Low carb, low fat, HIGH in veggies and lean protein and FLAYverrrrrr! Everything I need chili to be. Honestly I never cared about the beans anyway. Always just figured they were supposed to be there. But when I wanted to crank out a giant pot of warm, savory, meaty, belly-filling and soul-warming chili… I wanted to know the macros would be good enough that EVEN I would eat the leftovers. Because I’ve learned I’ll spend a little more at dinner with my family, but if it’s not solid level-ten macro-efficiency I won’t touch it on the second go-around.

But this one I can’t stop eating. It’s so light! And so good! And it’s cooling off just enough over here that when I come home from the gym and sit at my computer, my sweaty clothes give me the chills! (I’m gross). And I’m reminded of how amazing a warm bowl of leftovers can be for lunch. With a quick re-heat, I’ve got a hearty, TASTY bowl of goodness in like 2 minutes. And macros to spare. CAN’T BEAT THAT.

Cast of Characters:

Here’s what you’ll need to make it. A few familiar items because it’s CHILI! And a couple of surprises. Well maybe not, if you know me. So predictable.

Two kinds of ground turkey.
- The normal “lean” for plenty of flavor
- The extra lean for bulk and protein without the added fat.
VEGGIES
- Onions, peppers, and garlic for tons of flavor
- CAULIFLOWER RICE for bulk
- Kabocha squash if you’ve got it because I LOVE IT! No biggie if you don’t….

We’re not done…. but I wanted to give you a second to imagine you get stir in that sour cream dallop and take your lunch-break now. I love that part.

Tomatoey stuff (official term):
- Tomato Paste- your chili will survive if you don’t have it. But if you find it at your store, STOCK IT! I get mine at Trader Joe’s in a tube which is so much easier to store than the cans of course. Such a rich, condensed hearty tomato flavor packed in there. Brown it with your veggies to really bring out the flavor.
- Diced canned tomatoes AND jarred marinara sauce (or you can use canned tomato sauce) … because sweet+acidic+juicy which is a must in chili.
Liquidy Stuff:
- Green Enchilada Sauce for more flavor! I grew up on this stuff and I think it makes almost every soup better! Love it. Yes you’ll have leftover sauce in the can you’ll have to store and you might hate me a little for that but I’m willing to accept it.
- Chicken Broth for essentially macro-free bulk and overall texture perfection
Spices and what nots:
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Liquid Smoke because that little hit of smokiness is JUST a good thing.

Can you use an Instant Pot?

I thought about making this in the instant pot. But honestly I didn’t see the point for this one. You’ve got to take the couple of minutes to brown your ground turkey and get it all crumbled. I experimented with a dump and walk ground turkey/IP situation and it was NOT good. Like a giant tough hamburger in there.

Also, browning your peppers, onions, and tomato paste brings out a whole new level and depth of flavor! And once you’ve taken those few minutes, the work is pretty much done. So I don’t really see the point in switching it over to an IP when you could just dump the rest of the ingredients in, and stick the lid on and simmer. Plus when you take a picture of it in your dutch oven it’s way cuter and you feel more domestic circa 1950 which is cool.

And yes you could do the browning in the Instant Pot… BUUUT… everything browns SO much better in a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven on your stove. And no IP magic is needed to pressure cook anything after… SO don’t kill me for using a good old pot and wooden spoon for this one mmkay? I’ll make it up to you soon with some new IP shreddy meat – promise. xo

How you’ll make it:

I love meals like this. No it’s not quite as simple as a dump and walk away pot, but still so easy. Just a few layers of sauteeing… so your house smells amazing and you’re excited for dinner at three in the afternoon. And then the rest gets thrown in to simmer ’till you get to dive in!

Sautee your peppers, onions, tomato paste, and cauliflower rice
Add your garlic, meats, and spices and try not to nibble because it might still be raw but you’ll want to because THE SMELL – so good
Then dump everything else in and simmer till later– when you get to unveil a gorgeous massive pot of healthy, macro-friendly but more importantly still FAMILY-FRIENDLY chili.