Get out your soup pots, it's chili season! This White Turkey Chili is filled with ground turkey, white beans, chili spices, sour cream, and cheese, and is one of our family favorites. We love to serve it topped with Fritos or tortilla chips for a bit of crunch!
If you're looking for an award-winning white chili recipe, I happen to have just what you're looking for! Or perhaps you're looking for a go-to Sunday chili for those cold winter months. Or maybe a football watching white chili recipe to cozy up with? Whatever your cause is, this Creamy White Turkey Chili is IT. This turkey chili is topped with Fritos so how could it not be fabulous?!
This white turkey chili recipe can be made on the stovetop and slow cooker and either way is super easy and quick to make. If you're looking for an Instant Pot chili, we also love my Instant Pot White Chicken Chili!
Different beans. You could also use navy beans, great northern beans, or pinto beans.
Different meat. Swap the ground turkey for ground chicken, ground beef, turkey breast, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, or rotisserie chicken. Even leftover turkey meat from Thanksgiving would be a great option! If you're looking for a soup with Italian sausage, check out my Sausage Lentil Soup.
Swap sour cream for Greek Yogurt. Just be sure to use whole milk Greek yogurt.
Swap the Fritos. If you prefer, tortilla chips also work instead of Fritos!
Additional toppings. I like adding green onions but diced jalapeños, sliced avocados, sour cream, and
I always make this white chili recipe on the stove, but you can also make this recipe in a slow cooker, too. Either way, this is a very easy chili recipe!
3. Cook the onion for 5-7 minutes, until the onion is softened.
4. Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the cannellini beans, broth, green chiles, chili powder, cumin, basil, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes, and stir well to combine.
6. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 25 minutes. This cooking time is flexible and you can simmer it up to one hour on the stovetop if you have the time.
7. After it has cooked, remove 1 cup of the broth and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the sour cream to the broth.
8. Whisk together until smooth. Note: this is a very important step! It ensures the sour cream does not curdle when it is added to the soup.
9. Add the sour cream mixture back to the soup pot and let it cook another 5-10 minutes.
10. Stir in the cheese until melted. Serve and enjoy!
Brown the turkey in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into smaller chunks as it cooks. Add all of the ingredients except for the sour cream and cheese to a slow cooker and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4 hours.
When there is 30 minutes remaining, remove 1 cup of the broth and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the sour cream to the broth and whisk together until smooth. Add back to the slow cooker and let it cook another 30 minutes. Stir in the cheese until melted. Serve and enjoy!
Use 93/7 ground turkey. You can use 99/1 but I prefer the taste of the 93/7 - the fat adds a richness to the meat and the soup that is important! I also always use 93/7 when I use ground turkey in casseroles, like my Turkey Enchilada Casserole.
Combine the sour cream with a little of the broth before adding to the soup. By adding 1 cup of broth to the sour cream, it will help the sour cream incorporate into the rest of the soup better. I've added the sour cream without doing this and, while it still tastes delicious, the sour cream sort of separates from the broth and it doesn't look quite as creamy. I also use this technique in my Vegetarian White Chili!
Shred your own cheese. Buy a block of Colby Jack cheese and shred it on your own. It will melt nicer into the soup, opposed to the pre-shredded kind. Believe me, I really don't like shredding my own cheese but the extra step is worth it!
Load up the toppings. As is the case with most chili recipes, like my Slow Cooker Beef Chili, the toppings are almost as important as the actual chili! Frito's and green onions are our favorite toppings but other delicious options are tortilla chips, diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, lime juice, and more shredded cheese.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
It is white chili because it does not contain diced tomatoes as a base. In addition, instead of ground beef, this recipe uses ground turkey for protein.
This recipe can be easily doubled by simply doubling the ingredients. Keep in mind you may need two large soup pots.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Can you freeze this chili?
Yep! Just make sure it comes completely to room temperature first.
I would actually like the nutritional rating on this if it all possible
I have made this chili more times than I can count - it's just that good! Definitely a family favorite.
Don't forget the Fritos and a little extra shredded cheese for topping.
Making it today to watch the game - go Hawks!:)
Delicious! Perfect amount of spice and creaminess gosh I love it ! Thanks so much for sharing with the world!
So happy you enjoyed it!
Could you swap Greek yogurt for sour cream? If so what percentage fat
Yes! I have used whole milk Greek yogurt with good results.
Delicious! I only put in 2 cans of beans & 2 cups of cheese, 7 oz can of green chilies. It was was thick & yummy!
Love this chili, I’ve made it several times now. And, yes, the Fritos are so good on top. A couple times I’ve used two cans beans and 1 can of refried beans and it makes the chili extra creamy. I add fresh cilantro if I have it, too. Thanks for the recipe.
I love the idea of adding refried beans - will definitely try this the next time I make it!