This Chili with Turkey and Black Beans made with fresh lime and cilantro has been my go-to recipe for years, and it never disappoints. It's perfect for busy weeknights, on game day, and when hosting company on cold winter nights. Yum!
I updated this recipe with new photos, clarified the type of beans and amount of broth, improved the layout, and added more helpful tips to make it user friendly.
Although this turkey black bean chili recipe is made with traditional ingredients like beans, chili powder, and cumin, what sets it apart is the consistency (some of the beans get blended) and flavor.
The extra flavor from fresh cilantro and lime juice is what takes it to the next level!
If you are new to cooking with black beans, you may want to use a combination of black beans and white beans the first time you make this. Then, the next time or two you can substitute more of the white beans for black beans.
If your kids love soups and stews as much as mine, you really should make my Veggie Lentil Soup. Both are healthy filling soups that your kids will love.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Chili isn't just for game day, it's also a perfect meal to make around the holidays because you can use leftover turkey... you know, like the turkey roasted on Thanksgiving. Yum!
- Easy Recipe Admittedly, this is one of my 'easy is relative' recipes. It's 'quick' in the sense that it doesn't have to cook for 6-8 hours in a crock-pot. And while there are more steps than usual for my recipes, they are all worth it.
- High Protein, High Fiber meal 36 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber per ~12 ounce serving.
- Kid-Approved I am not exaggerating when I say this chili recipe is a family favorite! I wasn't sure how my kids (or my husband;) would respond the first time I used all black beans (no white beans), and they enjoyed it just as much. 😅
- Meal Prep The ground turkey can be cooked a day or two ahead of time. Leftovers taste great the next day and can easily be reheated and placed in a thermos for you or your kids to pack for lunch.
- Flavor This is not tomato based like most traditional chili recipes are. I am sensitive to tomatoes, so I like to find ways to make them optional.
Dietitian Tip
Serving soups and stews like chili is a great way to introduce kids to new flavors while helping them (and you:) meet their protein and fiber needs.
This is a great recipe to use as an example because it's a chili recipe (familiar to most people) but made with black beans, lime and cilantro (different flavors) and it contains 36 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber per 12 ounce serving.
Still, it's important to note that this is much more fiber than most people have in a day (let alone a meal). So, if you're not used to having that much fiber in your diet, you might want to start with a smaller portion and make sure you are drinking enough water in order to prevent undesirable GI symptoms like bloating or abdominal discomfort.
Ingredient Notes
- Cooked turkey Lean ground turkey is a lean protein. You can use cooked ground turkey or leftover Thanksgiving turkey (roasted turkey). Cooked shredded chicken pieces of roasted chicken, ground chicken, or ground beef make good substitutes.
- Black Beans Good source of protein and fiber. Black beans also provide folate, magnesium, and antioxidants.
- Broth I use low-sodium chicken broth. Regular chicken broth or vegetable or chicken stock can be used instead.
- Fresh Cilantro Can be found in the produce section of the grocery store. I add just enough cilantro so you notice it but not so much that it overpowers the other flavors.
- Lime Use fresh lime juice for the best flavor.
- Onion Chopped onion. I like to chop onion into tiny pieces, so they aren't as noticeable.
- Spices Ground cumin, chili powder, oregano, fresh garlic, salt, and black pepper. While fresh garlic is technically a vegetable, it's considered a spice by many.
How to Make Chili with Turkey and Black Beans
Here's a quick overview of the steps to make this Chili with Turkey and Black Beans recipe. For the full list of ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, us a wooden spoon to sauté onion in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add chili powder, cumin and garlic. Stir to combine. Then, add oregano and beans. Stir to combine.
- Add broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Place two cups of bean mixture in a blender that can handle high heat and blend until smooth.
- Return bean mixture to pan. Stir to combine. Add cooked ground turkey (or chopped cooked turkey) and cook until heated through. Stir in chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Black Bean Turkey Chili
Aside from a few basics that you'll see listed here, I mostly serve our favorite toppings for chili.
- Store-bought or homemade air fryer tortilla chips
- Corn bread
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Diced tomato
- Sliced avocado or guacamole
- Green onions (sliced or diced).
- Dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
Helpful Tips
- Do not add the turkey before the recipe calls for it. Blending the turkey with the bean mixture (in the blender) will result in a very grainy consistency that your kids will not like. I did this once and it did not turn out well.
