Deliciously comforting black bean turkey chili that you can put on the table in under 30 minutes! This super simple version is full of flavor and packed with protein.

There’s no comfort food like a big pot of chili! With its combination of great flavor, hearty meat and beans, and soul-warming deliciousness, chili is a go-to when it’s cold. This is my new favorite chili recipe because it combines everything I love about chili while still being something I can throw together in under 30 minutes on a busy weeknight. We can also eat the leftovers for days — in fact, this recipe is actually better next day, as the flavors intensify in the fridge. 

Ingredients

Except for the ground turkey, everything in this recipe is a pantry staple. These simple ingredients make this turkey black bean chili recipe both easy to make and easy on your wallet!

• Ground Turkey: I use a lean ground turkey for this recipe: 90/10. You can use any percentage you’d like. If you’d like to make this a particularly healthy turkey chili recipe, you can even use a 93/7! If you don’t want to use turkey, you can use ground chicken or even lean ground beef!
• Black Beans: Canned black beans work well in this recipe. If you’d like to work with dry beans, you’ll need to cook them first. I have a tutorial on how to do that!
• Kidney Beans: As with the black beans, canned beans work really well for this. If you don’t like kidney beans, you can just replace this with a second can of black beans, or switch these out for pinto beans. 
• Corn: I love the little pops of yellow the corn adds to this, and the way it fills the recipe out for cheap. I developed this recipe back when my family was on the tight budget of $50 a week for 4 people, one of which drank formula. Corn helped keep us full. That said, if you don’t like corn, just omit it!
• Tomato Sauce: A regular 15 oz can of tomato sauce is perfect for this recipe. 
• Diced Tomatoes: You can used stewed, diced, or crushed tomatoes in this recipe. I like using the ones with a little extra flavoring; my favorite is the chili ready kind you can get from Walmart. 
• Chili Seasoning: I use the package from the store, but you can use your favorite. If you want to make your own, I love this homemade chili seasoning from Budget Bytes. 

Instructions

Step 1 | Brown

Start by browning your ground turkey in a large pot over medium heat. I like to add a little seasoning to my turkey as it cooks: a combination of salt and pepper and maybe even a little chili powder. That’s optional, but I prefer it. 

I also do not drain the fat from my ground turkey. For a healthier option, you can drain yours.

Step 2 | Drain and Rinse

While the turkey is browning, I put a colander in the sink and drain and rinse the beans and corn. Then when it’s time to put everything together, you can just empty the colander in!

​Step 3 | Mix and Heat

When the ground turkey is browned, add the beans, corn, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and chili seasoning to the pot. Increase to medium-high heat until your chili boils, then reduce the heat, cover, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. This will help those flavors get acquainted!

Step 4 | Enjoy!

Let your chili cool for a few minutes, then serve it with your favorite toppings. Green onions, cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, pico de gallo, crushed tortilla chips, diced onion, or a dash of lime juice are all great options!

Variations

This recipe is so simple, it provides a perfect base for a number of variations!

• 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili: Simply replace the ground turkey with a can of pinto beans to create a 3 bean vegetarian option!
• Super Simple Chili Mac: Add 1 1/2 cups of macaroni to the pot when you add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Then, cover and allow the macaroni to cook.
• Turkey Sweet Potato Chili: Leave out the kidney beans and corn, and add diced sweet potato to the chili for this filling variation!