This easy turkey chili or what I refer to as “Witch’s Chili” has a couple unique ingredients, but don’t be scared its what makes it so delicious and perfect for a cold night, especially Halloween!
Great for Halloween
It’s so hard to get kids to eat a sit-down dinner the night of Halloween. They typically are always running around in anticipation of going outside to trick or treat. I find that if I give them a bowl full of chili at least I know they ate a little something nutritious before the big night. I started calling this turkey chili, “Witch’s Chili” when my daughter Isabelle was in Kindergarten. We had all her friends and their families over and I made up fun names for all the food, hence Witch’s Chili. There is also a White Chicken Chili on the blog that I call “Ghost Chili”. You can find that recipe here: https://inthekitchenwithsteff.com/easy-white-chicken-chili/
Whats inside the chili
Like I said earlier, this turkey chili has all the expected chili ingredients like onions, cumin, oregano, ground turkey, and beans. But a couple things you might not expect are unsweetened cocoa and cinnamon. I like a little bit of cinnamon because it adds warmth without the spice and the unsweetened cocoa adds a depth and richness to the chili that has you asking, “What’s in this chili that makes it so good?” Every time I serve it someone always says, “there’s something in this chili that makes it so good, what is it?” So my secret is out and I’m sharing it with everyone!
This turkey chili is so easy to throw together. After you chop and sauté one onion you are going to cook the ground turkey and then toss everything else into the pot and let the chili do it’s thing and get yummy! It cooks on the stove for just under an hour and then its ready to enjoy.
Lets talk toppings
What goes on top of your bowl of chili is personal and everyone has different tastes. I prefer grated sharp cheddar cheese, a spoonful of sour cream and a few Fritos on top for the crunch. My husband likes diced raw onions, others go with fresh cilantro and jalapeños, what ever your jam is, go for it! I’ve even put out baked potatoes and hot dogs as an option. The reason I love serving chili to a crowd is because you can set out all the toppings, a bunch of bowls, and the pot of chili and let everyone serve themselves. Rest assured if you’re serving this chili everyone will enjoy it no matter what goes on top!
Turkey Chili
This easy turkey chili aka "Witch's Chili" has a couple unique ingredients, but don't be scared its what makes it so delicious and perfect for a cold night.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey (or you can do ½ ground beef & ½ ground turkey)
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
- 3 cups beef stock or broth
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 15-ounce cans white beans, rinsed, drained
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed, drained
Optional Toppings
- Chopped red onion
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sliced Jalapeños
- Sour cream or Plain low-fat yogurt
- Grated Cheddar Cheese
- Fritos or tortilla chips
Instructions
1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat.
2. Add onions; sauté until light brown and tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add oregano and cumin; stir 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high.
4. Add turkey; stir until no longer pink, breaking up with back of spoon. About 5 more minutes.
5. Stir in chili powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon.
6. Add tomatoes with their juices, breaking up with back of spoon. Mix in stock and tomato sauce. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add beans to the chili and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes longer.
8. Discard bay leaves.
9. Serve. Topping with garnishes of your choice.
Ladle chili into bowls. Top with garnishes like red onion, cheddar cheese, cilantro and sour cream. Top with Frito chips if desired.
(Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before serving)
Notes
- The recipe calls for Unsweetened Cocoa powder, so be sure its UNSWEETENED! Otherwise you'll have some sweet tasting chili on your hands.
[…] Turkey Chili, aka “Witch’s Chili” that I serve on Halloween. You can find that recipe here: https://inthekitchenwithsteff.com/easy-turkey-chili/. Its a perfect compliment to the chili and I just love it. You could also serve it at […]