Besides baking bread, quarantine cookies, and tacos becoming popular, habitual dishes to make and bake this past spring, many found comfort in perfecting the art of the hearty chili. One chef over at the Smitten Kitchen shared their experience with this skillet turkey chili recipe that will have your mouth watering and your table delighted.

This recipe is described as having “a more fitting yield for a weeknight” than it did in a previous incarnation. It also “adds ingredients in what” the chef considers to be “a better order, [and] only uses turkey and beans, the spices are more balanced, and by balanced, [they] mean, we no longer use 1/3 cup chili powder, thank heavens.” This chili recipe is perfect for that late February cold front, a quick weekday meal, or a hearty sunday afternoon slow-cook.

Ingredients for Skillet Chili

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
• 1 to 3 teaspoons of ground chile powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 pound of ground turkey
• 1 15-ounce can of black or small red beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 lime

To Serve:

• Sour cream
• Pickled red onions
• Pickled jalapenos
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• Corn bread
• Fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Scallions, thinly sliced

Skillet Chili Recipe

• Begin by taking your large skillet (ideally one that is 11 to 12 inches in diameter) and heat it over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in your olive oil, and let it warm up. Then, add your onion and cook it until it’s somewhat softened, about 4 minutes total. Add your garlic, salt, your first teaspoon of chile powder (maybe more, to taste), oregano, and cumin- cooking it all for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add your turkey next, and use your spatula to break it up and work the onion mixture through it. Cook until it’s all lightly brown at the edges and no pink remains, which is about 5 minutes total. Then, add your beans and tomatoes, refilling your empty tomato can with water, and set the can aside.
• Bring the whole chili mixture to a simmer, and cook it for 25 to 30 minutes while stirring it regularly. Add the reserved can of water 1/3rd at a time whenever the mixture looks dry. Taste it for salt and spice, adjusting as needed and in accordance to your particular preference. The chef adds up to 2 additional teaspoons of a mild chili powder. If possible, allow your chilli to rest for 5 minutes off of the heat before serving, as it sets up the texture nicely. Finish it all off with juice of half a lime and any fixings you’d like.

Note: Chili Powder is a spice blend that’s intended for Tex-Mex chili, being made from ground chiles and dried hot peppers. Chili powders range a lot in heat, so anyone cooking ought to use their preferred level of heat when choosing a powder. Alternatively, or in addition (depending on preference) you can add 1 tablespoon puree from a can of chipotles en adobo to provide a powerful, flavorful kick when preparing this chile. For the turkey, the chef prefers a blend of both dark and light meat. Lastly, for the red pickled onions, a quick way to prepare it is to cut half of a small red onion into thin wedges, toss with juice from half a lime, two good pinches of salt, one pinch of sugar, and set it all aside while cooking the chili.

For more delicious recipes, click here.