Looking for a mouthwatering turkey chili recipe? This Pressure-cooker Turkey Chili is super simple to make, packed with flavor, and oh so satisfying. This recipe also includes instructions for making this chili in the slow cooker and on the stovetop.
Comfort food season is the best. Soups, stews, and pastas, and of course chili.
Chili is, for me, one of the ULTIMATE fall comfort foods. And this is hands down one of the favorite Pressure-cooker recipes! Full of lean ground turkey meat, a combination of beans, rich flavors from spices, and favorite toppings like sour cream, green onions.
This healthy dinner is now a regular in our family dinner rotation. We've made it dozens of times since, and it always gets rave reviews from friends, family, and readers!
[feast_advanced_jump_to]🌟Why you'll love this recipe
Quick – Traditional chili recipes require the ingredients to simmer on the stovetop. What's extra awesome about multi-cookers – like the Pressure-cooker and the Pressure-cooker – is that they speed up that flavorful co-mingling process by pressure cooking and significantly shortening cooking time.
Packed with flavor – Loaded with aromatics and spices, this chili is so flavorful and satisfying!
Makes a lot – This Pressure-cooker turkey chili recipe makes enough for 10 people. So you can whip up a batch for game day or simply for a weeknight dinner and have plenty of leftovers.
Simple to make dairy-free – On a non-dairy diet? No problem. See below for how to make this recipe dairy-free.
🥓 Ingredient notes
Most of your prep work that goes into this pressure cooker turkey chili recipe is simply dicing veggies, then opening cans. The pressure cooker does most of the work!
- Bacon– the flavor starts from a foundation of salty crunchy bacon.
- Bell pepper, onions, and garlic – then the flavor builds with sautéing diced red bell peppers (you can also use yellow bell pepper), yellow onion (can substitute red onion), and minced garlic.
- Ground turkey – It's best to use ground turkey meat that is around 85% lean/15% fat. You want some fat to help build flavors and to keep the meat from drying out. If you prefer to have ground beef, you can use that instead of ground turkey.
- Beef broth – you can use your own homemade broth, or use one (14.5 ounce) can of beef broth. If you don't have beef broth, you can use chicken broth instead. Simply be aware that it won't have the same depth of flavor as beef broth.
- Canned beans – We use a mix of one can each of pinto beans (or white beans), black beans, and red kidney beans. Use your fave hearty beans!
- Canned tomatoes – We love the extra flavor that canned diced fire roasted tomatoes add to this chili. You could also use regular diced tomatoes instead.
- Tomato paste – a small (6-ounce) can of tomato paste.
- Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire sauce is what gives this chili an extra rich umami flavor!
- Herbs and spices – The final touches to make this super flavorful, rich, hearty pressure cooker chili is in the herbs and spices. Use oregano, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.
🧀 Substitution options
DAIRY OR DAIRY-FREE: On its own, this is a dairy-free chili recipe. However, for add-ins and garnish, We have used regular cheddar cheese and regular sour cream for the dairy lovers in the life. We simply sub those out for dairy-free sour cream and dairy-free cheddar cheese.
SPICE: This is a milder (yet still super flavorful!) chili recipe. Most of the recipes are on the milder side, because it's much easier to spice up a recipe than it is to cool it down. Like it spicy? Add jalapeños in the chili and/or on top as a garnish. You can also adjust the spices to your preferred level of heat.
VEGGIES: We like to add more veggies when We can into a dish. Diced carrots, green peppers, red onions, potatoes, and even small chunks of butternut squash would be yummy additions to this. You could even make this a vegetarian chili by subbing out the ground meat for butternut squash and more veggies. Simply try to balance out the amount of veggies you put into the recipe for the amount of meat you are taking out of the recipe.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Here are step-by-step photos and helpful cooking tips for making this chili recipe. A full ingredient list and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Press the Sauté function on your Pressure-cooker or Pressure-cooker, then add the bacon.
2. Sauté until the bacon is crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels. Drain some of the grease, leaving about a tablespoon of grease in the pot.
3. Add the red pepper, onion, and garlic to the pot. Sauté, stirring regularly, until the peppers are slightly soft.
4. Add the ground turkey and break up the meat with a wooden spoon. as you do so, mix the meat in with the veggies. Cook simply long enough to brown ground turkey, about 4 to 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. This will help you avoid a BURN notice while pressure cooking.
5. Add the beans(make sure they are drained), tomatoes(undrained), tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.
6. Then sprinkle in the oregano, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Stir the ingredients together gently simply enough to mix in the herbs. You don't want all of the tomatoes and tomato paste at the bottom, as that may cause your Pressure-cooker to give off a BURN notice.
7. Seal and lock in the pressure lid, making sure the pressure release valve is in the SEAL/SEALING position. Press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) setting on your Pressure-cooker or Pressure-cooker on high pressure. Set the timer for 20 minutes.
8. Once the 20 minutes is up and the pressure cooker is done cooking, allow the unit to Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes (in other words, don't touch it for 10 minutes), and then move the pressure release valve over to Venting to allow for Quick Release. Once all pressure has been released and the pressure release indicator knob is all the way down, quite carefully twist and open the lid.
Serve immediately and with your choice of favorite chili toppings. We love bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and/or sliced jalapeños.
Kitchen tools and equipment
OPTION 1: Pressure-cooker – We make this chili often in the Pressure-cooker. We have the 8-quart XL Deluxe Foodi, but you can also make this in the 6-quart Foodi. And yes, that is the cookbook, The Pressure-cooker Meal Prep Cookbook, in that first photo! ;)
OPTION 2: Pressure-cooker – We've also made this recipe several times in the 8-quart Pressure-cooker. And We have been told others have had great success making this recipe in their 6-quart Pressure-cooker.
