Leftover Thanksgiving Day Turkey Chili Recipe

How to Make Great Turkey Chili from Thanksgiving Leftovers

I know how it is. You buy a giant bird, roast it, feast, and then stare dismayed at all the leftovers. Then, mentally, you try and calculate how many turkey sandwiches you can eat before running for the hills.

I am here to help with an unusual but innovative way to use up your leftovers in a hearty and filling chili.

It may seem early to be talking about Turkey Day leftovers, but Thanksgiving is fast approaching and you will probably be overwhelmed putting the meal together to plan what to do with leftovers. This is an excellent recipe for cleaning out the refrigerator over the weekend.

I recommend you check out my Deer Valley Chili recipe for the best turkey chile recipe. It even has a photo of me during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Park City as a volunteer.

Chili Wars

If wars haven't been fought over chili, I bet there are friends haven't who haven't talked to each other for a few days after a great chili debate. Beans vs. no beans is a massive issue, as are tomatoes vs. no tomatoes.

People have extreme opinions on what sorts of meats and vegetables should go into chili. At the end of the day, though, chili is a way to use up leftovers. And as such, I respectfully ask everyone to calm down and relax.

For me, chili is defined as using fresh and/or dried chile peppers as a primary flavor component in the dish. I generally expect there to be some cumin as well as a bit of heat. I do not expect to see mushrooms, but I won't be offended if you choose to add them.

Chili is a one-pot meal meant to warm you up and clear out your fridge, and what better time to do that than right after a big holiday?

📖 Recipe

Print Recipe

Leftover Thanksgiving Day Turkey Chili Recipe

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ½ cup beer or dry white wine
• ¼ cup jellied cranberry Chili powder to taste - anywhere from 2 tablespoons to ⅓ cup
• Chili powder to taste - anywhere from 2 tbl to ⅓ cup
• ground cumin to taste
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• ground coriander to taste
• 3 cups chicken broth or turkey broth, if you have any
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano crush in your hand to release the oils
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning or to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound leftover shredded turkey
• 6 ounces leftover cornbread stuffing crumbled
• 2 limes juiced from
• fresh sage chiffonade, for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Over medium-low heat, sweat onion and garlic with a bit of salt and pepper in oil until softened and translucent. Turn up the heat and cook until golden.
• Deglaze with beer or wine. Cook until evaporated.
• Turn heat to medium, and add cranberry jelly. Stir well.
• Add spices and cook for another minute or two. Increase heat to medium-high, and add broth, oregano, and poultry seasoning.
• Add shredded turkey meat and crumbled stuffing. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Simmer and stir to break up the cornbread and dissolve it. (The cornbread will thicken your chili).
• Just before serving, squeeze in the lime juice and stir.
• Serve in heated bowls, and garnish with chiffonade sage.

Notes

I have given you measurements, but please don’t feel like you need to break out your scale and your measuring cups. Let your taste guide how much of each ingredient you add.

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