Turkey and White Bean Chili
Inside: The trick to making a perfectly layered, multi-dimensional turkey and white bean chili and the secret ingredient that takes this award-winning chili to the next level.
This turkey and white bean chili isn’t just a lighter alternative to traditional beef chili—it’s an award-winning recipe that beat out classic beef versions in a chili cookoff. Its rich depth of flavor comes from three types of green chiles: jalapenos, fire-roasted poblanos and Hatch, New Mexico green chiles. Tangy, citrusy tomatillos, ground turkey, hearty white beans, and a balanced blend of spices give this award-winning chili its irresistible taste.
Everyone should have one or two good chili recipes in their back pocket. Depending on my mood, I vacillate between traditional Chili Con Carne and Classic Cincinnati Chili with its traditional hints of cinnamon and chocolate. For Mexican styles, I recommend this Rich Beef Birria (not quite a chili, but just about), and for a meat-free version, I always turn to this Vegetarian Black Bean Chili.
However, this turkey and white bean chili is our #1 go-to recipe. It has long been a regular part of our fall and winter rotation. We love it for its rich, hearty flavors and noticeable but not overpowering spice level. The ground turkey makes it a chili that fills you with warmth and flavor but won’t leave you sluggish—perfect for a comforting meal any time of day.
This recipe is made with ground turkey (you can use lean or a slightly fattier blend), and we love it because the flavors develop without the time commitment of an all-day simmer. And this white turkey chili makes a big pot, so you can feed a large group — or have leftovers for days.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- It’s an award-winning chili that’s doable at home.
- This white bean turkey chili has well-balanced flavors and spice-level.
- It uses fresh, everyday ingredients.
- Easy to assemble on the stovetop.
- You can customize this turkey white bean chili to your tastes; make it mild or spicy.
- It can be made ahead, and leftovers freeze well.
Ingredients:
- Tomatillos–are also known as husk or Mexican tomatoes but shouldn’t be confused with green tomatoes; they are entirely different. Tomatillos have a papery husk and a mild, lightly tangy flavor and are prevalent in Mexican cuisine. I use them in my spicy salsa verde and this Avocado Salsa (salsa de aguacate) recipe.
- Chicken Stock from Rotisserie Chicken–or low-sodium canned broth for processing the tomatillos into a bright green sauce to season the chili with white beans recipe.
- Onion–I recommend either yellow or white onion, but you can also use red onion.
- Celery–as part of the aromatic base for the white turkey chili.
- Green Peppers–have a vegetal quality compared to sweet bell peppers and are a better option for this turkey chili.
- Jalapeño–Using the whole jalapeno with seeds and membranes adds a bit more spice to the chili. If you’re sensitive, omit the white membrane and seeds.
- Garlic–I used three large garlic cloves, or about 2½ to 3 teaspoons of minced garlic.
- Kosher Salt–I prefer Diamond Crystal kosher salt which is less dense by volume. If you have Morton’s, use about ¼ less salt.
- Ground Cumin–gives the white turkey chili a smoky flavor.
- Chili Powder–it’s not chili without it. You can use chipotle or ancho chili powder, or a chili powder blend.
- Cayenne–this spicy red pepper gives the turkey chili with white beans a pleasant spice. You can use more or less, depending on your tastes.
- Oregano–I prefer Mexican dried oregano. Fresh oregano can be too overpowering.
- Ground Turkey–I used dark meat turkey, but you can use ground turkey breast for a leaner, healthier white turkey chili.
- Dried Bay Leaf–perks up the flavors and aroma as the chili simmers. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
- Green Chiles–I recommend using fire-roasted New Mexico Hatch chilies if you have them. Otherwise, you can use canned green chiles or roasted Anaheim chilies.
- White Cannellini Beans–use the beans and their bean liquid. The liquid adds flavor and body to the turkey chili with white beans.
- Finely ground corn meal–or masa harina to add body and thicken the turkey white bean chili.
- Fresh Cilantro–Mix it into the chili and garnish each bowl with fresh herbs.
