Name: Leftover Turkey Chili
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp Mexican Seasoning; 1 can diced tomatoes; 1 cup (250 ml) turkey or chicken stock; 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed; 3 cups (250g) cold roast turkey, roughly chopped

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This leftover turkey chili recipe is perfect for using up those Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner leftovers to make a delicious family meal.

Along with Turkey Curry, this is one of my favorite easy leftover turkey recipes. I love how versatile it is, so you can make up a big batch and serve it several ways - making that leftover turkey go even further!

We like to eat it on nachos or leftover turkey tacos, in rice bowls, on baked potatoes... the choices are endless. You can even freeze it for later.

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Spices for a turkey chili

This turkey chili recipe uses our homemade Mexican seasoning. It gives the best flavor to the chili!

I make up a big jar of this and keep it in the store cupboard, ready for whenever I make a Mexican dish, so I can just scoop out a spoonful or two.

Our homemade Mexican seasoning includes:

chili powder
smoked paprika
ground cumin
garlic powder
onion powder
oregano
cinnamon
salt & pepper

If you don't have all the spices and don't want to buy them, then you could also just buy a jar of Mexican seasoning like this one.

Stock for a leftover turkey chili

Because this is a recipe using leftover turkey, you should still have all the bones from the turkey carcass to make up a stock. So if you have time, you can make up a turkey stock before you start making the chili.

To do this, put the turkey bones into a large pot with an onion, clove of garlic, some herbs and salt and pepper and cover them all with water. Bring it to the boil and let it bubble gently for a couple of hours… then drain through a sieve and you will have a cheap and tasty stock for your turkey chili.

If you don’t have time however, it is completely fine to use store bought stock or a stock cube. Whatever you have is fine!

I usually make up big batches of homemade chicken bone broth and freeze in portions so that I can pull them out to use in various recipes. You can follow this recipe to make turkey bone broth too.

Recipes for leftover turkey chili

Turkey chili is so versatile! Here are some suggestions for what to do with it.

Leftover Turkey Chili in bowl with toppings

However you choose to serve it, be sure to top it off with a dollop of sour cream and a serving of guacamole and maybe some our our homemade pico de gallo.

Turkey nachos
Burritos or enchiladas made with tortillas
In a burrito bowl
Turkey chili hot dogs
Turkey chili dip with tortilla chips

Can you freeze chili?

Yes! This leftover turkey recipe is great for freezing. You can then defrost it and re-heat for a super quick and easy family dinner.

Love Leftovers? You may also like these recipes:

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Yield: Serves 4