Turkey Chili with Instant Pot Beans

Kid-friendly, healthy turkey chili with fresh veggies and beans from scratch that is light enough even for the summer months. Use canned beans or throw the bean trio in your instant pot for extra flavor. Chili is always best served with toppings and cornbread. This gluten-free cornbread is my favorite: https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/gluten-free-sweet-cornbread/.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Storage
• To do:

Ingredients

Instant pot beans

• ⅓ kidney beans
• ⅓ cup black beans
• ⅓ cup pinto beans
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups chicken broth low-sodium
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder

Turkey chili

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped red or yellow onion, diced
• 1 large celery stick, thinly sliced
• salt & pepper
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1.5 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• .5 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions

1. Instant Pot Beans: Rinse 1 cup of beans (⅓ each of kidney, black, and pinto) and combine in the instant pot with 3 cups water, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt, bay leaf, and ½ teaspoon each of cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder. Set to high pressure for 30 minutes with 20 minute natural release.*
2. Prep chili ingredients: Dice 1 cup onion and green bell pepper, mince 1 tablespoon garlic and combine spices in a small bowl.
3. Sauté veggies: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, season onion with S&P, and sauté until onion softens, about 4 minutes.
4. Add green bell pepper, sauté an additional 2 minutes.
5. Add garlic and spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Add ground turkey and brown for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add can of diced tomatoes, including liquid.
8. Cover and remove from heat until instant pot beans are ready.**
9. Add beans and 1 cup of bean liquid.
10. Bring chili to a boil then turn down and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

*You can use canned beans instead. I use of 1 can of black beans and 1 can of pinto beans.

** If using canned beans, rinse both cans of beans and add to the chili along with 1 cup of chicken broth and proceed to step 10.

Substitutions

• Vegan/Vegetarian - Beans have plenty of protein, so you can simply leave out the ground turkey or replace with a meatless option (such as Quorn Meatless Grounds). Use vegetarian broth in place of chicken broth.

Variations

• Spicy - I make mild chili so my kids can eat it, but feel free to spice yours up. Replace 1 teaspoon of paprika with 1-3 teaspoon of chili powder, and add a finely chopped jalapeño or serrano pepper with the green bell pepper (step 4).

Storage

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.

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