- Lime–added at the end, fresh lime zest and juice brighten the flavors with a tangy acidity.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse under cool running water. Give them a rough chop and transfer to a blender with chicken stock. Blend until you have a chunky-smooth purée.
2. Char the poblano peppers on all sides over a gas flame, or grill. If you don’t have access. Roast the poblanos in a 400° F oven for 25 minutes until they’re blackened. Transfer the blackened peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam.
3. Once the peppers have cooled, slough off the charred skins by running your thumb and forefinger along the poblanos. The skins will easily come off. Discard the skins.
4. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and chop. Set aside.
5. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the chopped onion, green pepper, celery and garlic. Cook until the vegetables have softened and become slightly translucent.
6. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, kosher salt and black pepper. Heat until the spices bloom and the mixture is very fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
7. Add the ground turkey and cook, stirring occasionally until the meat mixture is browned and well combined with the vegetables and spices.
8. Stir in the tomatillo puree, canned white beans, Hatch green chiles, and poblano peppers. Cook for 30-45 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent ingredients from sticking to the bottom. I (You want some liquid to dissipate to help the turkey chili thicken, but if too much liquid evaporates, cover the pot to simmer).
9. Stir in the cornmeal or masa harina to thicken the turkey white bean chili. Cook for one to two minutes, until it’s well incorporated and without lumps. Stir in the lime zest and juice, along with the freshly chopped cilantro, and serve.
Pro-Tips:
- Making the chili a day ahead allows the flavors to deepen. Make it to the point of adding the corn meal. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. The next day, heat the white bean turkey chili and season at the last minute with the fresh cilantro and lime.
- For a thicker potage, simmer for 30 minutes longer with the lid slightly askew, to allow steam to escape and/or add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of the cornmeal.
- This recipe is great for game day because it’s rich, hearty, and feeds many people. To set up a DIY chili bar for a crowd:
- Arrange bowls at one end of a buffet table, followed by the chili, garnishes and utensils so that guests can build their chili assembly-line style.
- Serve your award-winning chili in a slow cooker or crock pot set to low to keep it warm throughout the game. (A Dutch oven or cast iron pot will also hold in the heat for a long time).
- Roll utensils (we like large soup spoons or tablespoons) in napkins and stack them at the end of the buffet to grab-n-go.
Swaps and Variations:
- Add extra diced jalapeno pepper or more (¼-½ teaspoon) cayenne pepper for spicier chili. For less spicy turkey chili, remove the seeds and white membrane of the jalapenos before chopping and cut back on the cayenne pepper to ¼ teaspoon.
- You can use other proteins such as ground chicken for a white chicken chili, ground beef, ground pork or even bison instead of the ground turkey.
- Stir a cup of frozen corn into the turkey and tomatillo mixture before simmering. It adds even more body and thickness.
- Add diced Yukon gold, white-skinned potatoes or sweet potato before simmering for a bulkier stew.
- Substitute navy beans or small white beans if you don’t have cannellini beans. You can also substitute kidney, pinto beans, or black beans, which gives the stew a different look since those beans are darker.
What to serve with turkey and white bean chili:
- Salsa Verde–made from tomatillos and green chiles, salsa verde is a natural with this turkey and white bean chili recipe.
- Shredded Cheese–such as yellow or white cheddar, Oaxacan cheese, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack.
- Chopped Green Onion–a.k.a. scallions.
- Parsley or Cilantro–Freshly chopped is best.
- Ripe Avocado–sliced or diced
- Sour Cream–low-fat or full-strength!
- Jalapenos–thinly sliced or diced for sprinkling.
- Hot Sauce–Put out several bottles of different hot sauces for your guests to choose.
- Pico De Gallo–or diced tomatoes.
- Crumbled Queso Fresco or shredded Queso Blanco
- Tortilla Chips or Fritos.
- Warm Flour Tortillas–for dipping as they do in New Mexico and Colorado with a bowl of traditional “green”.
