This small batch Turkey Chili For Two is easy, healthy, and simply fabulous. Adding smoky chipotle, bell peppers, white hominy, and pinto beans to the ground turkey makes this chili perfectly spiced and packed with protein.
JUMP TO THE SECTION TO LEARN:
- INGREDIENTS TO MAKE TURKEY CHILI FOR TWO
- WHAT TO SERVE WITH TURKEY CHILI
- COOKING FOR TWO? SMALL BATCH DISHES TO USE
- WHAT IS HOMINY AND WHERE TO BUY
- A GOOD HOMINY SUBSTITUTE?
- COOKING FOR TWO? FREEZING TURKEY CHILI
- RECIPE VIDEO
- RATE THE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THIS TURKEY CHILI FOR TWO
Here's what you need:
- Ground turkey
- Spanish onions
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper
- Garlic cloves
- Dried Chili spices: In this version I use chili powder, cumin, all-spice
- Fresh oregano and rosemary – I like using fresh, but dried can be easily substituted. Dried herbs can be more potent than fresh, which means you need fewer dried herbs. A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
- Red pepper and orange pepper - You can easily substitute a green pepper for the orange pepper.
- Tomato paste
- Chicken broth – I like to use Better than Bullion brand to make my broth for this recipe.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes – I use canned fire roasted tomatoes for this recipe, and really like the flavor of Muir Glen
- A can or bottle of beer – I always reach for a pilsner when making this recipe because of its lighter wheat taste.
- Jalapeño peppers or use pickled
- White hominy, canned – Hominy can be found in most local supermarkets. The aisle location will vary by store, the most common aisles are beans or canned vegetables.
- Pinto beans, drained
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – these are often found in the Mexican aisle of the grocery store.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH TURKEY CHILI
Cornbread! At our house it is a fore gone conclusion that we will have Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread slathered in maple syrup. Yum!
Along with cornbread, we like to have bowls of garnishes, allowing guests to customize the chili flavor or spice to their liking.
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Sour cream,
- Sliced scallions
- 1 bunch chopped cilantro
- Cheddar cheese
- Hot sauce
- Lime wedge
Check out our video in the recipe card below to see me in the kitchen creating this tasty dish and sharing tips and tricks on how to make this for two. Try this recipe, rate and comment. I want to know what you think!
COOKING FOR TWO? SMALL BATCH DISHES TO USE
I love having a pot of simmering chili on the stove all day. When making a small batch of turkey chili for two, I use my 3 QT Dutch oven. I can brown the turkey, soften the onion, and simmer the chili using only this one pot.
Turkey chili flavor improves the longer it simmers. So, if you prefer to let the chili simmer in a slow cooker, and you only have a large slow cooker keep reading for tips on how to use your large slow cooker when making chili for two people.
- For best results, the slow-cooker should be about two-thirds to three-quarters full. When the bowl isn’t full enough (as with a recipe for two), the food will cook faster, cooking off the liquid and possibly burn.
- So, we use a smaller oven-safe bowl inside the big bowl of the slow cooker that you can fill to the right level. I like to use an oven safe Pyrex dish or two large ramekins to make individual servings. If you are looking for an oven safe dish to use with your slow cooker, I use this CorningWare round dish.
- Please remember to cook with the lid on your crockpot and try to avoid opening the lid while cooking to retain the moisture.
WHAT IS HOMINY AND WHERE TO BUY
Hominy is corn, but not straight off the cob. Hominy is whole kernels of dried field corn (aka maize – Go Blue!) that have been nixtamalized, a cooking process from ancient times used by those living in what we now call Mesoamerica. The corn kernels are soaked in lye or lime solutions and then rinsed several times, removing the hulls and turning the inner kernels tender and plump.
This process improves the corn's nutritional content and keeps the corn from sprouting during long storage, which was a big deal when cooks needed as many ways as possible to make the corn harvest last through the winter. Puffy, slightly chewy kernels of hominy have complex flavor and aroma, more like freshly made tortillas than fresh corn.
WHERE TO BUY
Hominy can be found at your local supermarket, but the aisle location will vary. I have had the most luck finding hominy either by the Mexican corn and bean products, canned vegetables, or canned beans. If you can’t find it you can order hominy on Amazon.
A GOOD HOMINY SUBSTITUTE
Can’t find hominy at the grocery story? Then chickpeas or corn are suitable alternatives when making this Turkey Chili.
FREEZING LEFT-OVER TURKEY CHILI
Can you freeze turkey chili? Turkey chili is the perfect freezer food. 24-ounce glass jars are the perfect freezing container. They are tight sealing to avoid freezer burn and make it easy to identify what is in the clear jar, unlike flat containers or plastic freezer bags. Be sure to leave the top 1” of the jar’s volume for expansion (see below). I really do hate rooting around in the freezer trying to remember what is in which container and how long it has been in there. So, don’t forget to label the lid with contents and date. This soup freezes well up to 3 months.
A FEW THINGS TO BE MINDFUL OF WHEN FREEZING SOUP
Avoid overfilling or underfilling the container.
Resist the temptation to fill the container to the brim!
Liquids expand when they freeze, so if you fill the container to the top, you risk the soup breaking through the container. On the other hand, underfilling the container, leaves more air inside and the potential for freezer burn.
Do this: Leave about an inch of space between the soup and the container’s lid. That is plenty of expansion room while limiting air contact.
Defrosting and reheating the soup.
When it’s a “simple soup night”, defrost the soup during the day in the refrigerator, then empty into a saucepan and warm gently over low stove heat until it begins to simmer.
Do this: While the soup is reheating – make sweet buttermilk cornbread with maple syrup butter.
SIMPLE SOUP RECIPES FOR TWO
Looking for other soup recipes for a dinner when there are two? Here are a couple easy, delicious, and satisfying soups to try:
Turkey Chili For Two
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon - Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves ,chopped
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon all-spice
- 1 large Spanish onion ,chopped
- ½ red pepper ,chopped
- ½ orange or green pepper ,chopped
- 1 to 2 - 1 or 2 whole jalapeño peppers to taste, seeded and chopped or use pickled!
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 14 ounces chicken broth ,I use Better than Bullion brand. Mix 14 ounces of water with 1 teaspoon of bullion
- 15 ounce can white hominy ,drained
- 1 to 2 chipotles in adobo sauce to taste ,minced
- 1 14- ounce can Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes
- 6 ounces beer ,or more, to taste. I use a pilsner
- 15 ounce can pinto beans ,drained
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
Garnishes:
- Sour Cream for serving
- shredded cheddar cheese
- Scallions white and light green parts, sliced, for serving
- Chopped cilantro for serving
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil. Brown the ground turkey with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, stirring occasionally until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin and all-spice and sauté for another 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer turkey to a bowl.
- Add remaining oil to pot and sauté onions, bell peppers and jalapeño peppers, if using, with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste.
- Return ground turkey and any liquid in bowl to Dutch oven and add broth, hominy, chipotle peppers, canned tomatoes including the liquid and beans and beer. Stir to combine. Now mix in bay leaf, oregano, rosemary and 1 cups water. Simmer chili, partly covered, until it is thick enough for your taste, about 1 hour. If it is too thick for your liking, add more water. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream, cheddar cheese, scallions, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Video
Your Notes, Tips and Tricks
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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