Save leftover smoked turkey to make a simple, hardy chili that comes together in no time with canned tomato paste, black beans, pinto beans, and Hatch chilies,
After Thanksgiving, most of us aren't in the mood for spending a lot of time in the kitchen. So simple and easy recipes are the name of the game. Today I am going to share with you a simple one that is mostly opening up cans and cooking some onion & garlic (you could even skip that if you aren't the mood).
Ingredients
Here is a list of things you will need to make this easy chili.
- 1 can of pinto beans
- 1 can of black beans
- 6 oz can of tomato paste
- 8 oz of leftover fully cooked smoked turkey
- 4 oz can of mild Hatch chilies
- 1 half of a large onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- Optional Seasonings I used: Noble Sweet paprika, Smoked chipotle, Black Urfa Chili
Learn more about what makes Hatch chilies special and different than Anaheim chilies.
The can of beans I used were 15.5 oz cans. Most canned beans are 15.5 oz and some may be 15 oz. I don't know why 15.5 is the most common, it just is. You can use any canned beans you want. I like to use a combo of different types for visual and flavor contrast.
As for seasoning besides the salt and pepper, I like to add in some Noble Sweet Paprika from Burlap & Barrel. It's my favorite sweet paprika. They also have Black Urfa Chili and Smoked Chipotle that I added to my batch to round out the dish. Ground cumin is another great option.
When it's time to serve I like to add some sour cream on top. Choose sour cream that is nothing but cultured cream, no other ingredients. Daisy and Darigold are good choices.
Tips
Start by cooking the diced onions first. Cook them on a low temperature to allow them to get softened without burning. Then toss in the garlic and just cook that for about a minute until fragrant.
The leftover smoked turkey should not be added until the very end. It's already cooked and just need to be warmed through. Adding it too early would just end up making it dried out.
More Leftover Turkey Recipes
Here is a list of other leftover turkey recipes that you can either use regular turkey or smoked turkey for.
- Leftover Smoked Turkey Pasta Salad
- Leftover Turkey Ramen
- Mini Shepherd's Pie
- Cranberry BBQ Turkey Sliders
- Turkey Orzo
- Leftover Turkey Fajitas
Are you finding youself with too much leftover turkey? Follow my instructions on How to Freeze Leftover Turkey.
Leftover Smoked Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 15.5 oz can of Pinto beans
- 15.5 oz can of Black beans
- 6 oz can of tomato paste
- 8 oz leftover smoked turkey shredded
- 4 oz can of mild Hatch chiles
- 1 half large diced onion yellow or sweet
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- salt to taste
- ½ tsp Sweet paprika
- cooking oil for the onions
- sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Add some oil to the bottom of a pot and then add your onions. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the onions have softened and browned.
- Add in the chopped garlic. Stir and cook for about 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add in the cans of beans (with the liquid), the tomato paste, the hatch chilies,
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook for 20 minutes for all the flavor to meld.
- Then add in the smoked turkey and cook for 5 minutes or until the turkey has been warmed through.
- Stir in the sweet paprika, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream if you want.
Leave a Reply