This leftover turkey chili takes your traditional holiday turkey and turns it on its head. A variation of the famous Deer Valley turkey chili, this version is slightly healthier and also gluten free. With great smoky flavors that aren’t too spicy, this chili helps you get the most out of Thanksgiving leftovers.
If you have leftover turkey coming out of your ears, then this turkey chili is for you.
When people think turkey chili, they often think of a white bean turkey chili. And it’s usually made with ground turkey. White chili is great, but I happen to be partial to this southwest version. It’s got lots of great spices without being overly spicy – and trust me, because I can’t do spicy foods.
This chili is smoky without being overpowering and is truly perfect on a cold day. I love to use leftovers from my Thanksgiving turkey for this because the flavors of the chili are so different from a traditional holiday meal.
My family likes to make this with our Traeger smoked turkey to make it more of a smoked turkey chili, but it will work with a turkey that’s been roasted, smoked, or grilled.
If you have other leftovers you don’t know what to do with, try these mashed potato pancakes and some gluten free cranberry orange muffins. Both change the flavor profiles of the original dish and give you a way to create something different out of your holiday smorgasbord.
Before we get into the recipe, let’s talk a little about Deer Valley.
What’s so special about Deer Valley chili?
First, the basics- Deer Valley is a ski resort in Park City, Utah. They serve many great dishes on site, but their turkey chili is one they get asked about all the time. They even sell a mix you can use to make their chili at home.
Now, I am not a big skier, but my parents are and I was dragged around on many a ski trip growing up. So while I haven’t personally been to Deer Valley, my dad came back from a trip there raving about their chili and my mom decided to try her hand at making it. I took her modified recipe, changed some things of my own, and this version was born.
Some of the key alterations I made were cutting the butter in half to make it a tad healthier, cutting out the flour so it’s gluten free, and toning down the spices as most of the copycat recipes I’ve seen call for a LOT of spice. I changed a couple of other things too to make it more to my family’s liking, and in my opinion, a little more kid-friendly.
Grab These Ingredients!
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Cooked turkey – I use leftovers from my smoked turkey recipe, but you could use an oven-baked turkey as well.
- Beans – canned beans are easiest here. Having a combo of black and pinto beans provides a little variety in the chili.
- Corn kernels – you can use canned corn or frozen corn that’s thawed.
- Chiles – one anaheim and one poblano. Again, using different types provides some variety. Make sure all the seeds are removed before you start chopping them up otherwise your chili will be spicy!
- Bell pepper – I like to use a red one, but you could use any color.
- Leek – use the white part only for this recipe.
- Onion – I like to use a yellow onion, but white or red would also work.
- Garlic – use two large cloves. If you’re a garlic lover, you can definitely add more.
- Butter – this is for sauteeing the vegetables. You can use salted or unsalted, though I typically recommend unsalted so you have more control over how salty the chili is.
- Spices – chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, and ground black pepper. Make sure they’re decently fresh and haven’t been sitting in your cabinet for years as that will impact the flavor of the chili.
- Oregano – if you can, get really good quality dried oregano as it can really influence the flavor of the chili.
- Kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal brand as it is less salty by weight than other brands. This gives you a little more control when salting your foods. If you have a different brand of kosher salt you may want to use slightly less than the recipe recommends.
- Chicken stock – if you have homemade turkey stock from your leftover turkey, you can definitely use that instead. Otherwise you can use a chicken broth or stock.
Why you’ll want to make this leftover turkey chili recipe
- It uses up any leftover turkey that otherwise might not get eaten, giving you more bang for your buck.
- The flavor profile of the turkey completely changes from happy holidays to smoky southwestern, so you don’t actually feel like you’re eating leftovers.
- It adds some great twists to the classic Deer Valley chili recipe, making it gluten free, slightly less spicy, and slightly healthier by cutting out some of the butter.
- Pair this chili with any leftover cornbread to use up two leftovers in one meal!
How to make leftover turkey chili
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
- Start by measuring out 1.25 cups of corn kernels and ½ cup of chicken broth and place both in a food processor or blender. Blend them into a rough puree and set it aside.
- Get out a large pot and put it on a stove top burner, turning it on to medium heat. Put the butter in the pot and let it melt.
- Add in the chopped peppers, onion, and leek and stir it up, cooking for 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetable soften.
- Reduce the heat on the burner to low and add in the garlic and spices (including the salt and pepper). Stir everything together and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Be sure and stir the mixture fairly frequently so it doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pot!
- Add in the rest of the chicken broth and stir everything together, increasing the heat on the stovetop burner to medium to get the mixture to a low boil.
