Three Bean Turkey Chili with Beer

Level up your game day eats with this hearty, smoky, savory, rich Three Bean Turkey Chili with Beer that’s a total hug in the bowl. Combining the irresistible flavor of charred vegetables with layers of earthy and warm spices, this turkey chili is a total touchdown.

Three Bean Turkey Chili with Beer

Football season is just around the corner and with it, chili season. Whether it’s a thick pot of Chuck Roast Chili with Beans begging to be piled on top of cornbread, or this faster cooking healthy three bean turkey chili, it’s the ultimate comfort food this time of year. Nothing feeds a group of friends and family quite like a hearty pot of chili while still offering up the choose your own adventure of topping off your individual bowls.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Fire Roasted Chili
  • Easy Process – There’s absolutely nothing complicated about making this turkey chili with beer. The peppers and corn are quickly charred, infusing them with smoky flavor while also bringing out the natural sweetness of the corn and enhancing the flavors of the chiles. After the turkey and veggies are browned, simply let the pot of fire roasted turkey chili simmer away until rich, thick, and delicious. Anyone can make this!
  • Layers of Flavor – This three bean turkey chili gets its flavor from both freshly roasted chile peppers as well as a dynamic blend of spices including chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and Mexican oregano. It also doubles up on the fire roasted flavor with the addition of both diced and crushed fire roasted tomatoes.
  • Party Perfect – This is a budget friendly dish that can be prepped ahead of time and is even better the next day. Have fun with your toppings so everyone can create their perfect bowl of chili.

Ingredients

  • Ground Turkey – You can use all ground turkey breast or a combination of ground white and dark meat turkey, both will be equally delicious however using a combination will give a more well rounded flavor profile with a little additional moisture.
  • Charred Vegetables – Fire up the grill and roast fresh corn, earthy poblanos, a sweet red bell pepper, and a spicy serrano pepper.
  • Sauteed Vegetables – Onions, shredded carrots, and celery build a layer of flavor along with garlic. This is also a great way to up the nutritional content of this protein packed chili.
  • Spices – Chili powder is the base of the spice mix for this turkey beer chili. Use a high-quality chili powder for the best flavor. Cumin adds earthiness while cinnamon gives an interesting warmth. Brown sugar balances the acidity of the canned tomatoes and beer while enhancing the natural sweetness in the corn, carrots, and bell pepper. Mexican oregano and salt round out the spices.
  • Tomato Products – Tomato pasta adds a little sweetness as well as texture to this three-bean turkey chili. Crushed tomatoes give body to the chili while diced tomatoes give texture. You’ll want to look for fire roasted for both of these.
  • Beans – I used a combination of pinto, kidney, and black beans for this chili but you can use your favorite mix. Using a variety will give great texture as well as flavor and appearance.
  • Beer – A lager style beer will add brightness, helping balance the richness of the other ingredients.
  • Worcestershire Sauce – Adds both umami and salt.

How to Make Three Bean Turkey Chili with Beer

  • Fire up the grill. Prepare your grill for direct grilling. For a gas grill heat to about 400-450 degrees. Place the corn and peppers on the hot grates. Rotate often until all sides are charred. Place the charred peppers in a zip top bag and allow them to cool and steam.
  • Prepare your mise en place. Remove the kernels of corn from the cooled cobs. Brush off the charred skin from the pepper and remove the seeds. Dice them along with the onions and celery. Grate your carrots.
  • Brown the turkey. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat with olive oil. Add the ground turkey and allow it to brown, breaking it up with a spoon until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  • Sauté the vegetables. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and grated carrots. Allow the mixture to cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent.
  • Toast the spices and tomato paste. Add all of the spices and stir to coat the meat mixture. Add the tomato paste and let the meat mixture cook for about 2 minutes until the spices are fragrant and the tomato paste has darkened in color.
  • Deglaze with the beer. Pour in the beer and allow the mixture to come to a boil.
  • Stir in the tomatoes, beans, corn, and diced chiles. Partially cover the Dutch oven and let the mixture cook for at least an hour until it has slightly reduced and thickened. Stir occasionally.
  • Finish it off. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Variations and Substitutions

  • Feel free to swap out the ground turkey in this recipe for ground chicken.
  • If you’re not a fan of cooking with alcohol replace the beer with two cubs of chicken or beef broth. The flavor won’t be quite the same, but it will still be delicious. You can add a squeeze of lime at the end for a little brightness.
  • If fresh corn isn’t in season, you can use fire roasted frozen or canned corn. You’ll need about 1 1/2 cups.
  • No grill? No problem. You can always roast your peppers and corn in the oven or just sauté them when you add the onions, celery, and carrots.

