Ground Turkey Chili

As soon as the air turns crisp enough to warrant a light jacket but not a full parka, my mind goes to chili. Not the heavy, slow-simmered kind meant to thaw you out after shoveling snow, but a type that hints at the cold winter to come. This ground turkey-and-butternut squash version, developed by our colleague Craig Ruff in our Birmingham, Alabama, test kitchen, fits that bill. It's hearty but not heavy, warming without weighing you down, and perfect for that first night you turn the heat on just to take the chill off.

The challenge with turkey chili is that it's so often a consolation prize—a "healthy" stand-in for beef versions. Too many recipes rely on a packet of chili seasoning, a can of crushed tomatoes, and blind hope that cumin alone will conjure depth of flavor. The result is usually dry, dusty tasting, and disappointingly one-note. We wanted to prove you could make a fast, flavor-packed turkey chili that actually tastes like something worth making again and again.

Craig found that the secret to this starts where many turkey chilis go wrong: the turkey itself. Ground turkey can go from tender to rubbery within minutes. But a quick treatment of salt and baking soda before cooking ensures that doesn't happen. We've previously written about baking soda's game-changing culinary abilities. Here, the salt seasons the meat thoroughly, while the baking soda raises the pH just enough to help it retain moisture as the proteins tighten during cooking. The ground turkey stays juicy and tender even after a 20-minute simmer, without any hint of a sawdust texture.

Craig also ditched the dusty pre-ground chili powder entirely and uses whole dried chiles instead. A mix of fruity ancho chiles and one smoky canned chipotle in adobo creates a flavorful foundation. To ensure the chiles blend easily, Craig microwaves the chiles with chicken stock until they're completely softened. While they soften, you can sauté your onions and bloom the spices (cumin, coriander, oregano, and black pepper) in oil, building layers of flavor without wasting time.

Once blended with whole peeled tomatoes, the chile mixture forms a rich, aromatic base that's earthy and bright. The tomatoes add gentle acidity without the metallic tang that canned diced ones can sometimes have. Then in go the turkey, beans (and their thick, starchy canning liquid, which adds body), and cubes of butternut squash for a seasonal twist. The squash softens as the flavors meld, and its sweetness balances the chiles' smoky heat.

At the very end, a spoonful of dark brown sugar (optional) and a splash of apple cider vinegar tie it all together. Taste the chili before adding the sugar. Craig found the sugar rounds out the chiles' punch, but butternut squash's natural sweetness varies, so you might not need it. The final chili is smoky, subtly sweet, and deeply satisfying, yet still light enough for those early fall evenings when the leaves are turning but your winter appetite hasn't quite kicked in.