Turkey and white bean chili is a cozy, hearty way to turn leftover holiday turkey into an entirely different dinner. Creamy white beans and tender turkey simmer with green chiles, jalapeño, cumin and oregano for a flavorful one pot meal. It's exactly the kind of meal I want after the holidays when there's still plenty of turkey in the fridge.
I love using leftover turkey to make new meals. In fact, I always make extra turkey just so I have some left over for other meals. Turkey and white bean chili is one of my very favorite ways to use up leftover turkey, with leftover turkey sandwiches not too far behind. This recipe was originally inspired by Williams Sonoma's White Turkey Chili, which I first made over 15 years ago. I've tweaked it a little over the years, but it's still one of my favorite ways to turn leftover holiday turkey into a completely different meal.
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Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Jalapeno
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Salt
- Chicken broth
- Cooked leftover turkey
- Cannellini beans
- Great northern beans
- Canned green chiles
- Corn meal
- Cilantro
- Oregano
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten free - this recipe is naturally gluten free, so no substitutions are needed.
- Vegan - to make this recipe vegan, use a vegetable broth and a turkey substitute.
- Beans - I love using at least two different types of beans for chili. You can use all of the same type of bean. If you don't have enough cannellini beans and great northern beans, you could also use white navy beans. But keep in mind that white navy beans are a bit smaller and softer. I've also used garbanzo beans in this chili, but I wouldn't recommend substituting garbanzo beans for more than 1 of the 4 cans of beans.
- Chicken broth - you can substitute turkey broth or even make your own turkey broth with the leftover turkey carcass or even leftover turkey juice mixed with water. I've also used vegetable broth and that works too.
Equipment
A slow cooker or Instant Pot with a slow cooker function is needed for this recipe.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze this chili in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Next Level Tips
- I love white turkey chili made with green chiles, jalapeño and cumin because then I can garnish the chili with tortilla chips instead of crackers. Avocado lime crema is also a fun garnish instead of sour cream.
- White turkey chili is soupier when it's hot and freshly made. So the very first day you make it, it may look soupy. Allow the chili to cool some and it will thicken. It will continue to thicken overnight in the fridge. Many people have a strong preference for second day chili, just like second day lasagna.
- If you have an Instant Pot, I love using that for making this chili recipe. You can use the Saute function to cook the onions and then put the rest of the ingredients in and switch over to the Slow Cooker function. It works great, and using the Instant Pot means one less pan to clean!
- You can make this all year round by using cooked ground turkey or chicken when you don't have leftover holiday turkey.
FAQ
Yes, leftover rotisserie chicken or other cooked chicken also works really well in this recipe.
The heat depends on the jalapeño and green chiles you use. It's a mild to medium chili recipe as written. For a very mild chili, omit the jalapeño altogether. For a hotter chili, leave in the jalapeño seeds and/or add extra jalapeño. You can also use hot canned green chiles.
The cornmeal in the recipe helps thicken the chili. For a thick chili, it's best to make the chili the day before. Chili naturally thickens overnight as the cornmeal, beans and turkey continue to absorb liquids.
Chili will thin out some as you reheat it. The best way to reheat chili is on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally. If the chili is still too thick when it is heated through, mix in some water or chicken broth to thin it out to your desired consistency.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with turkey and white bean chili:
Turkey and White Bean Chili
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker or Instant Pot with a slower cooker function
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno deseeded and minced
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 7 ounce can of mild green chiles
- 4 cups chicken broth, divided
- 2 cans cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- 2 cans great northern beans rinsed and drained
- 1 pound cooked turkey rough chopped or pulled apart
- 2 teaspoons oregano dried
- ½ cup fresh cilantro minced
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional toppings for serving like shredded cheese, avocado lime crema, sour cream or tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and diced onion and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the jalapeño, garlic, cumin and salt. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.
- Add ½ cup of the chicken broth and the cornmeal to a small bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Spray a large slow cooker with cooking spray and set it to high. Add the remaining chicken broth, cannellini beans, great northern beans, green chiles, turkey, oregano, cilantro and the cooked onion mixture. Stir to combine.
- Whisk the cornmeal mixture again, then pour it into the slow cooker. Stir well.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Add any additional salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the chili into bowls and serve with your favorite toppings such as tortilla chips, avocado lime crema, sour cream or shredded cheese.
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