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Say hello to a simple heart-healthy Instant Pot Turkey Chili recipe. Quick enough to be a weeknight regular!
Impromptu Weeknight Turkey Chili? It Can Happen.
Most stovetop chilis cook for up to an hour. Slow cooker chilis? Several hours! But this Instant Pot Turkey Chili is ready to eat in less than 30 minutes. And it’s so easy. Like, too easy. In fact, it’s so effortless that it probably doesn’t deserve to be as delicious as it is, but hey! We’ll take the win. And if the idea of replacing ground beef with ground turkey scares you, just stay with me. The lack of fat does not result in a lack of flavor here. You’d honestly never know; it’s a heart-healthy swap worth doing.
The Ingredients Are Pretty Typical.
Besides using ground turkey instead of ground beef, we’re not doing anything too wild here. We’ve got an easy blend of homemade chili seasoning that incorporates all of our favorite warming flavors, hearty beans, and the appropriate vegetables which you can adapt to your taste. Here’s the full list of what you’ll need to make this gloriously quick Instant Pot Turkey Chili:
- Ground turkey
- Chicken broth
- Yellow onion
- Garlic cloves
- Bell pepper (any color is fine, but keep in mind that the red, orange, and yellow varieties are a little sweeter.)
- Frozen corn
- Frozen peas
- Cans of low-sodium beans: red kidney, cannellini or navy beans, and black beans
- Can of low-sodium diced tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Avocado oil
For the homemade chili seasoning:
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Dried oregano
- Smoked paprika (regular or sweet paprika is also fine)
- Ground cumin
- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
As for toppings, that’s a personal thing. Some people keep it plain while others load their chili with all the fixin’s. I like to top mine with tangy sliced scallions, shredded cheddar, and a plop of plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Not only is it richer tasting, but it’s good for you! You can also add some more heat with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper or a drizzle of your go-to hot sauce.
Here’s How to Make Instant Pot Turkey Chili.
- Mix all of the chili seasoning spices into a small bowl and set it aside.
- Activate the Sauté function and let the pot warm up. Once warm, drizzle in the oil to coat the bottom.
- Add the onions, peppers, and garlic, and simmer until the onions have softened—about three minutes—stirring occasionally.
- Transfer the ground turkey to the pot. Break it down with a spatula and stir it around, letting it cook briefly for about 2-3 minutes. It’s totally fine if you still see some pink.
- Pour the broth into the pot, sprinkle in about half of the seasoning (you can stir more in later if you decide you want a bolder flavor), and stir.
- Add the beans (drained and rinsed), corn, peas, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Give everything a very quick stir, but there’s no need to fully mix it.
- Finally, cancel the Sauté function. Close the lid on the Instant Pot, lock it into place, and position the vent to the Sealing position.
- Cook on High pressure for 15 minutes.
- When the Instant Pot beeps to notify you that it’s done, carefully do a quick release by moving the valve from Sealing to Venting.
- Once the pressure has completely released, open the lid, and once the steam has escaped, give everything a good stir.
- Taste test: if you think you need it, add a bit more of the seasoning. If not, you can seal up and store the seasoning for another time (it works great with this Instant Pot Ground Turkey Taco recipe).
- Serve immediately with your favorite toppings!
Equipment You’ll Need:
Recipe Tips + Tricks:
- Want a smoky flavor to your chili? Add a bit of liquid smoke along with the broth.
- If you eventually find yourself wanting to try this with ground beef, everything works the same. Simply swap it in for the turkey—same goes for ground chicken!
- This chili will keep in the fridge sealed in a container for up to three days.
- You can freeze this chili for up to 6 months in a freezer-friendly bag or container.
Other Must-Try Ground Turkey Recipes:
- Instant Pot Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes
- Homemade Lasagna with Ground Turkey Meat Sauce
- Instant Pot Ground Turkey Tacos
- Super Tender Ground Turkey Meatloaf
- Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta with Ground Turkey & Spinach
- Best Turkey Burger Recipe
Have You Made This Recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!
You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme
Easy Instant Pot Turkey Chili
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- Avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 14 oz can low-sodium red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 14 oz can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 14 oz can low-sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
- 2 TBSP tomato paste
- 4 TBSP chili seasoning, preferably homemade (See below); more or less to taste
Homemade Chili Seasoning.
- 2 TBSP Chili powder
- 1.5 TBSP Garlic powder
- 3 tsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
- 1.5 tsp Onion powder
- 1.5 tsp Dried oregano
- 1.5 tsp Sea salt
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Cracked black pepper
Toppings.
- Sliced green onions
- Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Shredded cheese
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Mix all of the chili seasoning spices in a small bowl until well combined; set aside.
- Press the Sauté button and let the Instant Pot warm up. Once it's warm enough, add the avocado oil.
- Transfer the onions, garlic, and peppers to the Instant Pot and let them all simmer for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Place the ground turkey into the pot and, with a wooden spoon or spatula, break it down until it's crumbled, letting it cook for about 2-3 minutes. (It's okay if you still see some pink.)
- Add the broth to the pot and shake in about half of the seasoning—you can stir more in later if you want a bolder flavor, and stir to mix it in well.
- Add the beans, corn, and peas, and stir to combine. Then, add the tomatoes (along with the juice from the can) and the tomato paste. Give everything a very quick stir, but don't fully mix it yet.
- Press the Sauté button to cancel. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, lock it into place, and position the vent to the Sealing position.
- Cook on High pressure for 15 minutes. When the Instant Pot beeps to notify you that it's done, do a quick release by moving the valve from Sealing to Venting. When the pressure has completely released, open the lid and once the steam has escaped, give everything a good stir.
- Taste test: if you think you need more seasoning, go ahead and add it now. If not, you can seal up the rest of the chili seasoning and store it for another time; it also works great with my Instant Pot Ground Turkey Taco recipe.
- Serve the chili immediately with your favorite toppings.
I think the key to this recipe is the seasoning from scratch . I saved half for another time. My only alteration was I made it stove top since it’s a chilly rainy day and I had time. The instapot will come in handy and it’s good to have that option . This is a hearty and flavorful chili that I’ll be making again !
Thank you so much, Kristin! Yes, I love that you can just throw this on the stovetop, too. I agree, the spices are always key in a chili and this seasoning works great with tacos and basically any other Mexican/taco-inspired recipe!