- Ingredients and Substitutions
- My all-time FAVE spice jars!
- How to Make Instant Pot Ground Turkey Chili
- The Instant Pot I L❤️VE!
- No Instant Pot? Use a slow cooker or the stovetop
- The Slow Cooker I L❤️VE!
- Oops! Why does my Instant Pot say BURN?
- FAQs
- Instant Pot Turkey Chili Recipe
- What to serve with turkey chili
- More Instant Pot recipes
The one vegetable most turkey chili recipes leave out
Ok, tell me you’ve made a pot of turkey chili that came out just a little thin on flavor. Ground turkey is lean, and lean needs help.
The help, in my kitchen, is celery. Onion, bell pepper, and celery is the trinity my mom’s Louisiana side of the family starts just about everything with, and it’s why this Instant Pot Turkey Chili tastes rounder than most.
The other half of it is the seasoning. Cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, oregano, garlic powder, and a little cinnamon all go into my Chili Seasoning, and I keep a jar of it mixed so chili night is never a whole production.
One thing I’ll say up front: pour the tomatoes on top at the end and leave them there. That’s the whole trick to skipping the BURN notice, and there’s a section further down if it has already happened to you.
Your family will think you slaved away all day over a hot stove to make this bowl of deliciousness!
We’ll let them be fooled. Because you and I both know you simply popped it into your pressure cooker and let it do the work for you. 😉
My go to Chili recipe. I use closer to 2 lb of meat to double recipe. I mix 99% ground turkey and the leanest ground beef I can buy to reduce fat. I use a mix of beans. Everyone who has tried it loves it.
– Debbie
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Ground turkey: The 93/7 blend is what I reach for since it browns without leaving a puddle of grease behind. Ground beef, chicken, or venison all work the same way here.
- Sweet onion: A sweet onion keeps things mellow, but a yellow or white one is fine.
- Celery: This is the one most turkey chili recipes leave out, and it’s what rounds out the whole pot.
- Green bell pepper: Red or yellow work just as well if that’s what you already have.
- Red kidney beans: Dark red kidney beans are my pick, though black or pinto beans are good swaps. Rinse and drain them well before they go in.
- Diced tomatoes and tomato sauce: You need both, since the sauce is what makes this chili instead of soup. Crushed tomatoes can stand in for the diced.
- Chicken broth: Just enough liquid to keep the pot from scorching. I stir Better Than Bouillon into hot water so I’m not opening a whole carton for a splash.
- Homemade chili seasoning: Cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, oregano, garlic powder, and a little cinnamon. My Chili Seasoning makes enough for several batches, and if you go with a store-bought packet instead, taste as you go and adjust.
- Sugar: Just a spoonful, and it takes the sharp edge off the canned tomatoes.
My all-time FAVE spice jars!
I got these cute spice jars to organize all of my spices and dried herbs and now it’s SO easy to find exactly what I need!
Plus, they come with blank labels so you can add your own personalized ones for your homemade seasoning mixes.
How to Make Instant Pot Ground Turkey Chili
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Sauté the veggies
Set a 6-quart Instant Pot to the sauté function and add the olive oil. Toss in the finely diced onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until they start to soften.
Brown the ground turkey
Push the vegetables over to one side of the pot and add the ground turkey. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, breaking it up as it browns, until it’s almost cooked through.
Pro tip
A potato masher breaks up ground turkey faster than any spatula. Press straight down and drag, and you get even little bits instead of the big clumps a spoon leaves behind.
The Instant Pot I L❤️VE!
Not all pressure cookers are the same. The 6-quart Duo Plus is the one I reach for, since the sauté function does real work before the lid goes on and the controls are simple enough that you don’t need the manual.
Scrape the pot, then add the beans and seasoning
Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pot until every stuck-on bit lifts off. Add the rinsed kidney beans and the chili seasoning.
Layer the tomatoes on top and don’t stir
Pour the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce over everything, then sprinkle the sugar on top. Don’t stir, since the tomatoes need to stay up top and away from the bottom of the pot.
The Slow Cooker I L❤️VE!
Not all slow cookers are created the same. I’ve used and loved my Crockpot 6-quart one for YEARS. It holds heat great, is easy to use, and the lock and carry lid is so handy!
Pressure cook, then let it release
Lock the lid on, set the pressure release valve to sealed, and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before you open the valve, since that’s what gets the turkey tender.
Load it up with toppings
Ladle the chili into bowls and go heavy on the toppings. Sour cream, shredded cheddar, sliced jalapeños, green onions, and a handful of crushed tortilla chips are all fair game.
Oops! Why does my Instant Pot say BURN?
There are only two reasons this happens with chili, and both are easy to get ahead of.
1. Browned bits were still stuck to the bottom of the pot. After the turkey browns, pour in the broth and scrape until the bottom is clean, since that stuck-on layer is what scorches once the pot comes up to pressure.
2. The tomatoes got stirred in. They’re thick enough to sink and sit right against the heating element, so pour them on top last and leave them there.
If it already flashed BURN, hit cancel, release the pressure, and scrape the bottom before you start it back up. Nothing is ruined.
