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.
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.
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Leftover Turkey Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion
- ½ 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
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and salt over a low heat until soft, around 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Stir in the spices and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and stock and stir well. Bring to the boil and let it bubble for around 15 minutes.
- Add the beans and turkey to the pan and continue to simmer for a further 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse and until you have a nice thick sauce.
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