Make ahead:
- You can make the recipe one or more days ahead and reheat at the last minute. For the best flavor wait to add the lime and cilantro just before serving.
Storage:
- Store leftover white bean turkey chili in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. Reheat in a large saucepan or in the microwave.
- If you like to meal prep, divideitinto individual containers for the week. Use snack baggies or small resealable containers to hold your favorite extra toppings.
Reheating:
- You can warm the turkey chili in a microwave or over medium high heat in a saucepan.
Freezing:
- This recipes freezes well. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Defrost before reheating.
FAQ’s
Yes, you can swap red kidney beans for the white. Aesthetically, it won’t look the same, but flavorwise it will taste as good.
You can make this recipe in a crock pot. However, you’d need to saute the vegetables and brown the meat separately to combine all the ingredients in your slow cooker skillet, then cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low
You can make this turkey chili recipe as spicy or mild as you like… and this recipe has lots of layers of chile, so there are various ways to adjust the heat.
Omit the cayenne pepper. The way this recipe is written, it’s got a mouth-tingling heat. It’s not precisely “hellfire and damnation,” but if you’re spice-averse, you can skip it.
Cut down on the heat from the jalapeño by removing the white membrane and seeds (that’s where the spice is).
Hatch green chiles can be mild or spicy — so use the ones that best suit your tastes.
For a smokier, spicier dish, add one whole chipotle pepper in adobo and one teaspoon of the adobo sauce to the tomatillo and chicken broth mixture and pulse to combine. This will bring up the spice factor in the ground turkey chili.
More recipes with New Mexico Hatch Green Chiles:
More chili recipes to try:
- Green Chili Stew
- Chili For Chili Dogs
- Rich Beef Birria
- Chili Cheese Southwest Omelette
- Quesabirria Tacos
- The Best Chili Hot Dogs Recipe
Turkey and White Bean Chili
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- Dutch Oven or large, heavy pot
- Blender
- gas cooktop or gas grill optional
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE CHILI :
- 1 pound tomatillos peeled and quartered
- 2 cups chicken stock from rotisserie chicken or low sodium broth
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper diced (for more heat- keep seeds and membranes, for less, discard seeds and membranes)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 pounds ground turkey
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 ounces diced fire-roasted Hatch green chiles You can use canned chiles or freshly roasted
- 30 ounces cannellini beans with their liquid
- 2 tablespoons finely ground corn meal or masa harina
- 1 lime
- ½ cup cilantro chopped, + more for garnish
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
- Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- cilantro leaves
- avocado diced
- lime wedges
- sour cream
- green onion diced
- jalapenos sliced
- tortilla chips or Fritos
- hot sauce
DIRECTIONS:
MAKE THE TOMATILLO SAUCE
- Remove the husks from 1 pound tomatillos. Rinse them well under cool running water. If the tomatillos are large, cut them into halves or quarters and transfer to a blender. Add 2 cups chicken stock from rotisserie chicken and blend until you have a chunky-smooth puree, about 20-30 seconds.
CHAR THE POBLANOS:
- Place 2 poblano peppers over a gas stovetop or gas grill and char the skins on all sides until they are blackened. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside so the peppers can steam and cool to a comfortable temperature to handle.
- Once the peppers have cooled, run them between your thumb and forefinger to slough off the blackened skins. Remove the stems and seeds and discard. Chop the blacked poblanos and set aside.
FOR THE TURKEY AND WHITE BEAN CHILI:
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add 1 large onion, 2 stalks celery, 1 green bell pepper, 1 jalapeño pepper, 3 cloves garlic, and 1½ teaspoons kosher salt. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until vegetables are softened and fragrant.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons ground cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons dried oregano. Cook, stirring for an additional minute.
- Add 3 pounds ground turkey, breaking up lumps with the back of a wooden spoon. Brown the turkey while incorporating it into the vegetables. This should take 5-6 minutes or until the turkey is browned.
