Easy High-Protein Instant Pot Turkey Chili
Easy Instant Pot Turkey Chili
Chicken gets all the love and we tend to forget about chicken’s favorite cousin. Turkey! Turkey stir fry, turkey sweet potato hash and turkey gravy and biscuits are some yummy examples of why turkey is more than just a Thanksgiving food.
This turkey chili recipe is my newest turkey showcase. This hearty meal is made with ground turkey, beans, veggies, and a touch of fat-free half-and-half to make it soft and creamy. Totally customizable, it’s a great recipe to bring to parties and the instant pot makes this healthy chili recipe the perfect meal for busy families. Grab your spoon and the biggest bowl you can find, you’re going to want it!
We’re no strangers to chili around here. Try my white bean chicken chili, chili cheese enchiladas, chili Mac and cheese and black bean chicken chili. Or check out my list of high protein soups and chilis to warm you up.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This Easy Instant Pot Turkey Chili Recipe is low in calories and high in protein.
- A large serving size makes it perfect for parties and big families.
- Meal prep dream with tons of leftovers.
- Loaded with high-fiber beans and veggies.
- Add in your favorite toppings to make it uniquely yours!
Why cook chili in the instant pot?
I have lots of kitchen gadgets but one of my most favorite is my instant pot. I have the Instant Pot 6qt Duo Pressure Cooker and use it for this delicious chili because it’s just SO EASY. It gives the instant pot turkey chili that slow simmered flavor in a fraction of the time. All you do is sauté a few ingredients in the pot, toss in the rest of the ingredients, close the lid and go about your merry way. Some of our other family favorites in the Instant Pot are Instant Pot Carnitas, Macro Friendly Chili and Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti.
How to make this turkey chili without an instant pot
STOVETOP: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven brown the turkey and season with seasonings. Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Remove the lid and add the arrowroot/half-and-half blend and stir to combine. Simmer until the chili has thickened and reached your desired consistency.
CROCKPOT: Pre-cook the turkey on the stove and season with seasonings. Add to the crockpot. Add all the remaining ingredients, stir and cover with the lid. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. 30 minutes prior to serving remove the lid and add the arrowroot/half-and-half blend and stir to combine. Let the chili continue to cook on the LOW setting for the remaining 30 minutes, or until it has thickened to a creamy consistency.
Make it your own
The instant pot turkey chili is one of my favorite recipes because it is totally customizable. Sub out the ground turkey for ground beef or chicken. I used Great Northern beans because I love white beans, but feel free to omit or add red kidney beans, black beans or pinto beans. For the tomatoes, I used a can of Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilis for their flavor but any can of diced tomatoes is fine. For a little spice, I suggest adding 1 de-seeded jalapeño. Make it yours!
Is this recipe dairy and gluten-free?
The instant pot turkey chili is naturally gluten-free. To make dairy-free, simply omit the half-and-half or add full-fat coconut milk in it’s place to make it creamy.
Ingredients:
These are the main ingredients Instant Pot Turkey Chili. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Variations and Substitutions
- Ground turkey, chicken or beef work great.
- Use pinto or black beans in place of white.
- Can use beef, vegetable or bone broth as well.
- Fat-Free Half and Half makes it creamy. You can substitute it with Greek yogurt or full-fat coconut milk.
- Can substitute arrowroot 1:1 with cornstarch.
How to make Instant Pot Turkey Chili
Step 1: brown the turkey
Turn on the Instant Pot to the sauté function. Add the olive oil, ground turkey, onion, and garlic (image 1).
Cook, breaking up the turkey with a spoon, until the turkey is browned and the onion is softened (image 2).
Step 2: add seasonings and mix ins
Add the cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and mix evenly into the turkey to coat (image 3).
Add the beans, rotel, green chilies, chicken broth and corn. Stir until well combined (image 4).
Step 3: pressure cook
Close the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to the sealing position. Select Manual or Pressure Cook and set the timer for 15 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
Step 5: make it creamy!
Open the lid and turn the Instant Pot back to the sauté mode. In a small bowl, whisk together the half and half and arrowroot powder. Stir the mixture into the chili (image 5). Cook the chili for an additional 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly, until it thickens to a creamy consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Chili Toppings
My favorite way to serve this healthy turkey chili recipe is with a topping buffet. Believe me when I say, that the possibilities are limitless. Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado, red onion, Greek yogurt, sour cream, lime wedges, tortilla chips and jalapeño slices are all amazing options.
