This delicious Extra-Lean Turkey Chili with Kale recipe is easy to make, gluten-free, and perfect for a chilly day!
Hello Everyone,
How are you? I am very tired because I just arrived in Canada after a 10-hour flight. I was in Brazil visiting my family and friends for about 2 months and now it is time to get back to my “real life”. I had such a great time down there, enjoying the beautiful and wonderful summertime and my nephew who was born last November.
This time, it was really hard to leave Brazil because of my nephew. I was helping my sister with her new baby for one month and two weeks and during this time, I got very close to him. Don’t worry, I’ll talk about my vacation in Brazil in my next post.
I was missing my home, my Canadian friends, and my family, but to be honest, this weather is totally disappointing. I know you may think, “Why are you complaining about the weather if you lived in Canada for years. You should be used to it”.
I have to agree and I don’t complain much about the COLD temperatures, because all the places are heated and if you have a good quality coat, you are totally fine. However, I really can’t get used to the dark days. For me, this is the worst part of the winter. When I wake up at 6:30 am is still very dark and when it is 4 pm it is already dark again!! Oh gosh!!
But, let’s talk about good things like delicious winter food!! Yes, I love winter food and one of my favorites is turkey chili because I love beans and all the spices we can add in there. It is warm and perfect for this time of the year. Soups (like my Spicy Carrot Soup) and chilis are my go-to.
So, I definitely love to have this dish at least one time per week. This extra-lean turkey chili with kale is a lightened-up chili because I used lean turkey meat and added fresh kale to get some greens into this dish. Got extra kale? Here’s How to Make Spicy Kale Chips! If you have extra ground turkey, try this Ground Turkey Cauliflower Rice Veggie Bowls (Meal-Prep)!
Want to try another chili recipe? Try my Classic Chili Recipe, my Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili, or these Top 30 Chili Recipes!
I hope you enjoy this recipe and give it a try. I promise this delicious and comforting chili will help you to feel warmer this winter. Thanks a lot for reading.
Extra-lean Turkey Chili with Kale
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced onions
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 pound extra-lean ground turkey
- 1 cup red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 3 cups kale chopped
- 2 tbsp crushed red pepper
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 can 19 oz/ 540 ml diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 can 19 oz/540 ml red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- Salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and sauté onions until they are translucent.
- Add garlic and sauté until you can smell garlic aroma.
- Add ground turkey and cook for 10 minutes and stirring occasionally.
- Add pepper, celery, and carrots. Stir until combined.
- Add all the spices, tomatoes, and the beans. Heat to a boil for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Then reduce heat to low.
- Cook on low heat for about 2 hours. Add kale and cook for more 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper for taste and adjust if necessary.
Notes
- Make sure all your veggies are diced finely so they blend in with the chili.
- You can swap the kale for any other leafy greens.
- You can swap the kidney beans for black beans or pinto beans.
- To store: To store leftovers, transfer the chili to an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: You can reheat chili in the microwave or stovetop.
- To freeze: Freeze chili in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Kale Recipes
Easy and quick Sweet potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet recipe!
I promise this Kale Sneak in Meatballs is as delicious as the traditional meatball recipes and packed with veggies.
This Kale, Peppers, and Red Onions Pizza is made with whole wheat flour.
Oh yum!!! What a gorgeous and oh so healthy recipe. Adding to my new years planned dinner menus. Also, hope you recover quickly from the lag. 🙂
Well welcome home friend! Bet going from warm Brazil to cold Canada is quite the weather shock. Good thing you have warm and comforting dinners like this turkey chili to keep you warm : )
I totally feel you on the way too early sunsets! Best hunker down with a bowl of this chili 🙂
Hi! Can this be made without the red pepper flakes? Or what can be substituted? This looks so good and I wanted to make it but I am nursing and cannot eat spicy foods. thanks in advance!
Way too spicy and I used 1/2 the red pepper recommended. Loved the healthiness of it but can’t handle the spices.
Yes!! I had the same problem – nearly inedible. So disappointing. Will try recipe again another time using NO red pepper!
I think you will enjoy if more if you use only 1 teaspoon of red pepper instead of 1 tablespoon.
Sorry about that. We love very spicy chili. But if you try it again, you can add only 1 teaspoon of red pepper instead of 2 or 1 tablespoon.
Would be a higher rating but author needs to correct recipe from 2 tablespoons crush red pepper to something like 1 teaspoon. I’ve made tons of different Chile recipes and none put that much red pepper for a pound of meat.
You can totally reduce it according to your taste.