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This turkey white bean chili recipe is hearty, healthy, simple to make, and packed with flavor.
This recipe is pretty straightforward. It does need a bit of time to simmer, but most of that is largely hands-off, so this is a nice easy meal that’s perfect for weeknights. It also makes plenty of leftovers, so it’s a good option for meal prep as well.
You can’t go wrong with chili. I have a few other turkey chili recipes on my blog that you may also like, including this turkey sweet potato chili, my Crockpot turkey chili, this turkey pumpkin chili, and this Instant Pot turkey chili.
Cook a batch of this ground turkey chili on Sunday and you’ve got some easy meals for the week. No matter the weather, this is the perfect thing to warm up in the microwave at work when you’re freezing in an air-conditioned office. 😉 The protein in the lean turkey and white beans will keep you full for hours.
How to make turkey white bean chili
Start by sautéing the onion in a fairly large soup pot, then add in the turkey and “brown” it. Add in the remaining ingredients (except for sour cream and salt & pepper). Simmer for 15-20 minutes, then stir in the sour cream, season it to taste, and serve each bowl with your desired toppings.
(Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)
Recipe notes & tips:
- The sour cream provides a little bit of creaminess and a little bit of tang to the dish. I love finishing dishes off this way. You could skip it if you avoid dairy, but I do think it enhances the flavor. Half a block of Philly cream cheese would also taste great! Or use a half cup of heavy cream and add some lime juice for extra tang.
- The chili isn’t particularly spicy as-is, but if you do want to kick the heat up, I suggest either using spicy green chilis, adding a half teaspoon (or more) of cayenne pepper, or topping it with cut-up jalapeno peppers.
- You could swap the beans with a different kind of canned bean. Or throw in extra veggies if you happen to have some that need using up.
Turkey and white bean chili topping ideas:
Use any/all:
- Avocado
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime juice
- Tortilla strips
- Jalapenos
- Dollop of sour cream
- Shredded cheese (cheddar, Tex-Mex blend, Monterey Jack etc.)
More delicious chili recipes:
- Creamy White Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Easy Black Bean Chili
- Quick Chili Recipe
- Instant Pot Beef Chili
Questions about this white bean turkey chili recipe? Made this recipe? Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram and leave me a comment below.
Turkey White Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds extra lean ground turkey
- 1 (28 fluid ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 (4 fluid ounce) cans diced green chilies
- 2 (14 fluid ounce) cans white kidney (cannellini) beans drained
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional toppings: shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, cilantro, sour cream, etc.
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients. Add the oil and the onion to a pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes.
- Add the turkey to the pot, and cook it until it turns white (about 5 mins), breaking it up with your spoon/stirring it periodically.
- Add the tomatoes and remaining ingredients except the sour cream and salt & pepper.
- Once the chili starts to bubble, reduce the heat so it's gently simmering. Let it cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring it periodically.
- Stir in the sour cream and season with salt & pepper. Serve immediately as-is or with suggested toppings.
Notes
- I used mild green chilis, but feel free to use hot ones instead. You could also add some cayenne pepper if you want to kick up the heat.
- I found this chili to have plenty of liquid, but if you want a bit more, add in some chicken broth.
- Serves 6+ depending on how much you eat.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi there! I’m a big fan of your recipes and this was another great one! I really enjoyed this chili. I used ground chicken (Santa fe seasoned) instead of turkey (didn’t have any). Still came out so flavorful and delicious!
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂 And thanks for taking the time to write me a comment/review!
My husband and I really liked this dish. Great flavors!! He isn’t a big fan of ground turkey, but this dish sold him. So easy to make and we had a lot of leftovers too!
Well that’s great!! I’m so glad it was a hit. 🙂
Can I use leftover cooked turkey ground up?
I’d just chop it finely… I don’t really think you’d need to make extra effort to grind it up.
Recipe says “can of dried green chilies”. Should that be “can of diced green chilies”?
Yes! Thanks for catching that. Ugh, no matter how many times I proofread I still miss stuff!
Quick, easy, and tasty. The only thing I changed was adding a chopped yellow bell pepper because I can’t not add extra veggies to things, and I did add a little liquid, maybe 1/2 cup. It was delish, and I expect it to taste better tomorrow, as things like this often do. Thanks!
I’m so glad you liked it! Yup, chili definitely tastes better the longer you leave it. 🙂
This was came together so quickly! So comforting and delicious!
So glad you liked it!
This my second time making it ,quick and easy .Delicious
Wonderful! So glad you like it. 🙂
I made this last night and it was delicious. My husband and son aren’t fond of beans, so I opted to only add one can of beans. The chili was still hearty and full of flavor. My daughters (14 and 18) went back for seconds. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
I am so glad you all enjoyed it! 🙂
This recipe is a winner! My entire family enjoyed it…my hubby, 9 year old daughter and my almost-2 year old enjoyed it with white rice on the side. I did have to add about a half a cup of chicken broth. I am adding this recipe to my “go to weeknight meals”. The ingredients were easy (most of which I already had on hand), prepping was quick and it was ready to eat within 30 minutes. Yes! Thank you Salt & Lavender!
That’s awesome!! Thanks so much for leaving me a comment, Terryn! 🙂
Looks delish. Can the leftovers be frozen?
You bet!
Thanks! I made it tonight and it was delicious.
Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know. ❤️