A few years ago, I started working out with a great trainer named Doug Jackson. (About a month into it, I cracked my tailbone snowboarding and pretty much never went back to work out … ever. But this isn’t about that.) Doug shared a version of this recipe for Lowfat Turkey Chili that I turned into my version of Spicy Lowfat Turkey Chili recipe. It’s perfect for a Fantasy Football Game Day when you’re trying to not be huge.
Spicy Lowfat Turkey Chili Recipe
- 1 lb. Ground Turkey Breast
- 1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans (drained, rinsed)
- 2 cans Chili Kidney Beans (drained, rinsed)
- 1 Large Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
- 1 cup Water
- 1 package Frozen Corn
- 1 package Chili Seasoning
- 1 package Ranch Mix
- 1/4 tsp to 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- Handful of Jalapeno Peppers (some sliced, some minced)
- (optional) Couple Habanero Peppers (thinly siced)
- (optional) Light Sour Cream
- (optional) Shredded Mexican Cheese
Directions: In a pot, on medium heat, brown the ground turkey – then drain the juice if there is any. Add chili seasoning, mix well. Add the beans and peppers. Add the (undrained) tomatoes, but make sure you hand-crush each tomato as you add it to the pot. Add corn and water and stir. Add Ranch Mix and stir. Stir in cayenne pepper. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.
Serve over brown rice if you like, it tends to help cut the spiciness a bit. Also, a dollop of light sour cream or Mexican cheese is a nice addition. And finally, when you’ve decided taste is more important than weight-loss – use Fritos Scoops to scoop up super bites!
Spicy Lowfat Turkey Chili Recipe ingredients Notes
Football. Chili. Beer …. Life is good.
Yeah, that’s right – corn. I entered this into a chili contest at OPEN Sports a few years ago, and one of the judges immediately dismissed my entry because “there’s no corn in chili. NEXT!”
I was really sad later on when he found out he had three slashed tires.
By the way, it’s important to get ground turkey breast because just regular ground turkey isn’t too far off calories/fat-wise from regular ground beef.
Don’t worry about salt and pepper, since the chili seasoning and the Ranch mix takes care of all of that. And I understand that the Ranch dressing mix is unorthodox, but it really adds a great taste.
WARNING: Make sure you use caution when slicing the Habanero (Scotch Bonnets) peppers. If you accidentally rub your eye with one of your “pepper” hands, your day will be ruined, pretty much.
This chili REALLY freezes well, so feel free to toss a Tupperware full of it into the freezer. Makes for a GREAT rainy day lunch when you don’t feel like running out to the store.
And last, but not least, make sure you have a big glass of beer ready to put out the fire! My suggestion – a really light, watery beer, like Coors Light or Miller Lite. You want to extinguish the flames, and you don’t want to drink a heavy beer that undoes your lowfat intentions!
Without all the extras (rice, sour cream, cheese, Fritos), I imagine this recipe works out to about 200 calories per cup. The super spiciness makes you eat it MUCH slower than normal, and you fill up by drinking water/beer along with it!