Storage

Ultimate Turkey Chili

This three bean turkey chili stores really well and is fantastic not just for meal prep and easy weeknight cooking, but also stocking the freezer.

  • Let the chili cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or freezer safe bags. It will keep for up to five days in the refrigerator and up to three months in the freezer.
  • To freeze the chili lay the freezer bags flat on a baking sheet, making sure to let out as much air as possible. Let them freeze on the baking sheet and then stack them however you like.

Tips From the Beach

Three Bean Turkey Chili
  • Don’t skip the step of toasting your spices and tomato paste. It will bring out the most flavor of your spices and allow the canned tomato flavor of the paste to cook out.
  • Spices play a big role in this recipe. Make sure you check the date on your spices. If you don’t remember the last time you used them it’s time to replace them.
  • Avoid beers that are bitter and stick with lighter, brighter flavors like lagers and pilsners.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is three bean turkey chili with beer spicy?

This chili has a moderate amount of heat because it has both chili powder and also grilled chiles in it. You can control the heat by removing the seeds from the serrano pepper and only starting with one, and also use a mild chili powder.

Do I have to use beer in this recipe?

While beer does give this chili a rich flavor profile, if you don’t cook with beer you can use 2 cups of chicken or beef broth for a slightly different flavor.

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Three Bean Turkey Chili with Beer

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Level up your game day eats with this hearty, smoky, savory, rich Three Bean Turkey Chili with Beer that’s a total hug in the bowl.

  • Author: Nicole Stover
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 75
  • Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Entree
  • Method: Simmering
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 pounds ground turkey
  • 2 poblano peppers
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 12 serrano peppers, depending on spice level
  • 3 ears corn (you’ll need between 1 1/22 cups total)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 sweet onions, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 small carrots, grated (1/2 cup)
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 12 ounces Mexican style lager such as Modelo
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 28 ounces fire roasted crushed tomatoes
  • 28 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 15.5 red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 15.5 pinto beans rinsed and drained
  • 15.5 black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup cilantro chopped

Instructions

  1. Prepare your grill for direct grilling. If using a gas grill heat it to between 400-450.
  2. Once the grates are hot place the poblanos, corn, serrano peppers, and red bell pepper on the grate. Rotate often until all sides are charred, removing as needed. Place the peppers in a zip top bag and allow them to cool and steam.
  3. Brush off the charred skin from the roasted peppers. Remove their seeds and dice them. Remove the kernels of corn from the cobs.
  4. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat with olive oil. Add the ground turkey and break it up with a spoon, allowing it to brown and cook through, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and let sauté until the onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
  6. Add all of the seasonings and stir to fully coat. Add the tomato paste and let the mixture cook for 2 minutes until the spices are fragrant and the tomato paste and darkened.
  7. Stir in the beer and let the mixture come to a simmer. Let cook 2 minutes.
  8. Stir in the beans, corn, chopped peppers, Worcestershire, crushed, and diced tomatoes. Partially cover the pot and let cook for at least an hour, stirring occasionally, until the chili has reduced slightly and cooked to your desired thickness.
  9. Taste and add any additional seasoning if needed.
  10. Stir in the cilantro and serve. 

Notes

  1. If you don’t cook with alcohol, you can replace the beer with chicken or beef broth. The flavor will be slightly different but still delicious.
  2. Feel free to replace the fresh corn with fire roasted frozen or canned corn. You will need about 1 1/2 cups.
  3. Use your favorite combination of beans in this recipe. 

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