Recipe

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You're going to love this recipe for no-bean turkey chili. It has all the hearty textures and flavors of regular chili, but it is low-carb and paleo-approved.

No matter the time of year, this easy and flavorful turkey chili with no beans is always welcome at my table.

top view of a bowl of ground turkey chili with shredded cheese and chopped green onions

No Bean Turkey Chili Recipe

What happens when you use turkey to make my famous paleo chili? You get the best no-bean turkey chili recipe! It uses ground turkey instead of ground beef, which is slightly leaner but no less flavorful and delicious. It's easy to assemble and can be enjoyed in all the ways we use classic chili.

Veggies make it super nutritious and an excellent low-carb swap for beans. And for the record, it's passed my picky eater's test and remains a favorite dish for entertaining and tailgating parties.

Ingredients

This recipe uses lean ground turkey (check out this chicken chili recipe for a variation using ground chicken), garlic, onion, celery, carrots, and zucchini. The spices you’ll need are chili powder, ground cumin, and oregano, plus cayenne pepper if you want to make it spicier. For that classic tomato flavor, we’ll add canned tomato puree (or tomato sauce) and canned diced tomatoes.

Additional veggies to add to chili
Diced sweet potato, eggplant, bell peppers, and cauliflower florets aren't in the original recipe, but these veggies are a terrific option that cook at the same time as the rest of the ingredients and do a wonderful job of blending in with the tomato sauce and flavors.

Can You Add Beans?

If your family likes bean chili, you can add a can or two of your favorite variety to this turkey chili, but make sure to add a cup of liquid such as chicken broth or water per can to prevent the chili from drying out.

How to Make Ground Turkey Chili on the Stove

The four simple steps to make this no bean turkey chili are:

Cook the meat
Brown the ground turkey meat with the garlic. Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside in a large bowl.
Cook the veggies
Sauté the aromatics and seasonings for 3 minutes before adding the zucchini. Cook the veggies for an additional 4 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the veggies are tender.
Combine everything
To the veggies, add the cooked turkey, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and simmer the chili for 20 minutes.

What to Serve with Turkey Chili

Just because this turkey chili doesn't have beans doesn't mean you can't enjoy it like the classic recipe. Unless you're following a paleo diet, you can add any of your favorite chili toppings, turn it into a chili taco, or serve it over baked potatoes.

Best Ground Turkey Chili Recipe

Servings: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

You're going to love this recipe for no-bean turkey chili. It has all the hearty textures and flavors of regular chili, but it is low-carb and paleo-approved.

5 from 25 votes

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Ingredients

1 ½ pounds ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 ½ cups onion, diced, about 1 large onion
½ cup chopped celery, about 1 stalk
1 ½ cups carrots, peeled and diced, about 4 medium carrots
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
4 cups zucchinis, diced, about 2-3 medium zucchinis
15- ounce can tomato puree or tomato sauce
15- ounce can diced tomatoes

Instructions

Brown the meat:

In a large Dutch oven, brown the turkey meat with the garlic over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until browned. Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside in a large bowl.

Cook the chili:

Add the oil to the pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and seasonings to the pot and cook for 3 minutes before adding the zucchini. Cook the veggies for an additional 4 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the veggies tender.
Add the cooked turkey, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes to the veggies, and stir to combine. Bring the chili to a boil before reducing the heat and simmering for 20 minutes.