I thought with fall coming up right around the corner, it’d be a great time to share an easy and affordable chili recipe. This isn’t your typical chili though, this chili recipe is high in protein, low in calories, and is the perfect change of pace from the usual stuff you’re probably used to. Yes, this chili incorporates some of the usual suspects you have grown accustomed to like a tomato base, onions, peppers, and beans, but what sets this recipe apart is the addition of lean ground turkey, chipotle pepper sauce, and butternut squash.
The 93% lean ground turkey provides a substantial amount of protein, while keeping the fat and calories down, making it a good choice for those who are calorie conscious.
The chipotle pepper sauce is optional, but adds a great smokey flavor and provides a nice kick of heat if that’s your thing. FYI, a chipotle pepper is a smoked jalapeno pepper, they can usually be found “canned in adobo sauce” in the international section of the grocery store. In this recipe, I opted for the pureed version to make things easy and quicker.
Butternut squash is one of my favorite ingredients of all time! It tastes similar to a sweet potato, but has a fraction of the carbohydrates and calories. Pro tip: add it to dishes to help bulk them up while keeping them “diet friendly.” Not only that, they are especially rich in vitamin A and potassium and are just plain delicious. I used frozen bags of butternut squash for this recipe to save time prepping, but feel free to use the fresh squash if you desire.
Ingredients:
2 bell peppers (any color)
1 medium onion
32oz 93% lean ground turkey
28oz can of crushed tomatoes
7oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1.25oz packet of chili seasoning (McCormick Chili Seasoning used)
2 – 15.5oz cans of pinto beans
1 – 15.5oz can of black beans
30oz cubed butternut squash
Salt to taste
Step 1: Dice onion and bell peppers and add to the slow cooker.
Step 2: Rinse off canned beans in a colander and add to slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker and set the slow cooker to the low setting.
Step 3: Allow ingredients to cook for at least 6 hours (longer the better), stirring and breaking up ground turkey along the way. Enjoy!
Nutrition: This recipe was divided up into 11 servings. The information below reflects per serving.
315 calories
40.5g carbohydrates
7.1g fat
26g protein
7.5g fiber