• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Modern Honey
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Top 20
  • Subscribe
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Top 20
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Soups

    Turkey Chili Recipe

    Published: Sep 10, 2019 by Modern Honey · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    561 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    The Best Turkey Chili Recipe Lean Ground Turkey, Seasoned Chili Beans, Tomato sauce, Spices and a few secret ingredients make this the best turkey chili recipe ever! www.modernhoney.com #turkeychili #chilirecipe #fall #fallrecipes

    The Best Turkey Chili Recipe

    Lean Ground Turkey, Seasoned Chili Beans, Tomato sauce, Spices and a few secret ingredients make this the best turkey chili recipe ever!

    This Turkey Chili Recipe is legit good. It is all about the two secret ingredients that put it over the top. Now I take chili making pretty seriously. I have been entering chili contests since I was first married and have won first place in many of them! You can find my Award Winning Beef Chili Recipe HERE.

    The Best Turkey Chili Recipe Lean Ground Turkey, Seasoned Chili Beans, Tomato sauce, Spices and a few secret ingredients make this the best turkey chili recipe ever! www.modernhoney.com #turkeychili #chilirecipe #fall #fallrecipes

    Since we are officially in September, we can start talking about Fall and tailgating food. I live in the middle of the desert which means it doesn't cool off until November but I like to pretend it is Fall weather here in Arizona. I am a diehard sports fan and we are flying up to Utah to cheer on our favorite college football team this weekend (and of course visit our daughter in college). I am counting down the days!

    The Best Turkey Chili Recipe Lean Ground Turkey, Seasoned Chili Beans, Tomato sauce, Spices and a few secret ingredients make this the best turkey chili recipe ever! www.modernhoney.com #turkeychili #chilirecipe #fall #fallrecipes

    Anytime we watch a football game, we make sure to eat some game food. A big bowl of turkey chili is one of our go to's during football season. It is so fun to serve a crowd since you can put out a big bowl of turkey chili and then all of the toppings -- cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, cilantro, jalapeño, avocado, and anything else you can dream up! It is such a comforting food and everyone loves a good bowl of chili.

    The Best Turkey Chili Recipe Lean Ground Turkey, Seasoned Chili Beans, Tomato sauce, Spices and a few secret ingredients make this the best turkey chili recipe ever! www.modernhoney.com #turkeychili #chilirecipe #fall #fallrecipes

    There are a few secret ingredients that set this turkey chili apart from the rest.  I believe that every chili should be full of flavor and have a base of sautéed onion, tomato sauce, and petite diced tomatoes. But the real flavors comes from the taco seasoning, chili powder, and the two secret ingredients -- Dr. Pepper (or Coke or Root Beer) and ranch dressing powder. It may sound a tad crazy but just trust me on this one! They are the game changing ingredients.

    I love to use ground turkey in this turkey chili recipe because it makes it leaner and cuts out some of the fat. This is a gluten-free, dairy free recipe and is full of protein and fiber.

    The Best Turkey Chili Recipe Lean Ground Turkey, Seasoned Chili Beans, Tomato sauce, Spices and a few secret ingredients make this the best turkey chili recipe ever! www.modernhoney.com #turkeychili #chilirecipe #fall #fallrecipes

    How to make the Best Turkey Chili:

    1.  Start by sautéing diced onions in olive oil. This is an important step to allow the onions to soften before adding the ground turkey. I suggest allowing the onions to saute until softened -- about 7-8 minutes.
    2. Add ground turkey. I suggest using 93% lean turkey so it has enough fat in it.  Saute it with the onions until no longer pink and completely cooked through. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.
    3. Stir in your favorite soda of choice -- Dr. Pepper, Coke, or Root Beer. I have tried this recipe with all 3 sodas, depending on what we have on hand at the time. This recipe turns out well every single time with any of the dark colored sodas.
    4. Stir in tomato sauce and petite diced tomatoes. I prefer to use the petite diced tomatoes. If you want a thicker chili, drain the liquid from the tomatoes.
    5. Stir in spices and more salt and pepper, if needed. Taste and check for seasonings.
    6. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro.

    If you want an amazing, award-winning Beef Chili Cook-Off recipe, click here. 