FAQs
Whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 1/4 cup of warm water, then stir it in with the pot set back to sauté. My How to Thicken Chili post walks through a few other ways if you’d rather skip the cornstarch.
You don’t need one. Select Pressure Cook, set the heat to high, and run it for 12 minutes.
Add extra cayenne or red pepper flakes along with the seasoning, or stir sliced jalapeños in right before serving.
Yes. Use about 2 pounds of meat, keep the pressure time the same, and make sure you don’t fill the pot past the max fill line.
You can, but cook them through first and then use them the same way you would canned beans. Canned is what keeps this a 45-minute dinner.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Alternatively, this one freezes really well for 4 to 6 months. There’s no dairy in the pot, so the texture holds up, just save the sour cream and cheese for serving.
Warm it on the stove over medium-low, and add a splash of broth if it thickened up in the fridge.
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Instant Pot Turkey Chili Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 sweet onion finely diced
- 3 stalks celery finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper finely diced
- 1 pound ground turkey 93/7
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 15-ounce cans red kidney beans
- 4 tablespoons homemade chili seasoning
- 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Optional Toppings:
- Jalapeños thinly sliced
- sour cream can use dairy-free
- shredded cheddar cheese can use dairy-free
- Green onions finely chopped
Instructions
- Saute Vegetables: Set a 6-quart Instant Pot to the sauté function and add olive oil along with diced sweet onion, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables become tender.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 sweet onion, 3 stalks celery, 1 green bell pepper
- Cook and Crumble Turkey: Push vegetables to the side of the pot and add ground turkey. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until turkey is almost cooked through. Crumble turkey with a spatula or a potato masher.1 pound ground turkey
- Add Broth, beans, and Seasonings: Pour in chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen up bits that are stuck. Add beans, seasoning mix, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar. (Do not mix ingredients together. You want the tomatoes to stay towards the top while cooking.)½ cup chicken broth, 2 15-ounce cans red kidney beans, 4 tablespoons homemade chili seasoning, 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes, 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar
- Cover and Pressure Cook: Cover Instant Pot with a lid, make sure pressure release valve is set to sealed, and turn pot on high pressure for 12 minutes. Allow a 10-minute natural pressure release before opening the valve to release the steam.
- Finish with Toppings: Serve ground turkey chili with sliced jalapeños, green onions, sour cream, and/or cheese. Enjoy!Jalapeños, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, Green onions
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Notes
- Storage: Leftover chili keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: Freezes well for 4 to 6 months. There is no dairy in the pot, so the texture holds up. Save the sour cream and cheese for serving.
- Reheating: Warm it on the stove over medium-low, adding a splash of broth if it thickened up in the fridge.
- Make ahead: Mix up the chili seasoning and dice the vegetables a day or two early.
- Burn notice: Scrape the bottom of the pot after the turkey browns, and pour the tomatoes on top without stirring them in. Those are the only two causes.
- Substitutions: Ground beef, chicken, or venison all work in place of the turkey. Black or pinto beans can stand in for the kidney beans.
- To thicken: Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 1/4 cup warm water and stir it in with the pot set back to saute.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with turkey chili
Cornbread is the obvious answer and I’m not going to fight it. My Honey Jalapeño Cornbread has just enough heat to keep up with the chili, and the Mini Cornbread Muffins are what I make when little hands are involved.
If you want something under the chili, Instant Pot White Rice is great, though make it first and keep it warm since the pot is busy. Corn on the Cob on the side works the same way.
For toppings, Quick Pickled Jalapeños from the fridge are my pick over the jarred kind, and a handful of crushed tortilla chips on top is non-negotiable around here.
And if there are leftovers, spoon them into a Chili Cornbread Casserole the next night.
Still new to the pot? My How to Use an Instant Pot post covers all the basics.
More Instant Pot recipes
This pot made dinner a whole lot less complicated around here. These are the ones I keep going back to.
My go to Chili recipe
I use closer to 2 lb of meat to double recipe
I mix 99% ground turkey and the leanest ground beef I can buy to reduce fat
I use a mix of beans
When done cooking I leave on keep warm and let it go longer
Everyone who has tried it loves it
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Debbie! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Soooo yummy! Tonight I cooked this with ground venison and it was delicious! I cooked the meat separately, but followed the other steps in order. Super easy!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Caitlin! Venison sounds delicious! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
I made this tonight for dinner. I did not have an Instant Pot so I used a Crockpot. I prepared the vegetables and turkey in a deep skillet and then transferred to crockpot and added remaining ingredients. It was great, my husband said it was our best chili recipe yet. This is the second recipe I’ve tried from your blog and both were winners. Thank you for offering great healthy tasty options.
Yay!! I’m so happy you and your hubby enjoyed the chili recipe so much. And that’s great to know that it can be done in the Crock-Pot! Thanks so much for your comment and rating, Kristine! 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yay!! I’m so excited to hear what you think 🙂
This sounds great, but I don’t have an instant pot. Can I do this in a pot?
Hi Lois! Yes, you absolutely can! A Dutch Oven will work great. Just cover and simmer the chili for 30-35 minutes and it should turn out amazing for you 🙂