My favorite Low Carb Turkey Chili is made without beans and is keto-friendly. It is high protein and low calorie but so delicious.
I have been perfecting my turkey chili recipe for over 14 years. The main feature of most chili recipes is beans. I don't always care for beans, so I started making this beanless chili.
I made some modifications to eliminate the added sugars in the chili, and it turns out I may like it even better than the original!
This is a lower carb chili that replaces the beans with extra ground turkey. It's low calorie and keto friendly.
I make this chili year round, even in the middle of the summer! The leftovers are great, and it freezes and thaws well.
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Ingredients
In order to make this a lower carb chili, I made some modifications to my Classic Turkey Chili. The first was eliminating the beans and upping the amount of ground turkey.
Instead of hot cocoa mix, which has sugar in it, I use unsweetened cocoa powder. This is the "secret ingredient" of this recipe because you would never know it's in there. The chocolate mixes with the spices and tomato paste similar to a mole sauce to make the most delicious flavor.
Instead of tomato sauce from the original recipe, I use tomato paste, which has less sugar. I use water instead of beer and omit the brown sugar.
Saute the Veggies and Turkey
To begin, saute the chopped onion and green pepper in oil. I use my instant pot to do this so I can saute and slow cook the chili in the same pot. You can use a large stockpot on the stove and simmer the chili instead of using the slow cook function.
After the veggies are soft, the garlic is added and then the ground turkey.
I like to cook the turkey until it's fully cooked before proceeding with the recipe.
Add the Seasonings
The spices are added to the meat and veggie mixture to "wake up" the spices a little.
Then the cocoa powder is added.
Next, the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce go in.
Lastly, the water and canned tomatoes with chilis are added. The chili is ready to simmer.
Simmer the Chili
If you're making the chili in an instant pot, you can switch it to the slow cooker function and allow the chili to simmer for at least 30 to 45 minutes or up to 1-2 hours.
Alternatively, simmer the chili on the stove for the same amount of time.
Serving Suggestions
Serve chili with shredded cheese, onions, green onions, sour cream or even over lower carb pasta.
You can also serve the chili over hot dogs or turkey hot dogs without buns for low carb chili dogs.
Storage
Store the leftover chili in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Portion leftovers in freezer safe containers and freeze for later use.
Thaw the frozen chili at 50% power in the microwave or on medium-low heat on the stove.
Gluten Free Option
This recipe is naturally gluten free.
📖 Recipe
Low Carb Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 green bell peppers (seeded and chopped)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 pounds lean ground turkey (93/7 recommended)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 - 2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 6 ounces canned tomato paste
- 6 ounces water or chicken broth
- 30 ounces canned mild diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (such as mild Rotel tomatoes, see note)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat or in an instant pot on "saute." Add the green peppers, onion, and garlic. Stir and cook until the onions are translucent.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 green bell peppers, 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic
- Add in the ground turkey and cook until turkey is no longer pink, stirring occasionally to break up turkey into smaller pieces.2 pounds lean ground turkey
- Add all the spices and stir, cooking for about 30 seconds.2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 - 2 teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Stir in the cocoa powder, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste until fully mixed and cook for 30 seconds.¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 6 ounces canned tomato paste
- Fill the empty can of tomato paste with water and add it to the pot. Add the diced tomatoes with green chilies and stir to mix completely.6 ounces water or chicken broth, 30 ounces canned mild diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
- Partially cover the pan, and simmer over medium heat for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. For an instant pot, cook on "slow cook" mode for 1 hour or longer. If using a crock pot, transfer the chili to the pot and cook on low for 1 hour or more.
- Serve chili with your favorite chili toppings, such as chopped onion and shredded cheese.
S.C says
Absolutely delicious! Perfect combination of everything which creates an excellent texture and flavor profile. You won’t even miss the beef. The only modification I made was using fire roasted tomatoes and one fresh jalapeño (sans seeds). Chefs kiss!
Meghan says
So glad you liked it! I love fire roasted tomatoes!