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Spicy Turkey Chili with Scallions

This slow-simmered ground turkey chili with scallions is spicy & delicious.  It doesn’t hurt that the turkey is a bit healthier for you compared to ground beef. 

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2  Tbsp  butter 
  • 3 large white onions  medium dice
  • 2 red bell peppers medium dice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2  fresh jalapeno peppers finely minced, seeds included if you want more heat
  • 2 28oz cans of whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 lbs ground turkey
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 5 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp  ground cumin
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp white granulated sugar
  • 2 15oz cans of red kidney beans
  • 1 bunch scallions (roughly 6-8 scallions) green tops removed, remainder sliced thin
  • Salt & freshly-ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Cook onions in vegetable oil and butter on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until soft & translucent.
  • Add the red bell peppers, and garlic cloves and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  • Add the minced jalapeno peppers, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  • Season onions, peppers, and garlic with salt & freshly-ground black pepper.
  • Blend the whole peeled tomatoes together with the tomato juice in a blender, or mash the tomatoes up with your hands.
  • Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes to the vegetables and cook on medium heat while you prepare the ground turkey, stirring frequently.
  • Salt the ground turkey.
  • Briefly brown the ground turkey in vegetable oil on high heat in a large saute pan, working in batches.
  • *Note: do not cook the ground turkey through at this stage--the meat should be lightly browned in parts, but undercooked overall.
  • When the turkey is browned, turn off the heat and pour in the ½ cup of whole milk and bring to a quiet simmer.
  • Cook turkey in milk until liquid has been absorbed by the turkey.
  • Add ground turkey to the tomato sauce and vegetable mix.
  • Add the chili powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and white granulated sugar.
  • Allow to cook for an additional 3-4 hours at a very gentle simmer, stirring frequently to ensure nothing gets stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  • Avoiding boiling the ground turkey during this cooking stage.
  • Add the cans of kidney beans and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
  • Add the sliced scallions at the end, prior to serving.
  • Mix through to ensure the scallions are evenly distributed throughout the turkey chili.
  • Taste and season one last time with salt & freshly-ground black pepper.
  • Serve over cooked white rice.
  • Garnish hot chili with shredded cheddar cheese, pickled jalapenos, sour cream, diced red onions, sliced scallions, and your favorite hot sauce.

Notes

Make a large batch and freeze it in freezer-safe plastic pint or quart containers. It can defrost in your fridge overnight, and tastes amazing reheated when you need a quick and delicious meal.