When I was a kid, my dad would occasionally return to the stove after dinner was cleaned up. He’d tend to a bubbling batch of ground beef chili, passing his wooden spoon through the thick, ruddy mixture as night fell. When the meat was supple and the pot’s contents imbued with the spices, he’d let the chili cool until bedtime before refrigerating it for dinner the next day.
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Dad knew that beef required long, slow simmering to break down its stubborn collagen. But a simple shortcut would have saved him a lot of time: Swapping ground beef for ground turkey, which is low in collagen, can pave the way to chili that goes from cutting board to bowl in about an hour.
That said, there are pitfalls to watch out for. Because ground turkey is so low in collagen, it can become dry and tough as it cooks, even if the simmering time is short. To build in culinary insurance against grittiness, I soaked the turkey in a slurry of baking soda, water, and salt. Baking soda increased its pH, changing its protein structure in a way that helped it trap juices.
DIY Chili Powder
Mellow ground turkey is its best self when it’s supported by a custom chili powder that’s centered on the smoky heat of anchos and the vibrant tang of berry-esque guajillos. Cumin, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, coriander, and black pepper round out the mix.
With the turkey sure to be tender and succulent, I considered the spice blend, looking to replicate the rich, full flavors of my dad’s recipe. First, I toasted dried ancho and guajillo chiles to maximize their smoky-sweet heat. Blitzed with a spectrum of pantry spices—cumin, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, coriander, and a lick of black pepper for extra zing—they made for a dynamic homemade chili powder that worked beautifully with the poultry.
To thicken the chili and provide it with a heady aroma of toasted corn, I whizzed a couple of corn tortillas in the food processor with the chiles and spices.
With the spice blend ready, it was time to get cooking. I sizzled hefty doses of chopped onion and minced garlic in oil for allium depth, along with a spoonful of tomato paste to round everything out with fruity umami. The turkey went in next; once it was no longer pink, I sprinkled in the spice blend so that it coated every morsel.
Two cans of creamy-plump kidney beans, along with their savory cooking liquid, gave the mixture spoon-coating body. Chicken broth, canned diced tomatoes, a smidge of brown sugar for molasses-y sweetness, and a bit of water to loosen everything up finished the pot.
After simmering the spicy, fragrant blend for a mere 10 minutes—enough to meld the flavors without drying out the meat—I put out lots of toppings (shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, chopped onion, and pickled or raw jalapeños) and ladled helpings atop white rice. This chili had all the rich, satisfying depth of Dad’s, but it was ready in time for dinner tonight.
Turkey Chili
Here's the way to a pot brimming with tender meat and robust, spicy complexity.
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