What is Chili Verde?
Chili Verde translates as “green chili” as it’s made with a lot of cilantro and no tomatoes. This Mexican dish is often made with salsa verde or other green veggies to give it a pop of color and incredible flavor. Like most chili recipes there are so many variations of the dish, if you also love beef chili then check out my Slow Cooker Chili with Black Beans, Kale, and Sweet Potato.
Is Chili Verde Healthy?
This recipe is extremely healthy, made with lean ground turkey, fresh herbs, vegetables and spices it’s packed full of nutritious and wholesome ingredients. I love to stir in some sour cream for a tangy and creamy texture but you can leave that out or go for a lighter version if you prefer.
Is this Recipe Spicy?
This particular recipe isn’t overly spicy although it does have a little kick from the poblano peppers. To give this chili some heat I recommend adding in some jalapeno peppers either in with the onions or top your chili with some jarred ones.
How to Make Turkey Chili Verde
- In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, coriander, pepper, and salt. In a dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, garlic, and spice mixture to the pan and stir to combine.
- Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the turkey is no longer pink. About 3 to 5 minutes. In the meantime, chop up the zucchini, poblano, and cilantro stems.
- Now go ahead and add the zucchini, poblano, cilantro stems, lime zest and juice, and the remaining olive oil if it’s needed. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the broth and beans, then bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer, partially covered for 45 minutes.
- Remove it from the heat and stir in the sour cream until it’s combined. If you desire, garnish each serving with thinly sliced radishes, cilantro, lime juice and crunchy tortilla strips. Enjoy!
Toppings to Try
Toppings to TryI love to top this chili with crunchy tortilla strips and you can easily make them at home by tossing cut corn tortillas in a little oil and spices and baking in the oven for 10 minutes.
I also top this with extra cilantro and sliced radishes for crunch and freshness but you can top this with whatever you like, sliced avocado would be a great option!
Can you Freeze Chili Verde?
Once cooled you can freeze this chili in Ziploc bags or a suitable container. To reheat it let it defrost completely then add to a large pot and reheat on medium until piping hot all the way through.
Tip: If you are making this specifically for freezing then don’t add the sour cream in at the end, freeze, reheat then stir in sour cream if desired.
Top Tips for this Recipe
- Make sure to brown the turkey and onion before adding in other ingredients. This allows the meat to seal in flavor and the onions to soften.
- Cilantro stems have a ton of flavor so never throw them out they’re also much hardier than the leaves and won’t wilt which is why they are great in chilis and stews.
- Make sure to use lean ground turkey alternatively you could use lean ground pork or chicken. I don’t recommend using beef as the flavor will change.
- You can use vegetable or chicken stock.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days or frozen in suitable containers.
If you’ve tried this turkey chili verde recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Turkey Chili Verde
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ground cumin 9g
- 1 tsp ground coriander 2g
- 1 tsp ground black pepper 6g
- 1 tsp kosher salt 6g
- 5 tbsp olive oil 74mL, divided
- 1 lb ground turkey breast
- 1 1/2 cups diced white onion 225g
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups diced zucchini 300g
- 1 cup seeded and diced poblano pepper about 2
- ½ cup minced cilantro stems
- 1 tsp lime zest 2g
- 1 tbsp lime juice 15mL
- 4 cups chicken stock 946mL
- 3 cans white beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup sour cream 120g
- Garnish: thinly sliced radishes chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and Crunchy Tortilla Strips (recipe follows)
Instructions
For the Chili
- In a small bowl, stir together cumin, coriander, pepper, and salt.
- In a Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add turkey, onion, garlic, and spice mixture to pan, stirring to combine.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until turkey is no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in zucchini, poblano, cilantro stems, lime zest and juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, if needed.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in broth and beans.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low, and simmer, partially covered, 45 minutes.
- Remove from heat; stir in sour cream until combined.
- Garnish servings as desired with radish, cilantro, lime juice, and Crunchy Tortilla Strips.
For the Crunchy Tortilla Strips
- Spray 6 small corn tortillas with nonstick cooking spray.
- Sprinkle both sides evenly with a mixture of 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Cut into thin strips, and scatter in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake at 350F until crispy, 10 to 15 minutes.
Notes
- Make sure to brown the turkey and onion before adding in other ingredients. This allows the meat to seal in flavor and the onions to soften.
- Cilantro stems have a ton of flavor so never throw them out they're also much hardier than the leaves and won't wilt which is why they are great in chilis and stews.
- Make sure to use lean ground turkey alternatively you could use lean ground pork or chicken. I don't recommend using beef as the flavor will change.
- You can use vegetable or chicken stock.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days or frozen in suitable containers.
Nutrition
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This was the first time I’ve tried making a chili recipe without tomato and it was just so delicious, can’t wait to make it again!