Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Creamy White Turkey Chili
Creamy turkey chili makes a welcome bowl when you have cooked turkey ready for another meal. White beans give it a soft, hearty spoonful, with a little chile warmth in the broth.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 14 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken · Turkey · Beans & lentils
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Build the broth before adding turkey
Simmer the broth with chilies, cilantro, cumin and oregano before the cooked turkey and white beans join it.
2. Whisk the thickener separately
Mix cornstarch with the first small portion of half-and-half in a bowl before slowly stirring it into the chili.
3. Season off the heat
Remove the chili from the heat before adjusting salt, pepper and spice, ready for ladling into bowls.
Get to know the ingredients
Cooked shredded turkey
The turkey is already cooked and shredded, with cooked chicken also allowed; it warms in the simmered broth with beans.
Choice of mild or hotter chilies
Canned jalapenos or green chilies are included, with the amount adjusted to your heat preference or left out.
Divided dairy
Use a small portion for the cornstarch mixture first, then add the remaining half-and-half or chosen cream to the pot.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Creamy White Turkey Chili
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Ladle after the final taste
Once slightly thickened and seasoned, serve warm with optional cilantro, shredded cheese or sour cream over the bowls.
A little more help as you go
Rotisserie chicken is included
Rotisserie chicken works if that's the cooked meat you have available for the chili.
Garlic has a brief cook
Let the onion soften first, then stir in minced garlic just until fragrant before adding broth and seasonings.
A few questions you might have
Can I use dried cilantro?
The cilantro ingredient gives a dried alternative. Add the chosen form with the broth, chilies, cumin and oregano.
Which white beans are listed?
Cannellini or other white beans are included, added with the shredded cooked turkey after the seasoned broth has simmered.
Does cornstarch go directly into hot broth?
Whisk it with a portion of half-and-half first, then stir that mixture slowly into the pot before adding the rest.
Can I leave out the jalapenos?
Yes. The ingredient explicitly allows leaving the chilies out or using green chilies, according to the heat you want.
Is evaporated milk an option?
It is listed alongside half-and-half and heavy cream, with a portion used for the slurry before adding the rest.
Any more cooking tips?
If you don’t have leftovers, use these recipes for Roast Chicken or Roast Turkey. You can also use rotisserie chicken.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: cafedelites.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
