It’s winter. Chili is a must. There’s just something about making and eating chili during winter specifically that makes my whole body just so happy 😀. It’s a soothing process. Even more so than other stews and soups, but in a different way! Chili is such a hearty, meaty comfort food…and bonus: you are left with leftovers that get better and better in the fridge (one of my favorite parts of chili 😍).
Chili is one of those things that everyone has a billion variations for. Beans or no beans? Ground beef or cubes of steak? Canned tomatoes or fresh? Get unique with quinoa and sweet potatoes or keep it simple with a traditional recipe?
And then there’s the toppings…I grew up LOADING my chili with Fritos and cheese. Friittoooosssss!! I try to go a little healthier now with some onions, Greek yogurt, and cheese…you can’t have chili without cheese…even in your healthy versions. It’s just a sin to eat chili without it, yo.
One of my favorite chili recipes ever ever ever that I used to make all the time uses only fresh vegetables – no cans! Which I always thought was the craziest thing. It’s hard to believe that a huge pot of chopped tomatoes, onions, and peppers will end up looking like your run-of-the-mill red chili, but it does, and it’s awesome.
The first time I made it was in college, and I have adapted it quite a bit since then. The first time I made it, it was so incredibly spicy that I couldn’t even take another bite. Literally…it was the spiciest thing I’ve ever eaten. But the flavor was so. dang. good. Guess how much cayenne pepper it called for?
ONE TABLESPOON.
Guess how much red pepper flakes it called for?
ONE TABLESPOON.
I’m not even kidding. It…was…insane. In order for it to be edible, we had to add like an obscene amount of sour cream to cool it down. Since then, I have whittled down the spice level more and more and more until I found just the right amount. It turns out that a little goes a LONG way when it comes to cayenne and red pepper flakes…whew! For sure not a tablespoon! Unless you like pain…
This chili is way simpler than that one and takes way less time to prep and WAY less time to make. It’s pretty mild on the heat, but you can kick it up if you want. This healthier version subs in ground turkey for ground beef and throws some black beans in there for extra heartiness. It’s super super simple and absolutely delicious!
I am sorry that I was so MIA last week! I was okay on Monday and then came down with a DEALTHY illness early eaaarrly Tuesday morning. I woke up at 2:30 am and couldn’t fall back asleep until hours later because I felt so awful.
I ended up being out of work most of the week…didn’t come back until Friday. I feel a lot better now, but maaaannn…it was rough. Turns out having a cold while pregnant packs a super extra hard punch since your immune system is no bueno.
That’s right…just a cold. I felt like a big, massive baby for missing so much work over a COLD! But this one was no joke, peeps. NO JOKE!
Anyway…that’s my excuse. Forgivveee meee. I was a worthless vegetable all week, just laying on my couch, drinking Gatorade, and binge watching various shows on Netflix. It would have been a nice little break if I wasn’t feeling like absolute death the whole time 😑.
For my 21 Day Fix people, here are the container amounts (per serving!):
- 1 green
- 1/2 red
- 2/3 yellow
21 Day Fix Turkey Chili
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
Instructions
- Add 4 teaspoons of olive oil to a large pot over medium high heat
- When hot, add your ground turkey and season with salt and pepper
- Cook the turkey, breaking up with a spoon, until it has browned
- Add 4 more teaspoon of olive oil to the pot with the turkey, and add your veggies. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion has softened a bit – about 5 to 10 minutes. If things get to dry, deglaze the pot with some water as needed
- To this, add your chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Stir to combine
- Add the 2 cans of tomatoes and 1 cup of water
- Stir, bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes
- Stir in your black beans and season to taste!
- Optional toppings include: Greek yogurt/sour cream, cheese, avocado, onion, tortilla chips, Fritos, cilantro, or anything else you love on your chili!
Nutrition info is for 1 1/4 cup servings of chili and does not include any toppings.
If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!
In the mood for more yummy chili recipes? Check these out:
30 Minute One Pot White Chicken Chili
Hi! Excited to try this. I’m trying to figure out how the recipe counts as 2/3 of a yellow when I think the only carb is one can of beans. Can you please confirm? Thanks so much!
This is my go to chili recipe! I found it while looking into the 21 day fix two years ago and now I’m actually doing the program! My question is where the 3/4 yellow comes in since it’s all protein, veggies, and spices. Is that the olive oil? Thanks for such an amazing library of 21 day fix options!
★★★★★
Hey Kristen! Thank you so much for your comment! So, your question actually brought out a mistake that I didn’t realize I made in the recipe! The chili is supposed to have a can of black beans – whoops! That’s where the yellow comes in – if you don’t want to add beans, you can leave out that yellow container in your count! I fixed the beans addition in the recipe – thanks for bringing it to my attention!!
Hi!! I’m new to this diet and i was wondering which ingredients go towards the yellow container!
Thanks!!!
Hey! So, your question actually brought out a mistake that I didn’t realize I made in the recipe! The chili is supposed to have a can of black beans – whoops! That’s where the yellow comes in – if you don’t want to add beans, you can leave out that yellow container in your count! I fixed the beans addition in the recipe – thanks for bringing it to my attention!!