- Now turn the heat back to low to let it simmer and add in the beans, corn puree, chopped turkey meat, and remaining corn kernels. Stir it up and let the chili simmer for about 15 minutes, giving it a stir occasionally to keep things cooking evenly, then serve.
Toppings for turkey chili
You’re ready to serve the chili! But what do you top it with? Here are some suggestions – my family tends to use the first two the most, but all would be delicious.
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheese
- Chopped cilantro
- Sliced avocado
- Guacamole
- Chopped fresh onion
- Sliced jalapenos
- Tortilla chips
What to serve with turkey chili
Okay, you’ve figured out your toppings. But now what do you serve with your smoky and delicious turkey chili? Try one of these.
- Cornbread – try my gluten free dairy free cornbread that’s soft and moist!
- Potatoes – baked potato, potato skins, and roasted potatoes would all be good.
- Fries – yes, these get their own category! Regular fries, sweet potato fries, or other veggie fries would all work.
- Chips or crackers – tortilla chips would be great, but a simple cracker would be good too.
- Quesadillas – a simple cheese quesadilla would work as a side, or if you’re serving the chili in smaller portions you can make a bigger quesadilla (and even use some leftover turkey in it).
- Nachos – the same sentiment as quesadillas works for nachos. Keep it simple with just cheese if the turkey chili is the star, or add a whole pile of toppings if the chili is more of a side.
- Jalapeno poppers – the typical smoky flavor of these would complement the chili really well.
- Salad – the old standby to get some greens in when eating something heavy. Try a salad with some fruit in it like this pear salad to balance the smokiness of the chili.
Turkey chili tips
- When you’re prepping your peppers, wear a pair of disposable gloves. While the Anaheim and Poblano peppers in this recipe are milder than other types of peppers, you still don’t want to touch the seeds with your hands and then touch your eye or skin – it could definitely still burn, or at the very least be uncomfortable.
- You want to make this a day or two after you’ve cooked your turkey. The USDA recommends keeping cooked turkey in the fridge for only 3 to 4 days so if you make the chili two days after it’s cooked it realistically will only be good for another day or two.
- To store the chili, let it cool completely then place it in an airtight container and put it in the fridge. How long it keeps in the fridge will depend on how many days it’s been since you cooked your turkey. If you’re using turkey you just cooked that day, the chili will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
More recipes with leftover turkey
If you have so many turkey leftovers you don’t know what to do with them all, then try one of these other leftover turkey recipes. And don’t forget to use the carcass to make turkey broth!
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Leftover Turkey Chili
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
Chili
- 2 ¼ cups frozen corn thawed
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 medium anaheim chile seeded and chopped
- 1 medium poblano chile seeded and chopped
- ⅔ cup chopped onion
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 large leek white part only, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can pinto beans rinsed and drained
- 4 cups diced cooked turkey
Suggested Toppings
- grated cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- To start, measure out 1.25 cups of corn kernels and ½ cup of chicken broth and place both in a food processor or blender. Blend them into a rough puree, where they’re blended down but not fully smooth. Set it aside.
- Place a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Place the butter in the pot and let it melt all the way. Add the chopped peppers, onion, and leek and stir with a wooden spoon to combine, cooking for 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
- Reduce the heat on the stove to low and add in the garlic, oregano, chili powder, ground cumin, coriander, ground black pepper, and kosher salt. Stir together and let cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently so the spices don’t burn or stick to the pot.
- Add in the remaining chicken broth and stir everything together. Increase the heat on the stovetop burner to medium to get the mixture to a low boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat back down to low to simmer and add in the corn puree, beans, chopped turkey, and remaining corn kernels. Use the wooden spoon to combine everything together and let the chili simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Scoop the chili into bowls and serve with your preferred toppings like grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, or fresh cilantro.
Notes
- The ingredient list calls for vegetables that are already prepped, like seeded and chopped peppers and beans that are rinsed and drained. While the instructions don’t cover these tasks, the total recipe time does take this prep work into account.
- When you’re prepping your peppers, wear a pair of disposable gloves. While the Anaheim and Poblano peppers in this recipe are milder than other types of peppers, you still don’t want to touch the seeds with your hands and then touch your eye or skin – it could definitely still burn, or at the very least be uncomfortable.
- You want to make this a day or two after you’ve cooked your turkey. The USDA recommends keeping cooked turkey in the fridge for only 3 to 4 days so if you make the chili two days after it’s cooked it realistically will only be good for another day or two.
- To store the chili, let it cool completely then place it in an airtight container and put it in the fridge. How long it keeps in the fridge will depend on how many days it’s been since you cooked your turkey. If you’re using turkey you just cooked that day, the chili will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
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