- Pieces of leftover roasted turkey (think Thanksgiving leftovers!) can be used in place of ground turkey.
- If you don't have turkey, cooked ground or roasted chicken can be used instead.
- Be sure to use a blender that is made to blend hot foods (check the manufacturers instructions). My Vitamix works well for this recipe.
- If you are using regular chicken broth (instead of low sodium), I recommend tasting the chili before adding salt to it.
- Some or all of the black beans can be substituted with more Great Northern Beans. The more black beans you use, the darker and thicker the chili will be.
- The chili in the image at the top was made with 3 cans of black beans. It will be lighter in color if you use even one can of great norther beans.
- I show uncooked ground turkey in the ingredient picture above because I often cook the ground turkey on a separate skillet as the onions sauté and the bean mixture comes to a simmer.
- Allow leftovers to cool completely before storing refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Looking to add more veggies? Sauté chopped green or red bell peppers with the onion. Make sure they are cooked well so they blend nicely with the beans.
Questions You May Have
Yes, you can easily turn this into a vegetarian, vegan chili. Simply use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and a meat substitute (like Beyond Meat) in place of turkey.
Or you can leave the 'meat' out altogether, as you will still get protein from the beans. It's as easy as that! So great!
Kidney beans, black beans, and white beans work well for chili.
Traditional chili recipes call for kidney beans. I'm not sure how well kidney beans would blend up, so I stick with using black beans or a combination of black and white beans for this recipe.
I do not suggest using an immersion blender in place of a blender for this recipe. I tried it myself and was not pleased with the texture.
This one is up for debate! I like to keep things simple, so I call it a soup. Still, by true definition, chili technically meets the criteria for a stew.
More Easy Dinner Ideas
- Green Goddess Salad with Green Goddess Dressing (Homemade)
- Green Goddess Salad Dressing (No Oil, No Mayo)
- Meals for After Wisdom Teeth Removal (Ideas from a Dietitian)
- Everyday Chicken Seasoning Recipe - The Best!
📖 Recipe
Chili with Turkey and Black Beans
Equipment
- Blender One that can handle hot food. I use a Vitamix.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil I use extra virgin olive oil.
- 2 onions Yellow onion, diced (about two cups).
- 4 teaspoon chili powder
- 3 cloves of garlic minced (about one tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 45 ounces canned black beans 3, 15-ounce cans. rinsed and drained. see notes
- 5½ cups low sodium chicken stock or broth to make this vegan, use vegetable stock
- 1 pound lean ground turkey Cooked. Or about 3 cups cooked turkey, chopped. (To make this vegan, use a meat substitute or leave the meat out)
- ⅓ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 lime juiced (2 tablespoons).
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Heat oil in large pot over medium or medium-high heat*
- Add onion and sauté until tender.
- Add chili powder, garlic, and cumin. Saute for another 2 minutes.
- Add oregano and beans. Stir into mixture.
- Add broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
- Using a measuring cup or ladle, place two cups of bean mixture in a blender or food processor.* Blend until smooth.
- Return bean mixture to pan.
- Add cooked ground turkey (or chopped cooked turkey) and cook until heated through. About 5 minutes.
- Add chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Stir well and enjoy!
Notes
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- Do not add the turkey before the recipe calls for it. Blending the turkey with the bean mixture (in the blender) will result in a very grainy consistency that your kids will not like. I did this once and it did not turn out well.
-
- Pieces of leftover roasted turkey (think Thanksgiving leftovers!) can be used in place of ground turkey.
-
- If you don't have turkey, cooked ground or roasted chicken can be used instead.
-
- Be sure to use a blender that is made to blend hot foods (check the manufacturers instructions). My Vitamix works well for this recipe.
-
- If you are using regular chicken broth (instead of low sodium), I recommend tasting the chili before adding salt to it.
-
- Some or all of the black beans can be substituted with more Great Northern Beans. The more black beans you use, the darker and thicker the chili will be.
-
- The chili in the image at the top was made with 3 cans of black beans. It will be lighter in color if you use even one can of great norther beans.
-
- I show uncooked ground turkey in the ingredient picture above because I often cook the ground turkey on a separate skillet as the onions sauté and the bean mixture comes to a simmer.
- If you choose to use a combination of white and black beans instead of using all black beans and still want a thick chili, cut back on the amount of broth by about one cup. I often make it this way.
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