of 4.
- If you prefer a thinner chili, add a little bit of water - I suggest starting with half a cup and increasing up to 1 cup.
- Give it a taste test and add more salt as needed.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, this turkey veggie chili is a nutrient-rich option! It contains dietary fiber from the beans and vegetables to support gut health, lean protein from the ground turkey and plant protein from the beans, and heart-healthy fats that have also been shown to support brain health from the olive oil and beans. It also contains several nutrients including antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and E, potassium, and magnesium.
Yes, this turkey veggie chili is gluten-free!
Yes, this is a dairy-free recipe.
Related
Looking for more dietitian recipes like this? Try these!
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite recipes to pair with this Turkey Vegetable Chili!
Want to Learn about Nutrition?
Here are some educational articles from a dietitian!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram….I LOVE knowing there’s people out there trying out my recipes! 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Hearty Turkey Vegetable Chili, Dietitian Recipe
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey I use 93% lean (454g)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil (15ml)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced 1 cup (150g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced 1.5 cups (100g)
- 1 zucchini squash, diced 2 cups (280g)
- 1 carrot, diced 1 cup (70g)
- 1 small sweet potato, diced or ½ a medium sweet potato, 1.5 cups (200g)
- 1 (15.25 oz) can sweet corn, drained and rinsed or 1.5 cups frozen corn (432g)
- 1 (28 oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (793g)
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed (425g)
- 1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (454g), or kidney beans
- 1 (4 oz) can mild diced green chiles (120ml)
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth (960ml)
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prep by chopping the vegetables including the onion, garlic, sweet potato, zucchini, red pepper and carrots. Drain and rinse the beans and corn. Do not drain the tomatoes.
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven on medium heat on the stove top. Add the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the garlic and seasonings until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey and break up the meat.
- To the pot, add the veggies including the sweet potato, zucchini, red pepper, and carrots. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until meat is cooked and vegetables are softened.
- Add the chicken broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, and diced green chiles to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes. Add more salt if needed.
- Hint: meal prep for this recipe by chopping the veggies in advance!
Video
Notes
- I like to chop the vegetables into very small pieces for this recipe.
- If you like your chili on the thicker side, cut back on the chicken broth and use 3 cups instead of 4.
- If you prefer a thinner chili, add a little bit of water - I suggest starting with half a cup and increasing up to 1 cup.
- Give it a taste test and add more salt as needed.
- Refrigerator - let the turkey veggie cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. To meal prep, portion it into containers you can grab-and-go the next day.
- Freezer - store in a freezer-safe container for up to 4 months. Be sure to put the date on the freezer container so you remember when you made it! Thaw frozen chili in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Shawnna
Ok not going to lie, when I saw the eggplant as part of the ingredients list, I was a little apprehensive. Had never heard of it in a chili before and didn't think it really went with a chili recipe...but I went ahead and gave it a try and YUM! The chili came out so good and the eggplant was a great touch! not to mention how healthy and filling it is. So happy I tried it and will definitely be making it again! Two thumbs up!
Mallory
Ahh thank you so much for taking time to leave a review and for trusting me on the eggplant!! So so happy you loved it and will make it again. This is one of my faves.
Andrea
Used the smaller amount of chicken broth mentioned and half amount of chili powder. It turned out great and my kiddo lived it too!!
Mallory
Hi Andrea,
Thank you SO much for taking time to leave a review. I'm so happy that you and your kiddo enjoyed the recipe - it means so much to me! Those sound like great adjustments! ❤️ Thank you again! -Mallory