Random Recipe Round Up: Turkey Chili

Welcome to our first installment of Random Recipe Round Up: Turkey Chili edition

In addition to making rad games and other cool products, we're also pretty good at making a gnarly turkey chili. This was our Christmas dinner and it turned out so well we wanted to share it with the world!

Now, we can already hear chili purists out there groaning because we're not using beef, but hear us out... We don't care! It's delicious and marginally more healthy (debatable) than beef chili. So give it a shot why don't ya?

Check out the recipe below:

This recipe will render roughly 7-10 bowls of chili

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds 85/15 ground turkey

• 1/3-1/2 pound thick cut bacon (we prefer hickory smoked)

• 1 can each of black, pinto, kidney

• 2-3 dried guajillo peppers

• 2-3 dried Ancho chilis

• 2-3 dried Arbol peppers

• 1 medium yellow or sweet onion

• 1 head garlic (Fresh or else...)

• 2 Bell peppers any color

• 4+ serrano peppers

• 1 medium shallot

• 4-5 Tbsp tomato paste

• 1 12oz can diced tomato

• 1/4 cup chili powder

• dried chili flakes (to taste)

• cayenne pepper powder (to taste)

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika powder

• 2 tbsp cumin powder

• Salt (To taste)

• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

• 3 heaping tbsp dark brown sugar

• 1 32 oz box chicken broth

• neutral oil for cooking the turkey

• corn starch (optional)

Prep:

1. Finely dice (brunoise) your onion, shallot, Serrano, and bell peppers

2. Chop your bacon into roughly 1/2 inch cubes

3. Mince your head of garlic

4. De-stem/seed your dried peppers

5. Drain your 3 cans of beans

6. Drain your can of diced tomatoes

Cook:

Dried pepper sauce

1. In a small sauce pan, bring about 4-5 cups of water to a boil

2. Add in the dried peppers and reduce heat to a simmer and brew the peppers until rehydrated and limp

3. Add water and peppers to a blender and pulse until smooth

4. Set aside

Proteins

1. Add a good glug of oil to a heavy bottomed pot

2. Heat to medium high

3. Add in ground turkey and brown while using a meat smasher to get an even texture (think the size of a lentil)

4. Remove turkey and set aside

5. Drain the pot of any turkey juice

6. Add in bacon, and dried chili flakes

7. Brown bacon until crispy

8. Remove bacon with a slatted spoon and set aside. Leaving the bacon grease in the pot

NOTE: DON'T drain the bacon grease. You will use it to sauté your veggies

Veggies

1. Add in onion, shallots and a good pinch of salt

2. Sauté until translucent

3. Add in garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes

4. Add in bell peppers and serrano peppers and cook an additional 3-5 minutes

5. Add in tomato paste and cook until combined and orange in color

Bringing it together

1. Add in about 1/3 the chicken broth and using a flat spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the fond (Yummy stuff!)

2. Once the pan is good and deglazed, add in the remaining chicken broth

3. Add in chili sauce and stir

4. Add back in the turkey and bacon

5. Add beans

6. Add diced tomatoes

7. Add in all your seasonings: Paprika, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, cinnamon, brown sugar, salt to taste

8. Stir it all together and cover with lid partially off to allow steam to escape

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Cooking it low and slow

Continue to cook the chili on low-medium heat, stirring every 10-15 minutes for 3-4 hours.

At the 3 hour mark remove lid and allow to cook longer until desired thickness is achieved. We use the spoon test. If our spoon sticks straight up when placed in the chili, then you've got a thicc boi and its good to go!

NOTE: Be sure to taste regularly and adjust spices to your liking as you go along.

Tips and tricks

If you don't want to wait 3+ hours for thicc boi chili, you can produce similar results in about an hour if you leave the lid off from the beginning, and cook at a slightly higher temp. However your flavors won't be quite as deep and beautiful. After the 1 hour mark, add in 2-3 tbsp corn starch slurry and stir, wait a few minutes and if its still not thick enough for you do it again 1 tbsp at a time until desired thickness is achieved.

For a heart healthier option

• Remove the bacon, replacing the bacon grease with olive oil

• Use low to no sodium added chicken broth

• Use low to no sodium added canned beans and diced tomatoes

• Drain and wash your canned beans well under water, this will help remove more salt

• Crank up the heat level instead of adding more salt. If your chili is lacking in saltiness, but you need to be cautious of your sodium levels, add in more heat.

If you're from the American south like we are, you know you want to add Fritos to this bad boy. Go for it!

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