This chili is a recipe I have been making for years now. It changes a little each time depending on how many of each item we have laying around. I don’t like to waste food, so I find ways to incorporate unclaimed items into my recipes. The recipe below is the most common version that I make. There are many options for changes or substitutions that I will note below the recipe. Look for the * symbol for specific notes. It’s an easy recipe. The most time consuming part is cutting up the vegetables.
- Prep time: approx. 30 minutes
- Cook time: on low 6-8hrs, on high 4hrs
- 1 lb ground turkey*
- About 1 lb cubed steak*
- 1 medium yellow onion*
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 1 jalapeño pepper (optional for spice)*
- 1 can black beans (15 oz.)
- 1 can kidney beans (15 oz.)
- 2 -15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
- 1- 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 small can of tomato paste
- 16 oz. chicken broth*
- 3 cloves of garlic or 3 tsp minced garlic
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp Himalayan Pink Salt*
- 2 bay leaves
- On medium heat, brown and crumble ground turkey in a frying pan (using a little oil to grease the pan).
- Trim fat from cubed steak and cut steak down to small pieces- about 1″ cubed or smaller.
- Using high heat and an oiled frying pan, sear (brown) each side of the steak pieces but try not to cook them all the way through. The Crock-Pot will do the rest of the cooking and this will keep the steak pieces tender.
- Cut onion, red and green pepper, and optional jalapeño into small pieces.
- Add all ingredients (except the bay leaves) to the Crock-Pot. With a large spoon, stir ingredients until evenly mixed.
- Tuck the bay leaves into the chili alongside the inside of the pot.
- Cook in the Crock-Pot on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 4 hours. Stir ingredients occasionally but it’s not necessary.
Notes:
*This recipe calls for ground turkey but you can substitute ground beef or even take it out entirely for a vegetarian option.
*This meat is also not necessary for the option of a vegetarian chili.
*I typically use a sweeter yellow onion but any type will do. White onions are also a good option but typically yield a stronger onion-taste.
*The jalapeño is totally optional but is a great addition if you like a little bit of spice. Some jalapeños are spicier than others. Sometimes you can find mild jalapeños. You can add these but they usually won’t be spicy enough to notice in the chili. One “hot” jalapeño is a good amount of spice for this recipe. But feel free to add as much or as little as you want!
*For the chicken broth, I usually use scoops of condensed broth paste dissolved in hot water but you can also use bouillon cubes dissolved or already prepared broth from a package instead. It’s all a matter of choice and convenience.
*Himalayan pink salt has less sodium than table salt. If you have to substitute table salt, make sure to only add a teaspoon or two and possibly just add more to taste after it cooks.
Nutrition:
- Servings: there are about 15 servings measured with a regular sized ladle.
- 1 serving is approximately 178 Calories; 1.8g Fat; 0.2g Sat. Fat; 14.7mg Cholest.; 465mg Sodium; 24.7g Carbs; 5.5g Fiber; 8.1g Sugar; 18.5g Protein.
