Smoked Turkey Chili
A delicious and very healthy use for leftover Thanksgiving smoked turkey! Makes 5+ quarts, or about 12 servings, at about 200 calories per serving.
A delicious and very healthy use for leftover Thanksgiving smoked turkey! Makes 5+ quarts, or about 12 servings, at about 200 calories per serving.
- 4 tbsp chili powder
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 1 1/2 lbs chopped turkey (i use dark meat)
- 2 cans white beans (or substitute fresh cooked)
- 2 cans black beans (or substitute fresh cooked)
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 2/3 cup chopped jalapeno and hot wax peppers
- 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts
- 2 cups chopped mushrooms
- 2 cans tomatoes 15 oz. fire roasted, or 4 cups diced fresh tomatoes
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp sweet basil
- 4 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup masa flour (added later)
- Carbohydrate 11.3064316799569 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.744139460797179 g
- Fiber 3.00717808094755 g
- Protein 2.2978591369687 g
- Saturated Fat 0.111006365807489 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (262g)
- Sodium 658.364768050769 mg
- Sugar 8.29925359900932 g
- Trans Fat 0.154092260195471 g
- Calories 53 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine ingredients in a 6-qt crock pot, stir thoroughly
- Cook on HIGH setting 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally
- Reduce to LOW setting 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally
- Add Masa flour and cook an additional 60 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Top with shredded cheese, serve with fresh-baked cornbread or tortilla chips and enjoy!
Traditional beef chili relies on ground chuck rendered in heavy fat over direct heat to build thickness. This poultry version departs from that heavy foundation, substituting leaner meat and a vegetable base that requires careful management of moisture and structural integrity. A slow simmer in a six-quart slow cooker allows fibrous aromatics like celery, onions, and green bell peppers to soften without dissolving completely into mush.
Managing Moisture and Texture
Achieving proper body in this dish depends entirely on controlling the interaction between starches and liquids. Beans such as white and black varieties contribute internal starches that leach into the surrounding broth as the pot shifts from high heat at four hours down to low heat. Adding half a cup of masa flour during the final sixty minutes introduces finely ground corn masa, which gelatinizes rapidly and binds excess water without imparting the raw flour taste typical of wheat thickeners. Canned fire-roasted tomatoes provide acidity that breaks down surface fibers on the mushrooms and artichoke hearts, ensuring tender bites throughout.
- Use fresh cooked beans at a one-to-one swap for canned varieties, but reduce initial added liquid if the fresh beans are waterlogged.
- Stir at hourly intervals during the initial four-hour high-heat phase to prevent scorching at the slow cooker base.
- Store leftovers in an airtight glass container within the refrigerator for up to four days.
