I need a great chili recipe that isn't super spicy. Would love something where I could use either turkey or beef.

Anything with beans would be awesome, too!

Susanne Johnson
  • 3401 views
  • 4 Comments

4 Comments

sexyLAMBCHOPx September 20, 2012
Mtlabor's recipes are very good, http://food52.com/recipes/5357_chili_con_carne
 
wssmom September 20, 2012
http://food52.com/recipes/11440_a_bowl_of_red

 
em-i-lis September 20, 2012
My favorite chili is a Chili Verde recipe I found years ago on Food Network. It was the 2001 chili verde champion or something. Though it calls for pork, I use turkey and love it! Chopping the multiple pounds of peppers takes a while but the end result is a divine chili. I'm at the airport and thusly w/o the recipe but I bet if you search food network it'll come up even tho it's an old one. I think the cook's first name is Karen...
 
susanm September 20, 2012
i have been making this turkey chili for a few years, adapted from a recipe by michael chiarello.
usually a very big hit, hope you will try it.

2 lbs ground turkey, all dark meat or a mix of dark + white
salt + pepper
masa harina - 3 - 4 tablespoons (this will act as a thickener later)
ground cumin - a bit more than 1 tablespoon
ground cinnamon - a bit less than 1 tablespoon (this is what makes it really interesting chili)
olive oil for browning meat
1 -2 cloves garlic, minced
one medium onion, diced (i like sweet onion, use what you want)
1 large red pepper, diced
tomato paste - 3 tablespoons
1 bottle of good, dark beer
1 large can of tomatoes (i prefer san marzano), either squished with your hands or milled through a food mill
chipotle in adobo - 1 tsp of the juice if you don't like it spicy OR 2 teaspoons of juice and diced chipotle
chicken stock - this will vary
black beans, 2 cans drained and rinsed

i would make this in a le creuset type of 5.5QT dutch oven if you have one

season the meat well with s + p.
make a spice mix with the cumin, cinnamon and masa harina.
working in batched, coat the meat in the mixture and brown. remove and set aside as it browns.
in the same dutch oven with all the stuck brown bits, throw in the onion, red pepper + garlic. saute for a few minutes - until opaque.
add the tomato paste and cook another 3 - 5 minutes, until the tomato paste gets dark. it's ok if it sticks.
add the beer and as it starts to boil scrape up all the stuck bits.
add the tomatoes and chipotle in adobo.
put all the meat (and any juices) back in and let it simmer for about 30 - 40 minutes, until the liquids are reduced and thickened.
and speaking of liquids, after you put the meat back in you may need to add some chicken stock. this is variable...you don't want the chili swimming in liquid, but keep in mind that the simmering step will reduce and thicken what you have. in the end, you want it to look like chili, not soup.
last step, throw the beans in and cook another 10 minutes or so.

i like to serve it with a dollop of sour cream and some cornbread. also - this gets better overnight. i often make it on saturday for a sunday football meal.


 
Recommended by Food52