Easy and Healthy 30-minute Turkey and Pinto Bean Chili

This hearty Turkey and Pinto Bean Chili is made in about 30 minutes. It is healthy and packed with plenty of flavors. You can easily customize it to your family's tastes. Serve it with cornbread, tortilla chips, or saltine crackers.

Chili is one of my go-to meals in the fall and winter because it is easy and ready in 30 minutes. The ingredients are minimal, and I usually have all of them on hand in my kitchen. By far, chili is one of my family's favorite meals.

To make it healthier, lean turkey replaces higher fat beef or pork, and the amount of oil used is minimal. You can feel good about serving the chili to your family.

This hearty entree is loaded with flavor. You can adjust the spiciness by changing the amount of red pepper flakes you add to the chili.

If you want a more smokey flavor, add 1 teaspoon of chipotle chili peppers.

There is nothing better to warm you on a cold winter day than a bowl of turkey and pinto bean chili. During the fall and winter months, this chili will be a new staple in your dinner rotation.

Why you will love this recipe

• Dinner is served in under 30 minutes.
• The chili is made in one pot which makes clean-up faster.
• It is customizable.
• Made with pantry staples.
• Freezer friendly-make a double batch
• Since it is made with healthy ingredients, I feel good serving it to my family.

Ingredients for making Turkey Chili

• Ground turkey-any ground turkey will work in this recipe. You can substitute ground beef, chicken or pork for all or part of the ground turkey.
• Diced onions-add flavor to the chili. If you don't like onions, you can leave them out or use 1 teaspoon onion powder.
• Pinto beans-add flavor, fiber and protein to the chili. If you do not like pinto beans you can substitute black beans.
• Tomato sauce-adds flavor and color. If you do not have tomato sauce, substitute 1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes.
• Olive oil-used to cook the turkey and onions in. You can use any oil of your choice.
• Chili Powder-add flavor and a bit of heat.
• Cumin-adds a smokey flavor to the chili.
• Paprika-provides flavor.
• Oregano-seasoning.
• Red pepper flakes-provides heat to the chili. Use more or less depending on how much spice you like. If you do not like any spice, leave it out.
• Kosher salt

How to make chili

It takes only 30 minutes to make this protein-packed turkey and bean chili.

1. Start by cooking the ground turkey and diced onions in olive oil.
2. Once the turkey is done, add the spices.
3. Bloom the spices by cooking them for 30 seconds.
4. Add the tomato sauce and water and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
5. Add the beans and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

That's it! Perfect chili in under 30 minutes! Enjoy!

Common questions about making chili

The best Toppings for Turkey and Pinto Bean Chili

The following toppings are perfect on chili. Try a combination of them to make this delicious entree to the next level!

• Sour Cream or for a healthier option try Greek yogurt.
• Shredded cheese. Good choices are Cheddar, Colby Jack, Monterrey Jack or for additional kick try Pepper Jack.
• Diced white or yellow onions
• Sliced green onions
• Diced avocado
• Sliced jalapeno
• Minced cilantro
• Crushed tortilla chips

Storage Tips

Store the chili covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The chili can be frozen for up to 4 months.

To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Heat in a pan on the stove or in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until the chili reaches 165°F,

Substitutions

Try any of the following substitutions to change or customize your chili.

• Use your favorite canned beans in place of the pinto beans. Black beans, red kideny beans and chili beans are all deliscous.
• If you don't have tomato sauce, substitute it with 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes.
• Substitute 1 14.5-ounce can of diced fire-roasted or diced tomatoes and chilis for the tomato sauce.
• Ground beef, chicken or pork can be substituted for part or all of the ground turkey.
• For a meater chili, add 1 pound of ground turkey for the can of beans.
• To make a vegetarian chili, substitute 2 14.5-ounce cans of your favorite beans for the ground turkey.
• For added flavor substitute turkey or chicken broth for the water.
• If the chili is not served to children, substitute beer for the water. It adds robust flavor to the chili.

Ideas for leftovers

Chilli makes great leftovers. Double the recipe and try some of the following:

• Top baked potatoes with chili.
• Drain the chili and serve the meat on tortillas chips and top the chili with cheese for loaded nachos.
• Top Fritos with chili to make Frito pie.
• Chili fries by topping French fries with leftover chili.
• Hot dogs to make chili dogs
• Combine leftover chili with red enchilada sauce and use the sauce on cheese enchiladas.

What to serve with chili

Cornbread goes great with turkey chili. It's my personal favorite. However, saltine crackers and tortilla chips are also delicious.

When I don't want to make cornbread and don't have tortilla chips in the house, I like to eat baby carrots with chili. I love the crunch, and they actually taste great with it. Plus, they are healthy and have fewer calories than cornbread or chips!

To round out the meal, serve a salad with chili. A Caesar Salad or mixed greens with a vinaigrette would make a nice addition and complete the meal.

I hope you try this recipe! Please rate it and comment below. I love hearing from you! ❤️

📋 Recipe

Easy and Healthy 30-minute Turkey and Pinto Bean Chili

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Gitta
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Entree
• Method: Stove top
• Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

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Description

This hearty Turkey and Pinto Bean Chili is prepared in less than 30 minutes. It is healthy and packed with plenty of flavors.  Make it for an easy and filling weeknight meal. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• ½ cup diced white or yellow onion
• ¼ cup chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, if you use table salt, only use ½ teaspoon)
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (use less if you do not like spice, use up to 1 teaspoon for a spicy chili)
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 14.5-ounce can pinto beans, drained

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. Heat olive oil over high heat in a large, heavy pot.  Add the ground turkey and diced onions.  Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent.  
2. Add the chili powder, dried oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes.  Stir to blend and cook 30 seconds.  
3. Add the tomato sauce, 20 ounces (2 ½ cans) of water. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
4. Add the pinto beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  
5. Serve chili in bowls topped with any of your favorite toppings. See notes.

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Notes

Suggested toppings for the chili

• Sour Cream, or for a healthier option, try Greek yogurt.
• Shredded cheese. Good choices are Cheddar, Colby Jack, Monterrey Jack, or for additional kick, try Pepper Jack.
• Diced white or yellow onions
• Sliced green onions
• Diced avocado
• Sliced jalapeno
• Minced cilantro
• Crushed tortilla chips

*  Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 231
• Sugar: 2.1 g
• Sodium: 527.2 mg
• Fat: 10.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 15 g
• Protein: 19.7 g
• Cholesterol: 52.2 mg

Keywords: Turkey, chili, turkey chili and pinto beans, healthy

There are links to Amazon for equipment that I use to make this recipe for your convenience. If you purchase the equipment, I'll receive a small commission. For more information, please read my policy.

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