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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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We are iced in. I’m making this now but the only beans I have are garbanzo’s. Thoughts? Add or leave out?
I think I’d probably skip the chickpeas in this case.
I love love love this recipe! Instead of sour cream I add nutritional yeast to the chili at the end and it adds a wonderful cheesy flavor! The seasonings are so on point with this one.
I’m so happy you liked it!! 🙂
Fabulous recipe! Best turkey chili I’ve ever had!! The whole family loves it.
That’s so nice to hear, Gail! 🙂
Love this recipe so much
Thank you!!
I tried this and it was delicious. I was conservative with spices so it was mild, but next time I will add more. My household is small so I am freezing a large portion. The lime, sour creme, and corn bread are great compliments. It is a heavy dish good for winter.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it, Tamar! Thanks for your review. 🙂
My husband does not like beans. Would it ruin the recipe if I blended the beans?
It’ll make the texture a bit thicker, but I think it should be ok. 🙂 Let me know!
looks yummy–do you drain the chilies?
Hi! I don’t think that I did. They’re tiny cans and don’t have that much liquid in them anyway, so not a huge deal either way. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
This recipe could not be more straight forward, simple and delicious. It’s made with things I almost always have on hand and pantry items many cooks keep stocked. I prepped most of the ingredients morning of, which took maybe 10 min) and when it came time to make it it was a snap. I love that the cook times for each step are included, so helpful for me.
I didn’t have a second 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, so I added some tomato paste and water and all was well. I cut the chili powder to 1 Tbs versus 2 since my almost 2 year old likes a little spice but not too much.
It was perfect for us all and will definitely be put into the regular rotation. Delicious with guac, shredded cheese and cilantro but the kicker was a slice of cornbread on top to have a little with every bite.
So so good!!! Thank you!
Excellent!! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed it, Laura. Thanks for your detailed review! 🙂
This looks great! Any tips for doing this in a slow cooker?
Thanks! I’d do 3-4 hours on high probably (or 6-8 on low, but keep in mind turkey is lean and might dry out even more) then add the sour cream in right at the end.
Thanks will let you know how it turns out.
It came out great! Since it is just me, I halved the recipe, browned the meat with the onions and garlic before putting it in the slow cooker. I added 1 chopped jalapeno because I like spicy, and about 1/2 cup of chicken broth so it would not dry out. It cooked on high for 3 1/2 hours and then I added the sour cream and cilantro and it cooked another 15 or 20 minutes. Delicious! The meat is super moist, too. Will be making this again for sure. Thanks for this recipe, going to check out your website for more.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know. Let me know if you try anything else, Tammy!
Hi Natasha,
3rd recipe I’ve tried this week of yours, and another easy and tasty one! This was delicious! I usually make chili in the slow cooker and use half hamburger / half turkey. Was curious how this would taste with just turkey and loved the results!
I left out the cumin and chilies (I can’t do spicy), and substituted light cream for the sour cream.
Will definitely be making this again!
Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it!! 🙂 Thanks for the review, Angela!