NOTE: While cooking times remain the same, the 8-quart multi-cookers can take a few extra minutes to come to pressure. And no matter what size multi-cooker you have, you want to be sure to never add ingredients above your Pressure-cooker/Pressure-cooker fill line.
OPTION 3: Slow Cooker – If you don't want to make this in your instant pot, or if you don't have a pressure cooker, you can easily make this yummy chili recipe in a slow cooker. You can also make this in a dutch oven on the stove. You simply need to make a few adjustments, which We've noted in the NOTES section of the recipe card below.
To make this chili, you will also need:
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Can opener
- Strainer or colander
- Wooden spoon
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Can We make this vegetarian chili?Absolutely! You can either substitute your favorite plant-based meat alternative (like Beyond Beef Crumbles). Or, try using chopped mushrooms and potatoes instead of the ground turkey. Be aware that if you only use vegetables, you may have more liquid after it's cooked. You can either turn your Pressure-cooker/Pressure-cooker to sauté and stir regularly, allowing some of the liquid to cook off. Or you can simply spoon some of the excess liquid out.
What can We do with leftover chili?– Serve over tortilla chips and top with sour cream, chives, and bacon for chili nachos. Or use our Sheet Pan Nachos as a base recipe.
– Three words: chili cheese fries.
– Cook some frozen tortellini the next day and combine it with leftover chili for Tortellini Chili Soup. Simply add a couple of spoonfulls of the starchy pasta water and mix together for more of a soup vs. chunky chili texture.
– Chili breakfast scramble: add to scramble eggs, top with avocado and sour cream.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep for up to 4 or 5 days in the fridge. Or, store in an airtight, freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to two months.
🍽 Serving ideas
This chili goes great with some tortilla chips or homemade bread for dunking. Serve it alongside Garlic Parmesan Knots or Garlic Rosemary Focaccia. Both are tasty and hearty enough to not fall apart in the chili.
Or serve this chili with some bright veggie sides like Air Fryer Broccoli or Radish Carrot Salad.
🍷 Wine pairings for chili
We enjoy a bigger red wine with this ground turkey chili. Go for a medium- to full-bodied red that has high tannins and high acidity to help balance the spices in this dish.
A peppery Tempranillo stands up beautifully to this hearty chili and complements the spiciness of the dish, as would an Argentinian Malbec.
You can also pair this with a classic California full-bodied red, such as a Zinfandel or Napa Valley Cabernet.
More pressure cooker recipes
- Pressure-cooker/Pressure-cooker Seafood Jambalaya
- Pressure-cooker Shrimp Scampi Linguine
- Pressure-cooker Lentil Soup
- Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
- Pressure-cooker Potato Corn Chowder
- Dutch Oven Chili with Ground Turkey, Farro, and Stout
More hearty comfort food recipes
- One-Pan Garlic Rosemary Sirloin Tip Roast and Potatoes
- Classic Beef Bourguignon
- Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Dutch Oven Pot Roast
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you truly loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Pressure-cooker Turkey Chili
By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Natural release time: 10 mins Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 10 people This chili with three beans, ground turkey, and bacon is hearty and satisfying – the ultimate comfort food!Equipment
- Pressure-cooker, Pressure-cooker, or other electric pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon, sliced into small pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, de-stemmed and diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 – 1½ lbs. ground turkey
- 1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, drained
- 1 can (14.5 oz) pinto beans, drained
- 1 can (14.5 oz) kidney beans, drained
- 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes (do NOT drain first)
- 1 can (14.5 oz) beef stock (should equal a little more than 2 cups)
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp ground oregano
- 2 tbsp ground chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Add-ons and garnishes
- sour cream (optional)
- cilantro leaves, finely chopped (optional)
- jalapeño (optional)
- shredded cheddar cheese (We use Daiya non-dairy shreds)
Instructions
- Press the Saute mode on your instant pot, then add the bacon. Sauté until the bacon is crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels. Drain some of the grease, leaving about a tablespoon of grease in the pot.
- Add the red pepper, onion, and garlic and sauté until the peppers are slightly soft.
- Add the ground turkey and cook until the meat is browned, breaking up the meat and mixing with the veggies throughout.
- Add remaining ingredients and half of the cooked bacon. Seal the lid.
- Press the Chili setting (or Manual/Pressure Cook) on your instant pot and cook for 20 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, and then quick release.
- Optional: top individual servings with bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and/or sliced jalapeños.
Notes
Makes approximately 8-10 servings. If you want thicker chili, once pressure cooking is complete, open the lid and turn the unit to Sauté mode, then allow the chili to cook on Sauté and thicken up, usually simply for 1-3 minutes, stirring constantly so the chili doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Slow cooker instructions:- Cook the bacon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Sauté the red pepper, onion, and garlic in a large skillet. Add the meat and cook until browned.
- Add all ingredients (except for half the bacon) into the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
- Follow the instructions as you would for the instant pot, but after combining all ingredients, bring the chili to a low boil and then turn down to a low simmer for 3-4 hours.
Nutrition
Calories: 276 kcal, Carbohydrates: 15 g, Protein: 33 g, Fat: 10 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 74 mg, Sodium: 910 mg, Potassium: 752 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 1421 IU, Vitamin C: 21 mg, Calcium: 54 mg, Iron: 3 mgNutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.