turkey and bean chili

 Hi Friends! I’m Nam from The Culinary Chronicles

When Jenna asked me to contribute a guest post for her, I was thrilled! I’ve been a longtime fan of Eat, Live, Run and was excited to share a recipe with you all.

I have to admit that I’m a sun and summer gal through and through. I live in flip flops & tank tops and get cold when it drops below 70 degrees. Yeah…I’m kind of a wuss like that.

So you can imagine my denial with the fact that the fall season is quickly approaching—bleh. But there is one thing that the fall brings that can help ease my pain and that is FOOTBALL!

And in this gal’s opinion, no tailgate or football celebration is complete without a big pot of chili. Hearty, spicy, and can be made a ton of different ways. Yes…true chili purists will say that “real chili” doesn’t have beans in it. But I think it’s delicious and adds a ton of flavor and texture to the party.

Depending on your heat tolerance or if you’re making this chili for the kiddies, you can adjust the spice amount accordingly. But since I basically grew up drinking hot sauce like water, I like to dial up the heat and threw in some chipotle peppers to the pot, too.

Served by itself, on top of chili dogs, or smothered over fries—–I’m sure this Turkey and Bean Chili will help you bring the fall season into your homes, too!

ps. It freezes beautifully!!!!

Turkey and Bean Chili

Serves 8

Print this recipe!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1½ cups white onion, diced

1 cup red bell pepper, diced

3-4 garlic cloves, finely diced

1 serrano chili pepper, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 pound ground turkey meat

2 tablespoons chili powder (or more, to taste)

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2-3 pinches cayenne pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (optional)

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

½ cup beer of your choice

1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. Cook the onions and bell peppers until softened—about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, serrano pepper, jalapeno pepper and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the turkey and cook while using a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink—about another 5 minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne—stir and cook for an additional minute. Stir in the tomato paste and chipotle peppers (if using) and then add in the diced tomatoes with its juices. Gently stir in the beer and beans and bring the mixture up to a slow boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer the chili partially covered, for about 30 minutes. Stir the chili every 10 minutes or so as it slowly thickens. Once it reaches your desired consistency, taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve the chili with additional cheddar cheese, chopped scallions, and sour cream.