Healthy Turkey Chili - LowEr Carb

If this isn't the perfect time of year to bust out a good chili recipe then I don't know when is. Snow and ice are everywhere, the temperatures are frigid, and driving around town has been an absolute nightmare. We might as well enjoy a nice hot bowl of chili!

While I am all for getting fancy and creative with chili recipes, I think it's nice to have a good old reliable recipe that stands the test of the time. Something that is a bit spicy, but not melt your face spicy, has a good amount of veggies, minimal beans to keep the carb count low, and lots of protein. 

Here is my go to recipe!

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Before I get into the ingredients and preparation of all this, I have to give credit to where this recipe originated. 

I first found this recipe from Dave Ruel. Dave is known as the "Muscle Cook" and is the auther of Anabolic Cooking And Metabolic Cooking. Both of those are fantastic resources. 

I've changed and tweaked this recipe quite a bit over the years, but I wouldn't feel right if I didn't at least link to the original.  So here is the source: https://www.bodybuilding.com/recipes/firehouse-chili

Thanks for the inspiration Dave!

The Ingredients

Here is a quick list of everything you will need and some tweaks you can easily make to fit your personal taste. 
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• 1.5 lbs lean ground turkey (I use 93/7)
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 3 chopped cloves of garlic
• 2 diced jalapenos
• 15 oz can of black beans - low sodium
• 15 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
• 15 oz can of tomato sauce
• 14.5 oz can of beef broth - low sodium
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Here are a few ideas you can make to tweak this to your liking. 
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1. Add some red and yellow pepper for extra color.
2. Use a spicy Mexican chili powder if you like it a little hotter.
3. Omit the jalapenos if you don't like it spicy.
4. If you like a lot of tomatoes in your chili, switch out the sauce for another can of tomatoes.
5. Omit the beans if you really want it to be super low carb.

There are a lot of options here, but there is nothing wrong with leaving it how it is. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome. 

Directions

Let's get into the preparation!
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1. Chop onions, green pepper, and garlic. 
2. In a large hot pan, add the turkey, onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until the meat is fully cooked.
3. At this point, I actually do not drain the pan. There shouldn't be much fat from lean turkey and the rest of the liquid is just water from the veggies. It will steam away. 
4. Add all remaining ingredients to the pan and stir together. This should start to look like some really good chili and begin to smell delicious.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce and simmer. I usually let it simmer for a long time, like 45-60 minutes. You can do less if you don't have time, but I think a longer simmer results in better flavor and a thicker chili. This is up to your liking.
7. Enjoy!

Topping Ideas

A lot of times I just eat this as is, but sometimes I do like to add a few toppings to it. Here are some options. As long as you keep your portions in check, these are fairly healthy options.

• Shredded Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Chopped Onions Or Chopped Green Onions
• Baked Tortilla Strips
• Olives
• Guacamole
• Extra Jalapenos

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Again, just keep your portion size in check and don't completely ruin this as a healthy option. My go to is a little dollop of sour cream and a serving of shredded cheese. I highly suggest that!

Give this recipe and shot and let me know how it turns out. If you have any tweaks or other suggestions, please feel free to let me know!