Leftover Turkey Chili
Thick, rich, smoky, and spicy, this leftover turkey chili is packed with vegetables and shredded turkey. A great way to use up leftover turkey.
Ingredients
Turkey Chili:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder, see note on seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
- 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder, or chipotle
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, optional
- 1 28-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 10-ounce can diced tomato and fire roasted Hatch chiles, undrained, see note
- 1-2 cups turkey stock, or chicken, see note
- 4 cups shredded leftover turkey, see note
Optional Toppings:
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheese
- Green onions
- Diced red or white onion
- Fried onion
- Diced tomato
- Chopped jalapeno
- Fried tortilla chips or strips
- Avocado
- Cilantro
Directions
- In a large saucepan or stockpot, add 4 tablespoons butter and melt over medium heat. Add the diced onion and red bell pepper, increasing the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground cayenne, 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 2 tablespoons tomato paste. Mix and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Once the tomato paste and garlic are aromatic, add the 28oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (undrained), the 10oz can of diced tomatoes and fire roasted chiles (undrained), 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1-2 cups turkey stock. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced a bit, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the 4 cups of shredded or chopped turkey and partially cover. Continue cooking at a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced, and the chili has thickened to your desire consistently, about 30-40 minutes.
- If the chili seems too thick for your taste, or the liquid is evaporating too quickly, add some more stock and cover the pot while it cooks.
- Serve hot and add desired toppings.
Notes
1) Turkey – Get a good pile of turkey together and you can either shred it or chop it into chunks, both works great here. If you’re making this without leftover turkey from a meal, use a pound of lean ground turkey and cook it separately first. Cook and break it up in the same pot you’re going to make the chili and leave behind any drippings or fond, then add the butter and follow the rest of the recipe.
2) Seasoning – Increase or decrease the amount of cayenne depending on how spicy you like your chili. Using ground chipotle gives the dish a smoky and spicier flavor, while ancho chili gives a more smoky but slightly milder heat. I also typically use chili powder labeled “hot Mexican” or “dark”. If you don’t have these spices, you can also use a chili seasoning packet, but I can’t guarantee how those will work in this recipe.
3) Tomatoes – You can use fresh tomatoes if you like, but I love the flavor of the canned, fire roasted tomatoes in this chili. If you can’t find fire roasted, regular diced are fine too. If you cannot find the can of diced tomato and fire roasted Hatch chiles as pictured in the post above, you have other options. You can replace that with 4oz cans of roasted green chiles, Hatch chiles, or jalapenos.
4) Stock – I love using homemade turkey stock here. If you don’t have that, sometimes you can find turkey stock in the grocery store in the Fall, or just use a low-sodium chicken stock or even a vegetable broth. Start with 1 cup for a thicker chili, and up to 2 cups for a looser chili. Keeping the pot covered will also reduce how much liquid reduces as the chili cooks, so monitor it as it cooks for your desired consistency.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 bowlCalories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 19gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 672mgPotassium: 435mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gCalcium: 74mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
