Enjoy a bowl of White Turkey Chili for a delicious blend of lean turkey, soft white beans, and mild green chilies, all simmered in a savoury, lightly spiced broth.
This hearty, nourishing recipe is easy to make and ideal for anyone looking for a lighter yet flavourful twist on classic chili.

This post was sponsored by Maple Leaf Foods in 2017.
Do you have a picky eater at your house?
Being a picky eater isn't always something you can grow out of though. Sometimes a person is particular about what they eat because they have food allergies, or a sensitive stomach (something to think about the next time you hear a kid complaining about their dinner).
Adults who are picky, or "selective" eaters, can find it difficult to enjoy certain classic recipes.
For example, while my mom and I will happily wolf down a bowl of Texas-style chili, my dad doesn't always want to eat it. He has a sensitive stomach, so spicy or tomato-based foods give him a lot of discomfort.
Luckily, there are generally alternatives that we can provide to our picky eaters. In this instance, this white turkey chili is a mild stomach-friendly chili that my dad can enjoy.
Ingredients

Note: When I created this dish for Maple Leaf foods, I used their Maple Leaf Natural Selections Slow Roasted Shredded Turkey. This product has since been discontinued, so I've adapted the recipe to use a poached turkey breast instead.
Since the turkey is already cooked, you won't have to cook this chili for very long (or worry about not cooking it long enough to be safe to eat).
- Olive oil
- Medium onion
- Jalapeño peppers (remove the seeds and membranes for less heat)
- Garlic
- Cilantro leaves
- Dried oregano
- Ground coriander
- Ground cumin
- Cayenne pepper (optional)
- Low-sodium chicken stock
- Cannelini beans (also known as white kidney beans)
- Shredded poached turkey breast (or shredded leftover turkey)
- Zucchini
- Lime
- Salt (adjust to taste)
- Black pepper (adjust to taste)
- Optional Garnishes: jalapeños, sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, fresh cilantro leaves
Unlike tomato-based chilis, white chilis are mild in flavour and are generally made with poultry, instead of red meat.
The chili maintains a white/light colour because there are no tomatoes or red chilis to colour the sauce. Instead, green chilis are added for flavour.
Traditionally, poblano peppers are added to this dish. I used mild jalapeno peppers as my grocery didn't have any poblanos in stock. It's important to remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeno peppers if you want to keep the dish mild.
If you wanted to make this dish spicy you could use serrano peppers instead.

I wanted this white turkey chili to have a lot of flavour, but not a lot of heat. To get that "chili" taste, I used ground coriander, dried oregano and ground cumin, which adds earthy, smoky flavours.
I also used a lot of onion and garlic, which builds a nice flavourful foundation for the recipe.
The beans actually serve two purposes in this dish: they add fibre and they help to thicken the sauce.
Some classic chili recipes use cornmeal to thicken the chili, but I wanted to keep this recipe simple, so I mashed some of the beans before adding them to the pot. It worked out great, so I'll definitely be using that technique again in other recipes.
How to Serve
I like to serve this chili with garlic bread, but it's also good with lentil cornbread muffins or cheddar jalapeños cornbread.
Of course, you could just eat the chili on its own (it's filling enough with the beans), but I like to have something on the side to mop up the sauces.

As with most chilis and stews, this white turkey chili tastes even better the next day.
This makes it a great option to pack for lunch, or make ahead on the weekend for a busy Monday night.
Leftovers reheat really well, but if your family is anything like mine, you might not have much leftover!
I made this chili twice this week (to make sure the recipe was perfect, and get all these photos shot), and there's almost none left in my fridge.
My dad was able to eat this chili without issue, because I kept it mild and there aren't any tomatoes in it. He didn't put the optional sliced jalapeños on his plate.
My brother surprised me by eating THREE servings of this chili on the first night that I made it! First on buttered toast, then in a bowl with tortilla chips, then straight out of the bowl as is.
He said that this chili has bit of sweetness to it that he likes, and he prefers the texture of the shredded turkey to the ground beef that I usually put into chili con carne.
I hope you'll enjoy this recipe as much as my family did!
• Recipe •

White Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped (remove the seeds and membranes for less heat)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper, optional
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 38 ounces cannelini beans, (white kidney beans)
- 200 grams poached turkey breast, shredded, or shredded leftover turkey
- 1 small zucchini , chopped into ¼ inch pieces
- 1 lime
- .5 teaspoon salt, (adjust to taste)
- .25 teaspoon black pepper, (adjust to taste)
Optional Garnishes:
- jalapeños, sliced into coins
- sour cream
- Monterey Jack cheese, or pepper jack cheese, grated
- tortilla chips
- cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
- Add oil to a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, and place over medium heat.
- When oil starts to shimmer, add onions and a pinch of salt. Stir frequently and cook until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add jalapeño and stir. Continue to cook until onions are a light golden brown colour, about 7 more minutes.
- Add garlic and cilantro leaves continuing to stir frequently. Cook for 1 minute, then add oregano, ground coriander, cumin and cayenne (if using). Cook for 1 minute more, then add chicken stock. Stir.
- Measure 1 cup of beans, and place into a medium bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork, then add to the pot and stir.
- Add remaining beans, and bring mixture to a boil. Then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
- Add Maple Leaf Natural Solutions Slow Roasted Shredded Turkey and zucchini. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the chili has thickened and the turkey is flavourful.
- Finish the chili with a squeeze of lime juice, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with lime wedges and optional garnishes listed above.
Notes
Please read the blog post to get all of my tips and recommendations for this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: this nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of this information cannot be guaranteed.
Affiliate Disclosure: Links in this recipe card are affiliate links.
Disclosure:
This post is sponsored by Maple Leaf Foods.
Please note that I only work with brands that I use at home and trust.
This recipe was first published in 2017. It has since been edited and updated with new information.
Tori says
Super tasty and looking forward to having this for lunch all week! I poached a turkey breast then shredded it, and strained off the cooking liquid to use as my broth. Definitely excellent with those tortilla chips too!
Shareba says
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
A says
So yummy but I used ground turkey instead of shredded. Flavor were wonderful
Shareba says
I'm glad it worked with the ground turkey! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Stephanie | pinotte food blog says
I love Chili!!!! I just made myself a big batch, because i’m sick and all I can eat is mush food. So, thank god for Chili because chicken noodle soup gets old really fast! Your recipe is so different from the other ones. I can’t wait to try it.
Shareba says
Thanks Stephanie! You're right - you can only eat so much chicken soup before you get really bored of it. I hope you feel better soon!
Marie-Pierre Breton says
Nice way to twist a lean meat! I love all the spices in there, kicks it up a notch! Lovely recipe!
Shareba says
Thanks Marie!
Karen Ahmed says
Shareeba! Those colours are stunning! The purple against the teal is a feast for the eyes and the recipe looks amazing too!
Shareba says
Thanks Karen! I'm really happy with how these photo turned out 🙂