Ultimate turkey chilli recipe

I recently posted my recipe for turkey burgers and I got such a great reaction, turkey is back on the menu! So I’m sharing with you my ultimate turkey chilli recipe. You will notice it’s similar to my basic Texas chilli, but here I call for canned smoked chipotles. There is something about the vinegary sweet smokiness which goes so well with the turkey.

You’ll see that I also add in some red bell pepper. This adds a bit more depth of flavour to the dish and again red pepper goes really well with turkey. I am lucky enough to have fresh oregano growing outside already this year so I just used a few sprigs. I have suggested dried oregano in the ingredients, but you could of course use fresh too if you have it. It’s simple to make so give it a try! Ingredients

• 500g/1ib Minced turkey thigh or breast
• 1 Medium onion finely chopped
• 2 Cloves garlic minced
• ½ Red bell pepper (capsicum) finely diced  
• 500ml/2 cups chicken stock
• 70g Tomato paste (approx 2 Tbsp)
• 2 TBSP Vegetable oil
• 1 TSP Chilli flakes
• 1 TSP Dried oregano
• 1 TBSP Cumin Powder
• 2 Canned smoked chipotle chillies chopped*
• Pinch of Salt

*or one deseeded and chopped red chilli Serves 4 Start by getting all the chopping done so you’re ready to go. Heat oil in a large pan or casserole dish, add the chopped onion and gently fry on a medium heat for around 5 minutes or until the onions change colour and have become translucent, don’t worry if you see a the odd bit of brown colour just try not to over fry them.

Add the minced garlic and red pepper and stir for about 30 seconds then add the minced turkey thigh. Stir on the heat for approximately 5 minutes or until the turkey has all changed colour. Now add the chilli flakes, smoked chipotles, oregano and cumin and continue cooking and stirring for a further 3 minutes.

Then add the tomato paste and mix it through. Now pour in all of your chicken stock and add a pinch of salt. It may seem like a lot of liquid but stick with it! Turn the heat as low as it goes and cook uncovered for 1 hour 20-30 minutes , making sure you stir it occasionally. Push any nice deep red bits which appear round the edge of the bowl, there's great flavour there!

You will now have a big thick, rich bowl of turkey chilli. Season with salt to taste, and serve immediately if you want. TIP: I think if you let it go cold then simply reheat it the flavours meld even more. Serve as you would any chilli with rice or tortilla chips or both! I really hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It’s a healthy alternative to beef and I promise you will love the change :) Please remember to share how you got on with this recipe in the comments below. Michael Robinson