A couple years ago, I wanted to re-create a bowl of white chili that I ate in college. There was a small, secondary bookstore near campus called Brian’s Books. It had a cafe that severed this amazing, white chili with tortilla chips. So I set out to create a similar recipe using turkey and was able to make a delicious White Bean Turkey Chili that is now a staple in our house during the cooler months.
Make once, eat twice
This recipe combines turkey with white chili beans (I generally use Bushes White Great Northern Beans) and turkey – either ground or pulled turkey breast. We’ve made it both ways and it’s delicious no matter which way you go. For a few years now we’ve been making it with turkey breast. I generally make a turkey breast for dinner one night and on the second night, used the leftovers for this White Bean Turkey Chili.
Before we had children, Kevin and I loved to make food this way. We would make a meal one night and see how we could reinvent the leftovers the next night. Since we were saving for either adoption or fertility treatments, we really needed to conserve money. We called it, “Make once, eat twice.” Personally, I think this is still one of the most fun ways to try to make dinner. And this chili was one of the best recipes to come out of that period of our lives.
White Bean Turkey Chili is also perfect for leftovers on Thanksgiving. If you always find yourself with extra turkey on-hand after the holiday is over, this is a great way to use it up and extend your meals through the week.
The best way to eat White Bean Turkey Chili
Kevin love to eat this White Bean Turkey Chili with chips, just like that white chili from college. (He did not go to my school.) I like to eat a few bites this way and then just eat it with a spoon. It is so delicious on its own, and I like to enjoy it as simply as possible.
There also seems to be endless ways to top the White Bean Turkey Chili. Topping chili always feels very personal to me. You could have one chili dish and have 100 different combinations with toppings. We like to use a simple Tomatillo Salsa and a little sour cream for the White Bean Turkey Chili but cheese, cilantro, parsley and so many other herbs too.
Tips for making White Bean Turkey Chili
- The photos in this recipe show the turkey chili with pulled turkey from leftover turkey breast, but I’ll tell you how to make it with ground turkey too.
- Depending on when you make this, tomatillos can be difficult to find. Generally, Walmart seems to have them through the fall season. You can also check Trader Joes and Fresh Thyme locations. Every now and then I find they get them in too. If you’re in the Midwest you will also have luck at Jewel and Mariano’s.
- You can keep the White Bean Turkey Chili for about 5 days in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
- You can reheat the chili over a low flame on the stove. It can also be microwaved.
Thank you so much for coming by today, friends! I hope that you love this White Bean Turkey Chili recipe. Please let me know your thoughts below if you get a chance! And make sure to check out this delightful Savory Turkey Soup {HERE} if you’re looking for something else to make with Turkey leftovers.
I hope that you will come back again to visit us at Sugar Maple Farmhouse.
White Bean Turkey Chili
Ingredients
Ingredients for White Bean Turkey Chili
- 1.5 Ibs. turkey – roasted and pulled or ground
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 3 cans white beans - either Great Northern Beans or Bush's White Chili Beans
- 9 oz. mild green chiles About 2 small cans
- 2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth, reserve 1 cup
- 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- Juice from1 lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional:Cilantro, parsley, cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips
Ingredients for tomatillo salsa
- 12-15 tomatillos
- 12-15 cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 1/2 jalapeno, diced
- Juice from half a lime
- 2 tsp. garlic salt
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a pot and heat.
- Then add chopped onion and minced garlic and heat through until translucent. About 3 minutes. .*If you’re using ground turkey, add it now and brown.
- Add in green chiles.
- Add in flour and mix well for about two minutes.
- Add in 2 cups of chicken broth.
- Add in the chili beans and stir in.
- Add in ground cumin and lime juice. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. *If you’re using pulled or roasted turkey, add in now.
- Simmer for an hour or at least 30 minutes.
- While the chili simmers, make the salsa by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix together so the salt and lime juice can pull out additional juice sand flavor from the tomatoes and tomatillos. Refrigerate until needed.
- Once the chili has simmered, serve immediately with salsa and desired optional toppings.
I’m a vegetarian, but the salsa looks awesome! Now I just need to see if I can find tomatillos in Denmark.
Saving this for my meal plan next week! It sounds so delicious
I love white chili. I have never tried it with turkey before, so I will have to make this. Normally I use chicken!
This looks delicious! Perfect for a chilly fall day!
This recipe looks so savory, perfect for those cold fall nights.
I haven’t used white beans in quite some time. It is nice ingredient to incorporate into recipes. Cold fall weather has finally arrived so I’m in the mood to make some chili!
Turkey chili sounds so delicious! I can’t wait to make this one.
I love this season’s food…. this looks amazing! can’t wait to try it.
My husband will love this. He loves a good chili anyway, and this one brings something a little different to the table.
Im adding this to my meal plans. It looks so delicious! I cant wait to try it
I’ll be saving this recipe for tomorrow’s dinner dish. It’s delicious, and I love it!
Yum, I can’t wait to try this! Looks healthy and delicious. I’m not a huge fan of turkey. I assume I could sub chicken?
This sounds great. It is a lovely tasty recipe and healthy too. Perfect as a comfort meal now the weather is getting colder!!!
That is seriously comforting! Everyone at my house loved it!
This seems like it’d easily be done in the Instant Pot, do you agree? I’m all about simplicity LOL! Sounds so good though, I wish I had this on hand for lunch today!!
The dish sounds so great, and I love the way you save up. It’s my style too, most the time.
Such a hearty and deliciously looking chili recipe. Love that it’s made with turkey and white bean!
This would be great to make extra and then freeze. Thanks for all the helpful tips.
I will be adding this to my list. THis looks really delicious!
This is such a fabulous recipe! I am looking forward to making it again…YUM!!!
This looks delicious and indeed the perfect way to reuse the turkey leftovers. Saving this post and recipe. Thanks so much!!
while we don’t eat meat, i will definitely try a vegetarian version of this..
That is a great idea on how to use leftover turkey! Sounds so delicious and helathy!
This chili sounds so delicious! I can’t wait to try.
This sounds like a perfect post Thanksgiving meal!
This is my first time learning about White Bean Turkey Chili. I am curious about it and I guess I will try to make this on my own and let’s see if I can do it successfully.