White Bean Turkey Chili
White Bean Turkey Chili is hearty and healthy with lean ground turkey, white beans, fresh lime and plenty of spice! It’s gluten-free and freezer-friendly!
This morning was so cold and foggy that I wanted to stay indoors in my cozy clothes and skip spin class.
I sucked it up and went to class, and quickly went from freezing to feeling like I was in a sauna for an hour. I walked out to my car glistening with sweat, which resulted in being much colder than I was before class.
I was cold to the bone by California standards, and all I could think about was a big warm bowl of this White Bean Turkey Chili!
A big slab of my skillet cornbread certainly wouldn’t hurt either. 🙂
This white bean turkey chili recipe was inspired by Cooking Light magazine years ago. It quickly became one of my favorite recipes because it was unlike any chili that I’d ever had before.
Most chili recipes are tomato-based and include pinto and kidney beans, but not this one. The base of this recipe is chicken stock, and also includes white beans which are creamier and more mild in flavor.
If you love tomato based chili, be sure to try my recipes for pumpkin chili and chorizo chili. They’re both nice and hearty too!
There are several white beans on the market, including cannellini (or white kidney beans), navy beans and Great Northern beans. Any of these white beans are viable options, but I prefer cannellini beans for their creaminess.
The white beans play two roles in this healthy white turkey chili. The beans give the chili the heartiness that every chili needs and they work as a thickener.
Half of one can of beans is mashed and added to the chili, then cooked down for 20-30 minutes until the chili has reached the desired thickness.
Ground turkey is my favorite animal protein to use in my chili recipes because it’s got a lighter flavor and it’s nice and lean.
The ground turkey works perfectly in this recipe with the creamy white beans, chicken stock and warm spices.
What really sets this White Bean Turkey Chili apart is the fresh lime juice and cilantro that’s added at the end. This chili is hearty yet light, with a delicious pop of freshness!
Serve it with sliced avocado, extra lime wedges and cornbread, and you’ve got a meal that will warm you heart and soul.
It certainly did the trick for me. 🙂
Try these chili and cornbread recipes too!
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
White Bean Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 2 cans cannellini or Great Northern beans rinsed and drained
- 14.5 ounces low sodium fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 lime juiced, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté 5-6 minutes until onion is translucent and softened. Add the garlic and spices and sauté 30 seconds more.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 large yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the ground turkey and 1/4 cup water and stir, breaking up the meat into pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes.2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- While the turkey is cooking, mash one cup of the rinsed and drained beans in a bowl with a fork. When the turkey is cooked through, add the mashed beans, whole beans, tomatoes and chicken broth, and stir until combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly, and simmer 20-30 more minutes until thickened.2 cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, 14.5 ounces low sodium fire roasted diced tomatoes, 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- Remove from heat and add the lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lime wedges and avocado if desired and enjoy!1 lime, ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro, salt and pepper
Notes
- This is a great meal prep meal and it’s freezer friendly! Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
**This post was originally published in January 2013. I’ve updated the recipe and photos, but most of the text remains the same.
76 Comments on “White Bean Turkey Chili”
I made this for the first time a month before having our first baby – we immediately repeated it and doubled it to freeze! This is one of our favorite staples now. Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear that you love this recipe and congratulations on your baby! 🙂
Love it. Not a cilantro or lime gal. Forgive me but in my bowl, I add a smidge of butter and a dollop of hot sauce. OMG. Perfection. Thanks for the recipe!!
Cooking is all about doing what you like, and would never judge a person for adding butter and hot sauce! 🙂 I’m so glad that you enjoyed the chili!
Overall this was great! I did reduce the chili powder by half, and it was a little thin so added a jar of turkey gravy. Had with cornbread and coleslaw. Healthy and filling. Thanks so much for the inspiration! 💕
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing your feedback!
How can the serving size be 1 gram? Is that correct?
The recipe card automatically generated a “g” for grams…sorry about the confusion. The nutrition information is based on a total of 6 servings.
I read through all the comments but don’t see where anyone has used the instant pot. I can figure out everything but how long you would cook it once the turkey is browned…do you have any suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Jamie. I’ve never tried it in the Instant Pot, but it shouldn’t take longer than 5-10 minutes at High Pressure. If it looks thin from there, simply cook it on Sauté mode with the lid off until it’s thickened enough. Hope that helps and I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Wow! This came out amazing! It was so flavorful and my whole family loved it! The lime and cilantro were really a great touch at the end. Fabulous and healthy, I will be saving this for our dinner rotation! Thank you the great recipe!
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and I’m glad you love the chili! 🙂
Can I make this in a crockpot?
I’m sure you can but you’d have to cook the turkey on the stove top as listed, then you can transfer the turkey mixture to the crock pot. I have a crock pot turkey chili recipe that you can check out for cooking times, etc.
Can post the original recipe with the butternut squash?
I’m sorry but I’m not sure what you’re asking. Do you mean the separate recipe for butternut squash chili?
This recipe is amazing!!! I substituted tomato with zucchini per dietary restrictions and it was delicious!!! My husband and I both said we can’t eat regular chilli again.
M.
🤌🏻
I’m so happy to hear that you love it Michelle — thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback! 🙂
Was I supposed to drain the tomatos? Mine looks like a red chili
I never usually drain them as the liquid adds flavor. I’m surprised they turned the dish red…we’re they crushed tomatoes instead of diced?
Hi I was wondering what the serving size was to calories?? Thank you!
Sorry I just have a basic estimate — I did not measure the amount of chili.
Loving this recipe! We came across this as we were getting ready to welcome our baby – we ate it and froze a huge batch and ended up making in 2 more times before she arrived! One of our favorites now. Thanks!
This makes my day…thank you for the feedback!
Best chili recipe ever! Definitely will be a go to recipe!
I’m so glad you love it Wendy!
This is great, very tasty. I’ve made it with the ground turkey and another time with leftover thanksgiving turkey. Both great! Thank you for the recipe 👌👌😀😀
Thanks so much for your feedback and taking the time to leave a rating!
I created this today and it is great! I didn’t measure out the spices but other than that followed the recipe and will definitely make this again! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the chili Christina and thank you for the feedback!