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This simple wild rice turkey chili is the perfect way to use up all that leftover Thanksgiving turkey. It is full of spicy flavor and ideal when topped with crackers.
Now, while I’m usually a sandwich or pot pie turkey leftover kind of girl, I sometimes like mixing things up.
That’s where this super delicious and easy-to-make wild rice turkey chili comes into play. It’s packed full of spices, tomatoes, beans, rice, and leftover turkey. It’s so hearty, and it’s the perfect cold-weather soup.
I opted to top mine with sliced chives and saltine crackers, but you can top it with whatever your favorite chili toppings are—green onions, sour cream, cheese, or corn chips all work well here.
I know rice isn’t a common addition to chili, but I enjoy the texture and flavor that wild rice adds.
I kept it easy by using a 90-second long-grain wild rice blend microwave pack. Two packs equaled about two cups.
Yes, I could have made my wild rice, but I don’t often have it on hand, and it can be hard to find. The microwave packs are easy to find and work well here.
Ingredients needed
- Turkey
- Wild rice
- Crushed tomatoes
- Diced tomatoes
- Red kidney beans
- Chicken stock
- Green bell peppers
- Yellow onion
- Corn kernels
- Garlic
- Spices
My Pro Tips
Wild Rice Turkey Chili Recipe Tips
You’ll want to use 2 cups of shredded turkey. Remove any excess fat or skin before adding it to the soup.
I’m using a 90-second microwave rice packet for long-grain and wild rice. However, if you have freshly steamed wild rice, use it.
Feel free to swap out the kidney beans for white, black, or pinto beans.
Swap out the shredded leftover turkey for shredded rotisserie chicken.
FAQ’s
More chili recipes
Wild Rice Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups diced bell peppers
- 1 cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 2 cups shredded turkey
- 2 cups cooked wild rice
Instructions
- In a 5-6 quart soup pot, add olive oil and set over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is warm, add the green bell peppers and onions, and saute until the onions and peppers start to soften, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper. Saute for 1 minute
- Add crushed tomatoes, beans, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and corn kernels.
- Simmer on medium-low heat for 2 hours. Add more stock if the chili gets too thick.
- Stir in turkey and rice, and simmer for another 30 minutes just to warm the meat and rice.
- If the mixture looks too thick simply thin out with more chicken stock.
- Serve plain or with cheese, crackers, chips, or sour cream.
Notes
- I used two 90-second microwave long grain and wild rice blend bags from Ben’s Original. However, you can use regular cooked wild rice or leftover white rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Well, I would probably choose warmer weather over this chili (no offense) but if I can’t have the former, I’ll take six bowls of the latter. At least.
Hi! Was looking up for a recipe for left over turkey from Christmas and found yours on Pinterest. I will definitely try your Turkey Wild Rice Chili
posted by on Nov 28, 2014. Those really yummy looking crackers, are they homemade? If yes, could you kindly share the recipe? It would be much appreciated!