Friday, August 10, 2007

Turkey Chili – Mooooooove over Chuck!

The recently posted Garbage Plate video generated the most comments and emails of any clip I’ve done so far. That wasn’t surprising due to the shocking nature of that dish. What I did find amusing though was the several requests I got that asked for my Chili recipe so that viewers could make the Garbage Plate at home. So, I decided to show this very easy, and quite delicious, Turkey Chili.

As you’ve heard me say in many clips and posts, the main reason people don’t cook at home is the prep work required. While most people enjoy cooking, they just don’t enjoy all the slicing, dicing, chopping and mincing. So, I try to compose these recipes so that they require the least amount of work possible. This one is a good example; except for chopping an onion and a few cloves of garlic, you are pretty much just stirring a few times, and listening to this tasty chili simmer away.

Feel free to make this same recipe using beef (ground chuck being the best choice). But, I’ve been using ground turkey in my chili for a while now, and enjoy it almost as much as the higher fat beef version. I’ve heard Chefs on TV say, “This turkey chili tastes just like one made with beef!” No it doesn’t. Why? Because a turkey isn’t a cow. I know, a shocking revelation! Ground turkey just doesn’t have the same fat content and texture of a nice ground chuck, so we have to do a few tricks to counter this. We’re going to cook it for a long time so that the turkey is as soft and succulent as possible. I also served mine with some beautifully ripe slices of avocado that gives the final bowl another layer of silky richness. By the way, don’t let the cocoa powder in our chili spice mixture throw you off! It’s only a small amount and it really works. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs ground turkey
2 cans pinto beans (12oz cans)
1 cup tomato puree
2 cups water
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
Secret Chili Spice Mix:
1/4 cup ancho chili powder
1 tbl cumin
1 1/2 tsp chipotle
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbl paprika
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne
*my chili was garnished with sour cream, diced jalapeno, cilantro and avocado

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

whoa chef john is really kicking it into high gear lately :D

mmm chili....

Anonymous said...

Thanks! I was one of those people. Garbage plate here I come. I'm i little scared about the cocoa...in chili? I'll try it and see.

Unknown said...

I'm definitely going to have to try this!

http://www.goodforyou.com.sg

hkfreak said...

Can I "over-soupify" on the liquid, cause I'd like to simmer for like 4-6 hours at a time.

Chef John said...

Of course, but it will smell so good you'll probably only last about 2 hours and then you'll be forced to dive in!

Jon Gales said...

I used some cocoa yesterday in an enchilada sauce. It goes well with chilis.

Steffen P said...

I usually go with a good quality (reaf high cocoa content) chocolate instead of cocoa powder, but its for the same reasen. That nice slightly bitter flavour. I think the reason for using chocolate is that it looks cool when it melts in the neraly done chili.. :P

Anonymous said...

"1/4 Cayenne"
1/4 what?

Chef John said...

oops tsp. but cayenne is always "to taste"

Anonymous said...

Thanks chef John! Now I'm on my way to that nice garbage plate :)

Anonymous said...

Chef, the list of ingredients says 1-1/2 tsp chipotle...is that chipotle chili powder? If it is, do you think the recipe would suffer greatly if I used just plain chili powder?

Many thanks,
gg

Chef John said...

ywa it is chipotle chili powder. YOu can use more chile powder instead BUT it wont have the same heat and slightly smoky flavor,since chipotle chili powder is dried grond smoked jalapeno peppers.

Anonymous said...

Your chili looks fantastic and I'm looking forward to trying it. The spice mix looks enticing and I love that this is a turkey chili instead of beef.

Which type of paprika did you use? Smoked or sweet?

Chef John said...

Thanks! I used sweet.

JanisRH said...

Is that really 1/4 CUP of ancho chili powder? I just want to be sure I'm not over chili-fying my chili.

Chef John said...

yes 1/4, but ancho is pretty mild.

Unknown said...

hey chef john!!!

it's me again! the girl who tried your eggplant parmesan as her first ever recipe cooking experience. well, after i had success with the eggplant, i felt pretty inspired about cooking. since my boyfriend is a chili lover (and i'm really tired of him eating canned food!), i decided to try out your turkey chili. you already know this...but it is SOOO GOOD! i'm 2 for 2 now..lol! i pureed tomatoes myself, rather than using canned paste...i'll never use paste again. i also put in a few diced red tomatoes and some diced tomatoes too.

i love your blog! seriously!