Serving size and storing notes!
Chili gets better the next day as the flavors blend together. Keep any leftover turkey chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Re-heat over the stove on medium-low heat or the microwave. You can freeze the chili in freezer-safe containers and use it within 3 months.
The serving size for this chili is approximately 323 grams per serving. As always it is best to weigh your final dish and divide by the number of servings to ensure you have the most accurate serving size.
Check out some of our other healthy recipes!
- Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
- Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
- Instant Pot Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Stroganoff
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!
Instant Pot Turkey Chili
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Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. lean ground turkey 99/1%
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained 15.5 oz. each
- 1 can chopped green chilis 4 oz.
- 1 can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies 10 oz.
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. dried oregeno
- 1 tsp. salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup corn (frozen, fresh, or canned) 70g
- 1/2 cup fat-free half and half 105g
- 2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder cornstarch is fine too
Optional Toppings
- shredded cheddar cheese
- chopped fresh chives
- diced avocado
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- lime wedges
- hot sauce
- sliced jalapeño
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Turn on the Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Add the olive oil, ground turkey, onion, and garlic. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a spoon, until the turkey is browned and the onion is softened.
- Add the cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and mix evenly into the turkey to coat. Add the beans, rotel, green chilies, chicken broth amd corn. Stir until well combined.
- Close the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to the sealing position. Select Manual or Pressure Cook and set the timer for 15 minutes.
- When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure. Open the lid and turn the Instant Pot back to the sauté mode.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the half and half and arrowroot powder. Stir the mixture into the chili. Cook the chili for an additional 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly, until it thickens to a creamy consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary and serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are always an estimate and will change with substitutions.
- Substitute ground turkey with ground chicken or beef.
- Use any desired beans.
- Add spices to taste.
- Add 1 de-seeded jalapeño for added heat.
Hi! Only have 1 pound of turkey, do you think that would be OK and keep all the other ingredients to the serving Size you indicate?
Hi ,it does look delicious can I make this without the Insta Pot.
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe! We found it when doing a search for ground turkey recipes, in our attempt to eat healthier food. This was so simple yet has SO much flavor. We will definitely be making it regularly.
Yay! So glad to hear you loved it. Thank you!
This is delicious and easy and it’s on repeat in our home. The first time I made it my parents were at our house for dinner and we all loved it! I love how flavorful but lean this recipe is so that I can add all the yummy toppings like avocado and cheese. I like Greek yogurt so choose that instead of sour cream but I use the plain Oikos Pro for a little more protein and a little fat but lots of creaminess.
Made this on the stovetop and it turned out so good! Topping bar included Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, jalapeños, hot sauce and oyster crackers (per my 4 year olds request).
I have always loved white chili but this one, the best of the best! I did the crockpot version as I do not have an instant pot and it came out perfect. Highly recommend. The only issue I had was I used cornstarch instead of arrowroot and it clumped up (even after stirring) so it did not thicken up as it should have, but it was still so good! I’m sure the leftovers will thicken up in the fridge.
Really good!!! I did feel like it took longer than 25 min though. Toddler approved as well which is a plus!
I’m glad you liked it!! Probably from waiting for the IP to come to pressure, always feels like a lifetime waiting on that thing.
Doubled the batch to freeze some and OMG. So delicious. Didn’t change a thing!!!
Right!? Freezing is the BEST.
This is a weekly favorite of ours! I’ve substituted the ground Turkey for ground chicken and it’s just as good!
I’ve done that many times : ) So glad you enjoyed and it’s in the weekly rotation.
Can I cook this on the stove or in a crock pot instead?
Definitely – I have instructions in this post on how to do that!
Delicious! No season adjustments needed for this household of two. Thank you for the servings adjuster…huge + for us. Look forward to trying more of the recipes, yum!
Delicious! No season adjusts for this household of two. And thank you for the servings adjuster…huge + for us. Look forward to trying more of the recipes, yum!
Made this tonight as my first chili/soup of the season, and it was perfect. This will be my go-to white chili now, for sure. Easy to put together, and I made homemade protein cornbread muffins (from another favorite IG macro girl that i love) while it cooked. Yummy!!! So glad I have some leftovers to enjoy this weekend too.
Oh I’d love that cornbread recipe!