High protein turkey chili made with lean ground turkey, black beans, corn, and spinach all in one pan for easy meal prep packed with fiber and nutrients.
Why You’ll Love Easy High Protein Turkey Chili
Delicious flavor from the spices. Spice level can be adjusted to your preference by adding more chili powder and using stronger green chilis. This recipe is packed with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Each serving has 33 grams of protein from the turkey and black beans. The onion, corn, tomatoes, and spinach supply a variety of vitamins and minerals to keep your body healthy and feeling at its best.
Perfect for meal prep since it is made in one pan. Canned items shorten prep time. To reduce the sodium content, use no added salt or reduced sodium canned foods. Chili freezes well. If you don’t want to eat the same meal for 5 days, then you can eat a few meals this week and freeze a few meals for next week.
Full of Fiber
Fiber is important for regular bowel movements, lowering cholesterol levels, and stabilizing blood sugar levels. It also reduces the risk for several diseases including heart disease and diabetes.
The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend adult women should consume 22 to 28 g fiber per day and adult men should consume 28 to 34 g fiber per day depending on age. One serving of Easy High Protein Turkey Chili contains 12 g fiber. Eating this one meal will meet almost half of your daily fiber needs.
Ingredients
- Onion: Adds flavor and rich in antioxidants.
- Ground Turkey: The bulk of the protein supply.
- Cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper: The spices. This recipe is mild. Use stronger chili powder or increase the amounts to bring the heat.
- Black Beans: Provide additional protein and high in fiber to keep you feeling full.
- Corn: Also provides fiber and is a good source of B vitamins, including folate.
- Diced Tomato: Provides the sauce base. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C and potassium.
- Frozen Spinach: Good source of folate, iron, and vitamins A and C. Easy to mix in this recipe as it tastes like the tomato and spices.
- Green chiles: adds more spice.
How to Make High Protein Turkey Chili
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, add olive oil.
- Add onion to skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes.
- Add ground turkey. Crumble into smaller pieces while it cooks. Mix in chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Cook until no longer pink.
- Add diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, green chiles, and frozen spinach. Don’t drain the canned foods to provide more liquid. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.
- Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Adjust spices per your preference.
- Garnish as you like with cheese and avocado.
Toppings for Easy High Protein Turkey Chili
I love avocado with my chili to add healthy fats. When the avocados aren’t ripe yet, I like to use Trader Joe’s Avocado’s Number Guacamole to Go. Shredded cheese, sour cream, and Greek yogurt make great toppings. Add crunch with tortilla chips on top or scoop up the chili with chips. Add what you enjoy.
Tips
- Adjust the spice level to your preference. This recipe is mild. Add more chili powder and cayenne pepper to increase the heat. You can also use stronger green chilis.
- Don’t like spinach? Try bell peppers instead. You can find frozen cut up bell peppers to make it easy, like Trader Joe’s frozen Mélange A Trois Bell Peppers.
- Hate cutting onions? Use a vegetable chopper to quickly cut your onion and minimize the tears.
- Freezes well. Divide the recipe into meal containers prior to freezing to have meals ready to go when hungry.
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Free Meal Plan
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Easy High Protein Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1 lb ground turkey 93% lean
- 2 tbsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomato
- 2 (15 oz) cans black beans
- 1 (15 oz) can corn
- 1 (7 oz) can diced green chiles
- 1 cup frozen spinach
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, add olive oil.
- Add onion to skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes.
- Add ground turkey. Crumble into smaller pieces while it cooks. Mix in chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Cook until turkey is no longer pink.
- Add diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, green chili peppers, and frozen spinach. Don't drain the canned foods to provide more liquid. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.
- Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Adjust spices per your preference.
- Garnish as you like with cheese and avocado.
Notes
- Adjust the spice level to your preference. This recipe is mild. Add more chili powder and cayenne pepper to increase the heat. You can also use stronger green chilis.
- Don’t like spinach? Try bell peppers instead. You can find frozen cut up bell peppers to make it easy, like Trader Joe’s frozen Mélange A Trois Bell Peppers.
- Hate cutting onions? Use a vegetable chopper to quickly cut your onion and minimize the tears.
- Freezes well. Divide the recipe into meal containers prior to freezing to have meals ready to go when hungry.
