Weeknight Maple Turkey Chili.
This easy turkey chili might be the only soup recipe I need all season.
It’s going to be your weeknight go-to.
It’s ridiculously simple, but flavorful. It comes together FAST. It’s really, really good!
I know, I use way to many “reallys” but it’s worth it.
This chili is worth it.
Chili is a dish that I’ll never stop experimenting with. I have so many versions and they are all different but all wonderful, depending on the mood or setting. Of course, I can’t resist trying a new one when fall is just around the corner. And it uses so many of my favorite ingredients! I adore it.
It’s no secret that Eddie is a major carnivore, but over the years he’s cut down on his red meat consumption a lot. It wasn’t for any particular reason – it just seemed to happen! I still may make a dish with beef every other week or so (sometimes less, sometimes more), but most of the time, especially during the week, I use ground turkey.
And I don’t have a turkey-specific chili recipe here on the blog, so here we are!
This does not make an enormous pot of chili. I’d say it makes a pot for a family of four and is easily multiplied if you have more people in the house. It’s also a really nice size if you’re single or in a household of two, because you can freeze an extra portion.
You could also eat chili one night, then make chili dogs, then make chili cheese nachos too. Love.
I mean, just an idea.
Anyway – the chili!
I use one onion, one bell pepper, one pound of turkey and then a whole bunch of spices. Chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika are the main ones. So good! Then one can of fire roasted tomatoes and one can of pinto beans (my fave – but any beans work) – and voila!
The secret is obviously in the maple syrup. I love the addition so, so much, which I first discovered in this game day chili recipe.
Then it’s ready. Seriously the best for a weeknight chili. Goes with everything. Tastes like heaven.
And it’s perfect!
Easy Maple Turkey Chili
Quick and Easy Maple Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (14 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 to 3/4 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, peppers and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the ground turkey and another pinch of salt and pepper. Break it apart with a wooden spoon and brown it, about 6 to 8 minutes. Once the meat is browned, add in the chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes, beans, stock and maple syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce it to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream or whatever you love on your chili!
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Give me all the toppings.
47 Comments on “Weeknight Maple Turkey Chili.”
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Thank you for the recipe! I can’t wait to try this!
I’m going to try this tonight!
Made this last night. I had ground chicken which was a perfect exchange. It definitely made for a spicy chili which I loved. My family said the house smelled awesome. Also, I had a dollop of plain greek yogurt on top and that made it even better. This is a keeper.
Made this last night…and WOW. This will definitely be a weekly meal for us – my husband and I both loved it! We demolished the pot in one sitting!
oh wow, chili’s already scheduled for tonight, with ground beef instead, but most of the rest more of less the same, except for the maple syrup and chicken stock, easy tweaks and love the addition of maple, thank you!
Made this last night and it was so good! Eating leftovers for lunch as we speak.
I think mine came out a little soupier than intended. Would you drain the tomatoes? Or maybe I didn’t let it simmer long enough?
I agree with Amy. I loved the recipe, but it seemed soupier than Chili should be. I went back and double-checked the liquids to see if I made a mistake… I didn’t. I drained and rinsed the beans, added 1-1/2 cups Broth and next time willl either cut out a 1/2 cup Broth or drain the Tomatoes. I even cooked it alot longer than the noted 20-30 minutes, more like like an hour to hour and a half on simmer. That didn’t even reduce the liquid. Also, I thought maybe the next day the leftovers would have less liquid and no change. Is there possibly something else that can be added to thicken it up, but not mess with the integrity or flavor? Otherwise, it is a keeper!
hey guys!! i just decreased the stock a bit – try adding about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of stock instead of 1.5 cups! :)
Thank you for letting us know Jessica! It has great flavor and I will make it again with the decreased stock. Happy Fall!
So yummy! My husband swines over the is recipe; the maple syrup IS a game changer.
Lol meant swooned over this recipe!
I made this chili last weekend. I actually doubled the recipe and used one can of pinto beans and one can of black beans. It was a big hit with my husband. He even took some in to a coworker who loved it. I also served it with an incredible sourdough bread made by Bigelow Fields in Maine.
Made this tonight – was so good! Only mod was that I chopped up a jalapeño and added it to the chili. Was delicious with a roasted sweet potato. Thank you!
We had this tonight- it was the perfect amount of spice and sweet for kids and adults. I added a few carrots and stalks of celery and 3/4 cup of broth was perfect. Thank you!
This is such a flavorful chili! I made a few substitutions w/what I had on hand.
* Subbed bell pepper for 5 jalapenos (de-seeded)
* Subbed maple for brown sugar barbecue sauce (I added maybe 2 Tablespoons extra)
* Subbed chicken stock for a little better than bullion
Yum!!
