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Bowl of spicy turkey chili with fire roasted tomatoes, beans, farro, and fresh toppings

Spicy Ancho Turkey Chili with Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Spicy Ancho Turkey Chili is a hearty chili with a chewy farro texture, smoky chile flavor, and satisfying layers of turkey, beans, and tomatoes. It is an easy, comforting meal perfect for weeknight dinners.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 294

Ingredients
  

Grain
  • 1 cup farro (another grain like brown rice or quinoa would work)
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 3 cups water, divided
Chili
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 red onion, minced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2-3 jalapeños, minced (remove ribs and seeds if you don’t want it to be spicy)
  • 1 lb. ground turkey (454 g)
  • one 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (397 g)
  • 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup salsa
  • two 14-ounce cans crushed fire roasted tomatoes (794 g total)
  • 2–3 jalapenos, minced (remove ribs and seeds if you don’t want it to be spicy)
Toppings
  • toppings (sour cream, cheese, green onions, tortilla chips)

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Combine the chicken broth and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the farro, cover, and reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed.
  2. While the farro cooks, prepare the onion, garlic, and jalapeños for the chili base.
Cooking
  1. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeños and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring often to keep the garlic from burning.
  2. Add the turkey and cook until browned and broken into small crumbles.
  3. Stir in the black beans, ancho chili powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, and salsa. Simmer for a few minutes.
  4. Add the crushed fire roasted tomatoes and gradually add as much of the remaining 2 cups water as needed to reach the desired consistency. Simmer for a few minutes while the farro finishes cooking separately.
Assembly
  1. Add the cooked farro to the chili and stir until combined.
Serving
  1. Top the chili with sour cream, cheese, green onions, and tortilla chips before serving.

Notes

Adjust the amount of jalapeño ribs and seeds to control the spice level while keeping the fresh pepper flavor.