Dad's Chili con Turkey

Sunday night meant Dad's chili con carne. This version keeps the soul of the original — deep flavor, slow simmered love — but swaps in turkey for a lighter, everyday kind of fuel. He cooked. We gathered. We remembered. Recipe adapted from Dan Churchill's "Dad's Chili con Turkey" in Eat Like A Legend.
PREP15 minutes
COOK45 minutes
SERVES4
SKILLEasy

Ingredients

THE BASE

  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot finely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk finely chopped
  • 1 yellow or white onion finely chopped
  • 1 moderately spicy fresh red chile finely chopped
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 lb ground turkey preferably dark meat
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) kidney beans drained
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 red bell peppers seeded and diced
  • brown rice for serving

Instructions

  • BUILD THE BASE — Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook 5–6 minutes until softened and fragrant.
  • ADD THE CHILE + TURKEY — Add the chopped red chile and ground turkey. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink.
  • SPICE IT UP — Stir in coriander, paprika, cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute to wake up the spices.
  • ADD TOMATOES, BEANS + STOCK — Pour in crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, and chicken stock. Stir well to combine.
  • SIMMER LOW & SLOW — Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer, the better.
  • FINISH + SERVE — Stir in diced red bell peppers. Simmer uncovered 5–10 minutes until tender. Serve hot over brown rice.

Notes

Chili tastes better the next day. Make a big pot, store the rest — future-you will thank you.
SLOW COOKER: After browning the turkey, add everything to a slow cooker. Cook on LOW 6–8 hours.
SPICE LEVEL: Love it hot? Add more fresh chile or a pinch of cayenne.
TOPPINGS: shredded cheese, green onions, sour cream or Greek yogurt, avocado, lime wedge
GOOD FOR YOU:
• High in protein
• Fiber from beans & veggies
• Iron + 8 vitamins
• Satisfies cravings without overdoing it
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