This 30-minute healthy southwest turkey chili with corn and black beans makes a great, easy dinner for a chilly night. Add your favorite toppings and get ready to dig in!
I did something a little surprising this week...
I had my hair appointment Monday night (total #momlife move that I have to go get it done after my kids are in bed). I got my regular highlights to lighten up my hair and then I went for it.
An idea I've had for months, have forgotten about and come back to, and decided to pull the trigger.
I have a single small but beautiful strand of purple in my hair now. It's a "peekaboo" style, so I can cover it up or show it off, depending on my mood.
Purple has been my absolute favorite color for, oh, forever, and like I said, I thought about doing this months and months ago.
I figured, it's October, Halloween is coming, and why not?!
I'm so glad I did - I seriously love it! As my friend/hairdresser predicted, I may just get a few more the next time I go! But enough about hair, let's talk about this beauty!
One of my favorite parts about fall, football season and cold winter nights is saddling up to a big bowl of chili. So far on the blog I’ve shared my:
- White turkey chili
- Vegetarian quinoa chili
- Vegetarian pumpkin chili and
- Healthy slow cooker chicken chili
Today, it’s my healthy southwest turkey chili with corn and black beans, which has been a favorite of mine since before I had kids.
(Fun fact: It’s also one of the very first recipes I created all on my own. I just couldn't find what I was looking for with other recipes for a southwest turkey chili with beans and corn, so I set to work on making my own dreams come true. )
I’ve made this recipe dozens of times, have fiddled with it over the years and just keep coming back to this version. It’s full of ground turkey, black beans and corn, and tons of great southwestern spices and seasonings.
It’s not spicy, so it’s great for families or for a crowd, and it’s got great colors, textures and flavors that’ll have you coming back for more.
(You can also check out a similar version of this for Instant Pot turkey chili.)
OK, let's get cooking.
Recipe Notes:
- Corn: You can use an 11 oz. can of corn (yellow or white or mixed) or substitute about 1 cup of frozen corn for this recipe.
- Beans: We prefer black beans but you could substitute kidney beans or pinto beans (or use 2 cans of beans to make this even heartier).
- Veggies: I’ve added some zucchini along with the peppers before and that was really good too, if you want an extra veggie in here.
- Consistency: I like my chili on the thicker side and find this is the right balance. If you like yours super thick, I’d recommend starting with just 1 ½ cups of chicken broth and adjusting at the end when you are ready to serve. Alternatively, you can thin it out with extra broth if you want it a tad more soupy.
- Toppings: And of course, add all of your favorite chili toppings! Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, hot sauce, crackers or chips, etc.
This southwestern turkey chili is also great for making in a big batch, because you can freeze the extras for another night!
Storage Tips:
- Let the cooked chili cool down and then pack it up in a ziptop freezer bag or a freezer safe container.
- Don't forget to label it! I also like to keep a list of food I have in the freezer in my desk, so I can see what we need to use up without having to dig through the freezer.
- Chili will keep in the freezer for 4-6 months. (I've even gotten to it at the 8-month mark and it was still great!)
- To reheat chili, it's best to thaw it in the fridge overnight. Then add it to a pan on the stove over medium low and bring it to a simmer.
- If you're in a pinch time-wise to thaw it from the freezer, you can place the frozen bag/container in a bowl of cold water to thaw it on the counter. Then heat it in a pan until warm and serve it up.
- If the chili has gotten too thick, I add a few splashes of chicken broth to get it to the right consistency.
We love serving this with some fun cornbread waffles or easy cheesy cornbread muffins or with my cheddar garlic drop biscuits or Parmesan herb drop biscuits to dip and dunk into the chili.
Otherwise though, this turkey chili is gluten-free and low-carb.
Whether for game day, family dinner or just when you need a warm bowl of healthy turkey chili to cozy up with, I hope you give this recipe a try!
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Healthy Southwest Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large green pepper, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ¼ lb. lean ground turkey (I use the 7% fat)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 (15 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (11 oz.) can yellow and white corn, drained (see notes)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (see notes)
Topping ideas:
- Shredded cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, hot sauce, crackers or chips, etc
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottom stock pot over medium heat.
- Add onions and peppers and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and ground turkey and cook until the veggies are softened and the turkey is no longer pink.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and cayenne and stir until everything is well coated.
- Add the remaining ingredients, bring the chili to a simmer then reduce the heat and simmer on medium-low for at least 10 minutes. (You can let it go for up to 30 minutes.)
- Serve with your favorite chili toppings and enjoy!
Holly
I love this hearty bowl of healthy goodness! It's so smart to use ground turkey or chicken in place of beef. I can't wait to whip up a batch!
Kathryn
Thanks Holly! I think you'll love this chili!