Turkey Quinoa Chili (under 200 calories!)
Posted: 01/18/2017
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Extra filling (18 grams of protein!) and extra flavorful, this healthy turkey quinoa chili is the perfect quick and easy weeknight meal — and it freezes well!
Me and Michigan are in a fight right now. I work two mornings a week while my son attends preschool. As you can imagine, these are valued hours. Last week, both of those days were “snow” days, and this week we’re 1 for 1 so far with another “snow” day.
So here I am writing this post late at night while the kids sleep, the day before it goes live on my site, which I dislike very much. Mostly because I’m tired. And I write “snow” in quotations because it’s actually ice and freezing rain which is annoying me more than anything. We can’t play outside, we can barely walk in our driveway, and our backyard is one giant pond.
But like I said before, spring will come, just as it always does. I sure do hope it hurries, though.
In the meantime, I’ll be curling up with a hot bowl of chili trying to stay warm.
PS: Funny story, today my kids were upstairs playing and I hear my 4-year-old son call to my daughter, “Do I need to keep my underwear on?”
So of course, I yell to them, “Keep your underwear on!!!!”
Minutes later, they run down the stairs with their bathing suits on. I must say, I was a bit relieved. Obviously we’re all slightly stir-crazy.
I love this turkey quinoa chili because it’s SUPER easy to make (the quinoa cooks right in there with the rest of the ingredients as it simmers on the stove.) It’s packed with protein but is still low in calories.
Enjoy and stay warm!
Make-Ahead, Storage and Reheating
This chili is perfect for meal prep. You can make a big batch of this and you’ll have lunches ready for the whole week. It freezes well, too, for at least a month.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove for best results.
Delicious soup recipes
- Vegetarian lasagna soup
- Easy meatball soup with orzo
- Slow cooker creamy chicken soup with quinoa and squash
- Slow cooker green enchilada soup (5 ingredients!)
- Slow cooker creamy chicken and wild rice soup (a reader favorite)
- Copycat Panera squash soup (another reader favorite!)
- Slow cooker minestrone with quinoa
- Homemade Vegetable Soup Recipe
- Green curry chicken noodle soup by A Spicy Perspective
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Extra filling and extra flavorful, this turkey quinoa chili is the perfect quick and easy weeknight meal — and it freezes well!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey breast (99% lean)
- 1/2 large sweet onion, diced (1 heaping cup)
- 2 bell peppers (any color), diced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (regular oregano is fine, too)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 bottle (12 oz.) dark Mexican beer (I like Dos Equis Amber)
- 1 can (28 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) reduced-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- Optional toppings: sour cream, green onions, cilantro, cheese, etc
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add turkey, onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper and cook, breaking up turkey, until turkey is cooked through and onions are translucent.
- Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until tomato paste coats all ingredients and spices are fragrant.
- Add beer and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes and water and bring to a boil.
- When boiling, add quinoa and black beans. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until tails appear on quinoa. If desired, add more water or chicken broth to thin. We like ours super thick!
- Serve with desired toppings.
Notes
- If you want to omit the beer, substitute 12 ounces broth (chicken or beef) or water
- Make it vegetarian! Omit turkey and add an additional can of beans (black, pinto, or kidney).
- Substitute other types of ground meat for the turkey, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 185kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 239mg, Potassium: 584mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1722IU, Vitamin C: 44mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 3mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Denise says
like the twist on a favorite
Randi says
What a great idea to add quinoa to turkey chili for extra protein! Will definitely be doing this from now on! Love your recipes. Your light honey walnut shrimp is one of my favorites!!!
Rachel Gurk says
Thank you SO much!!!