    The Best Turkey Chili Recipe Lean Ground Turkey, Seasoned Chili Beans, Tomato sauce, Spices and a few secret ingredients make this the best turkey chili recipe ever! www.modernhoney.com #turkeychili #chilirecipe #fall #fallrecipes

    The Best Turkey Chili Recipe Lean Ground Turkey, Seasoned Chili Beans, Tomato sauce, Spices and a few secret ingredients make this the best turkey chili recipe ever! www.modernhoney.com #turkeychili #chilirecipe #fall #fallrecipes

    Turkey Chili Recipe

    Modern Honey - www.modernhoney.com
    The Best Turkey Chili Recipe with two secret ingredients!
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 165 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 Tablespoon Olive or Canola Oil
    • 1 large Onion (finely diced)
    • 1 to 1 ½ lbs. Ground Turkey (I suggest 93% lean)
    • 1-2 teaspoons Garlic Salt (start with 1 teaspoon and can add more to taste)
    • 1 teaspoon Pepper
    • (1) 12-ounce can Dr. Pepper, Coke, or Root Beer
    • (2) 14 ½ ounce cans Tomato Sauce
    • (1) 14 ½ ounce can Petite Diced Tomatoes (drain the juice if you want a thicker chili)
    • (2) 14 ½ ounce cans Chili Beans
    • 3 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
    • 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
    • 3 Tablespoons Dried Ranch Dressing Powder

    Toppings:

    • Shredded Cheese
    • Sour Cream
    • Avocados
    • Green Onions
    • Cilantro
    • Jalapeños
    • Tortilla Chips or Strips

    Instructions
     

    • Heat large pot over medium heat and add oil. Heat for 1 minute and add diced onions. Let cook for 7-8  minutes or until the onions become softened. Add ground turkey and let brown, breaking up into small pieces as it is cooking. Season with garlic salt and pepper. 
    • Reduce heat to medium low and add Dr. Pepper, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes (if you want a thicker chili, drain the juice), taco seasoning, chili powder, and ranch dressing mix. Let simmer for 15 minutes. 
    • Stir in chili beans and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes. 
    • Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, avocado, tortilla strips, and sprinkle with fresh lime.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 27gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 573mgPotassium: 405mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 545IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword turkey chili recipe
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Soups

    • Taco Soup
    • Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
    • Creamy White Chicken Chili
    • Buffalo Chicken Chili

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sierra

      March 06, 2022 at 5:34 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious chili recipe and so easy to make!

      Reply
    2. Judy Bugg

      September 25, 2019 at 10:42 am

      My husband is anaphylactic to dairy, beef and pork. Does the dried ranch dressing have dairy? I love your recipes!

      Reply
    3. Bill

      September 21, 2019 at 6:24 pm

      5 stars
      I made two new recipes this week. Both of them were yours. The Turkey Chili turned out wonderful. What I liked the best was the ease. I made two minor changes. One, I didn't want to use my wife's Dr Pepper. I used Soda Stream to make their Dr Pete. It worked great. Second, I began cooking with the wrong beans on hand. So, I used one can kidney beans and one can pinto beans. OK so I am an idiot. But, it all worked great. I will definitely recommend to anyone.

      Reply
    4. Louie

      September 15, 2019 at 9:36 am

      4 stars
      I made this Turkey Chili last night and it was wonderful. Very easy and yes, I used a diet soda. It was a great dinner on a rainy Saturday night in Phoenix where fall is slow coming. Now I can't wait to make the Pumpkin Pancakes. Woot Woot!

      Reply
    5. Liza Snell

      September 11, 2019 at 8:02 am

      Could you use diet soda in this recipe?

      Reply
      • Bill

        September 21, 2019 at 6:26 pm

        Yes, I used Soda Stream

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Melissa Stadler Modern Honey

    Hi, I'm Melissa Stadler! I am an Award-Winning Recipe Creator. Cover of Food Network Magazine. Two-Time Pillsbury Bake-Off Finalist. I am passionate about sharing the best recipes so you have success in the kitchen!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Chinese Orange Chicken
    • The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
    • Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies
    • The Best Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe

    Recent Recipes

    • Passion Fruit Pie
    • Mint Chocolate Brownies
    • Greek Potatoes
    • Hummus

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    About

    Recipe Index

    Travel

    Contact

    Privacy Policy

    Contact

    me[email protected]

    Subscribe to my Recipes

    Follow

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Pinterest

    TikTok

    Copyright © 2022 Modern Honey