This chili was so yummy! The only thing I would do is cut half of the maple syrup because it was sweeter than I like my chili.
This was so easy but SO good. I loved the smoky/spicy paired with the sweet of the maple syrup. You will not be disappointed!
Hi – I’m putting this on the meal plan for next week – but can I ask, how spicy is it? As in, could it pass with two four year olds? They don’t mind different flavors, (and love chili because it always comes with chips!) but they do mind tons of spice.
Way too sweet for us. Such a bummer.
I would recommend adding less maple syrup. Maybe just start with a couple TBSP.
This maple turkey chili is one of the best chilis I have ever made! The flavors are delicious. The leftovers are better than the first day, in my opinion. My sister and I have made it three times! Be sure to make a double-batch! You’ll be glad you did! Thanks, Jessica!!
Super easy recipe. We enjoyed it but it didn’t make much! I’d say we got three bowls of out it.
I made this last week and it was amazing! It is back on the menu this week too. If you haven’t tried it yet, get on it asap :)
Making this tonight for the fourth time since this was posted. Excellent weeknight recipe. So delicious and easy!!!
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I made this today with no modifications and it is delicious! Jessica, I’ve been following you since way before you had children. Congratulations on your new baby!
This is the best chili I’ve ever made, and I’m from Texas so I’ve made LOTS of chili! I will say that I used Rotel diced tomatoes which I don’t recommend, it was so spicy! But luckily I love spicy but next time I’ll just use regular tomatoes! Can’t wait to make this for a crowd!
If I could give this 10 stars I would! This is easily the best chili I’ve ever made. I made it nice and thick by eliminating the stock and mixing a bit of water with some cornstarch to make a roux. It is soooo good. The maple syrup is the perfect juxtaposition with the smoked paprika.
Oops, sorry, forgot to mention that I made a double batch but used the single batch amount of maple syrup (a healthy 1/4 cup) in the double batch, and over-indexed a bit on the smoked paprika :) Perfection!
I made this on Sunday for a crowd and hoped I’d have leftovers for the week. But it was GONE. Absolutely delicious and easy. Thank you!
This has become my new favorite go to chili. The maple syrup just brings it to a new level! You will regret not making this! So cozy and delicious!
This was way too spicy for us (and that’s saying something). I had to go back and dilute the ingredients with another can of tomatoes. That being said, it’s otherwise good! I had my reservations about adding 2 TBSP of chili powder, but followed the recipe.
monica, what brand of chili powder are you using? traditional chili powder is not spicy so the 2 tablespoons doesn’t add heat. however if you used a chipotle chili powder or a homemade one with lots of cayenne, that may contribute to the spice.
Hi, Jessica! I did, indeed, use Chipotle chili powder. A friend moved back to Europe and left me with a bunch of spices. I thought the chipotle might add some flavor, but did not realize it would be hotter (he is German and they don’t like spicy as a rule). So my mistake! It was a good recipe, as said. Next time, I’ll use normal chili powder instead. Thanks so much for the insight!
Have made this a few times now and I am obsessed! It’s sweet and spicy and just delicious. I usually let it simmer for at least as hour to really bring out all the flavors. I do like my chili a bit thicker too so I add a little flour-water mix as needed.
My family loved this! My 6 yr old son said it was “the best chili ever” and mommy “is the best cook”. Thank you!
My family loved this! My 6 yr old said “it was the best chili ever” and “mommy is the best cook”. Thank you!
I made this chili last week and it was so so SO good! I’m not huge chili lover and typically only eat white chicken chili because I’m not a fan of all tomato, beans (I actually like pinto) and chili seasonings in soup. However, this one was intriguing enough for me to try. This is going permanently in my recipe folder.
For sure a crowd pleaser! A very mild chili I think due to sweetness of maple syrup that allows the heat seekers to add spice on their own!
Literally so good?? The sweetness from the maple worked so well with the spiciness from the chili powder and red pepper flakes. Such a quick and easy one pot meal too. My only substitution because I hate tomato chunks was to use 2 tbsp of tomato paste instead and a little extra chicken broth but this is definitely a keeper!
Delicious. Used ground chicken and it worked just fine. The maple syrup was definitely a flavor enhancer.
Great recipe.
I used beef instead of turkey. This chili is excellent. The maple syrup brings it up a notch.
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Delicious! I made it Vegan with Trader Joe’s Turkeyless Ground!
Delicious!!! I only used half of the suggested amount of chili powder and it turned out terrific. I ended up using the whole 30 min for simmering, and I used just under 1/2 cup of the chicken stock.