- Pour the tomatillo mixture into the turkey mixture. Add 1 bay leaf, 8 ounces diced fire-roasted Hatch green chiles, 30 ounces cannellini beans (2 15-oz cans) and the chopped poblano peppers. Stir to combine.
- Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30-45 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Thicken the turkey white bean chili with 2 tablespoons finely ground corn meal or masa harina. Stir it into the chili mixture until thoroughly blended and cook for 1-2 minutes to allow the corn meal to marry with the other ingredients.
- Add the zest and juice of 1 lime and ½ cup cilantro to the white bean turkey chili. Adjust for seasoning, adding salt, pepper or more spice if desired.
- Ladle chili into bowls and serve with optional accompaniments.
RECIPE VIDEO:
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
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Made this for my meal prep and I never tired of all the delicious flavors eating it everyday of the week! Love the insight on using tomatillos and the variety of chilis and pepper!
Hi – I plan to make this recipe. Instead of using the cornmeal as a thickener, do you think blending some of the soup in a blender and adding it back to the pot will be enough to thicken?
I don’t know if you’d want to puree part of the chili, but perhaps if you pureed some of the canned beans and added it back to the pot that would give you a silkier, thicker chili.
This recipe is delicious! Used 2 lb ground turkey + 1 lb ground beef, and added some jalapeno and banana peppers into the tomatillo puree. I didn’t have a bay leaf so just added a little extra oregano. Served over rice and black beans and topped with shredded cheddar and sliced avocado, with a side of corn bread. Perfect snow day lunch!
Wondering if I could make ahead and freeze
Yes, it freezes well.
Hi, quick question – the recipe calls for 3 pounds ground turkey, and it’s noted that you use one pound extra lean and one pound regular. What is the third pound?
Thanks for the catch. I use 1 1/2 pounds of each — fixed it in the recipe card.
I had 1 lb of tomatillos, 1 head of romaine, and 2 eggplants from my farmer share basket that I didn’t want to go bad. I used this recipe and added roasted eggplant and romaine to the sauce and it was fantastic! Great recipe, thank you for sharing.
So glad you liked it!
Making this again tonight, it so freaking good!
Winner, winner!!! Glad you liked it Marie!
I have canned tomatillos that I’ve been trying to find something to make with them. Can I substitute them for the fresh, maybe cutting back on the salt? It is a 28oz can. Drain or use liquid?
This sounds delicious and I can’t wait to make it.
Hi Cheryl – absolutely — the canned tomatillos should work perfectly in this chili. I would drain the tomatillos from the liquid — unless the liquid is very flavorful — if it is, it couldn’t hurt to use a quarter cup or so.
Gave my sister the recipe so she can make it!
Fantastic! Thank you!
I made this tonight,it was delicious. I will be making it again.
Glad you enjoyed it, Marie! We have this at least once a month usually beginning in the fall and going through the winter!
Thaanks,I will.
I’m going to make this tomorrow, I see corn meal in the ingredients. I don’t see it in the directions
It’s in step 5 — stir in beans and cornmeal… The cornmeal acts as a slight thickener. It gives body and texture. Let me know how you like it, Marie!
I’m always up for a good alternative chili, and this combo sounds fabulous. I cracked up at your note about only using one chipotle –accidentally use a whole can, and I think your mouth would just combust into flames. 😉
You definitely run that risk if you use the whole can!!!
I love tomatillos, they are so tangy and full of flavor. This recipe is sure to be a family favorite. Thanks!
Anytime I can find tomatillos at our farmers market — I load up on them… My husband thinks I’m nuts.
I think tomatillos have such a great tangy flavor, and I just saw gorgeous ones at the supermarket and passed them up ~ big mistake!
Can you run back to the store and grab some???
Turkey chili is seriously the perfect meal for a cold winter day (like today!). Nothing like warming from the inside out with a big bowl of tasty chili!
I completely agree! Even though I’m in South Florida — our weather is changing tonight and it’s going to be sweater weather tomorrow!
Chili is all about the toppings for me too! I never think to make it with turkey, so I’m going to have to try this. Bring on the Fritos!
Right On!