Chef John said...

thanks!! tell a few hundred people

Ashx0xley said...

I've always used turkey in my chili, 100% better then beef.

Dan and Hilary said...

Made this for the guys on poker night thinking I made too much, but there was barely any left. It was delicious, yet manly so I didn't lose any street cred for being a good cook, all the lads loved it.

Perfect dish, thanks so much Chef John for joining us on poker night, you're the man.

Congrats on 500th video post!

Neil G said...

Hey John, "stay home dad" here. I am new to your site! Excellent site. Now you are my "go to" for all things in the kitchen. Made this chili yesterday and it turned out fantastic. Got rave reviews. I did use 1/2 white meat only but allowed to simmer for 2 hours and it came out tasting awesome. Oh, as a side note, I made the french toast (half fry and half bake at 400f) and it was a huge hit. Tasted like cake was the comments I received. I ate porridge so didn't indulge (training for next marathon) but it smelled awesome. I did add a bit of almond extract and that was a nice add for those who like that. Thanks again for the site and videos...I am looking forward to my next recipe.

theBwaffle said...

Chef John, your blog is paradise for me!!! Just made your turkey chili with friends tonight: we all loved it. I have a picky palate (unabashed food snob) and your recipes do it for me in terms of taste, appearance and creativity. Love your videos too: concise, fun, easy to follow and encouraging. Thank you!!

ChefJohnsBiggestFan said...

just made this today for lunch. Made a half batch and used lean gr beef in place of turkey. Added a bit of brown sugar and can of diced tomatoes and green chili's. This was fantabulous!

Old Dragoon said...

I have made this several times. Beware of what ancho chili powder you use. First I used Kroger's and it was great. Did that twice. Then I purchased a new powder locally and used that. It was much too hot. I have gone back to the Kroger powder and it is better.

Love this chili. Oh, and the last time I made it with a can of tomato sauce and it came out fine. I should not be writing about this as I am getting hungry and it is too late to each chili.

Anonymous said...

Hey Chef John....you rock!! Can I make this chili in the crock pot? I would think so....but want your expert opinion! Thanks

Chef John said...

Sure!

wickets said...

Regarding crock pot....would it be 8 hours on low?...thanks

Chef John said...

Not sure of exact time, but you don't need one, just cook until the meat is tender and delicious!

wickets said...

made this last night. Totally delicious. THANKS

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately I couldn't find Avocado this time of year! What I did though is roasted some japs and used a food processor to blend into the sour cream. Turned out wonderful!

rain.drop said...

Awesome, simply awesome. The cocoa realy makes the difference. Thank you very much Chief John!

Matt said...

I'm getting habaneros and jalapenos from my garden. Any suggestion on amount I could use and reduce or replace other ingredients without producing a figuratively flaming result?

Matt said...

The secret spice blend smells great. I couldn't find ancho chili powder but I did find dried acho chills and ground them in a food processor. I started the chili tonight and will finish it tomorrow by adding the beans and simmering for 30 to 60 minutes then serve this to my dinner guests. The secret spice blend may be the last one I'll ever use.

Unknown said...

Tasty! But screaming hot! What brand of Ancho chili pepper powder works best? I used McCormick's and I think will need to cut this with rice and a lot of red wine to drink! My toungue is burning. I added 2 cans of diced tomatoes to help, I like spice but I think my kids will be eating pizza tonight. :)

Cowpoke Pete said...

I made this chili exactly as written using spices from Penzey's. I did not garnish with sour cream, cilantro or avocado because I didn't want to go to the store. I can only imagine they would have only enhanced this perfect chili recipe. Muy Bueno!

GailS said...

THIS IS OUR GOTO CHILI NOW... MADE IT WITH BISON AND BEEF COMBO FOR TOMORROWS SUPERBOWL.. VERY VERY GOOD THANK YOU!

Unknown said...

1/4 cup ancho chili powder. 1/4 cup???

Mark H. said...

I'm so glad I discovered this recipe. Over the years I've tried several (mostly from ATK) and none of them earned my favorite as a go-to chili.

FINALLY, this is the one. I've made it with turkey as well as 10 percent ground beef and it is WOW good. I worked up the courage to cook for 25-30 people a HUGE stock pot full (never cooked for more than 4 people before) AND it was the food hit of the party. So much so that we ran out of it...NONE LEFT.

Just the right amount of after-taste heat that everyone loved.

Great job Chef John...