Gluten-free Chipotle Turkey Chili with Apples is smokey with a hint of cinnamon. Warming,  mouthwatering, and ready in 30 minutes!
Fall is in the air, and Chipotle Turkey Chili with Apples is simmering on repeat on my stove.
This smokey, spicy chili with a hint of sweet on account of the tart chopped apple inside and don top of each bowl is unique and delicious — plus it goes from fridge to table in 30 minutes!
Lean ground turkey is sauted with tart diced apple, spiced with smokey chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, then simmered with tomato sauce, chicken broth, and wait for it – apple cider.
SO FALL.
There’s a hint of cinnamon in this chili too, which provides a delicious, warming aroma with each spoonful.
Start the chili by cooking 1lb 99% fat-free ground turkey with 1 peeled and chopped Granny Smith Apple, and 1 large shallot (or 1 small onion.) Season with salt and pepper then cook until the turkey is no longer pink. Add fresh garlic then saute for 1 minute.
Granny Smith apples are very tart and crisp, providing great texture and flavor in this chili, but not sweetness.
Next add lots of chili-riffic spices including 2 chopped chipotle chilies in adobo sauce + 1 Tablespoon sauce, and 2 teaspoons each chili powder and cumin.
Next add in 1 cup chicken broth, 1 can tomato sauce, and 1 cup apple cider, which gives the chili amazing flavor.
‘Tis the season!
Finally add 1 bay leaf and 1 cinnamon stick which adds a very subtle cinnamon flavor to the chili. Like I said, you smell it more than you taste it, which I think is amazing.
Let the chili simmer and bubble for 10 minutes or so, then top with lots of sharp cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and freshly diced tart apple!
If you like chili, this is definitely one recipe to add to your repertoire.
I love how smokey it is from the chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, which you can get in a can in the Mexican-foods aisle in the grocery store, and the tart apple both in the chili and top was really something to write home…or, you!…about. Enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb 99% fat-free ground turkey
- 2 Granny Smith apples, 1 peeled and both chopped
- 1 large shallot or small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
- 2 gluten free chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon adobo sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup apple cider, not apple juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips
Directions
- To a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat add the turkey, peeled chopped apple, and shallots. Season with salt and pepper then cook until turkey is no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. Add garlic then cook for 1 more minute. Add chopped chipotle chilies and sauce, chili powder, and cumin then stir and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, apple cider, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick to the pot then turn heat up to high and bring chili to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium then cook for 10 more minutes. Scoop into bowls then top with shredded cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips. Chop remaining apple (do not peel) then sprinkle on top.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Funny how these things work out, I made chili this weekend (and will be posting about it) and my wife made me some French toast Sunday morning. I never contemplated putting apples in chili, good idea.
All the recipes I have tried for your blog are amazing!! And this chili looks like the perfect thing to serve when we have some good friends over in a couple weeks. Do you think I could make it ahead of time and reheat it in my slow cooker? Or after the browning meat step maybe just throw everything else in the slow cooker?
I think it might work after cooking the turkey/apple/shallots/garlic!
I didn’t try a slow cooker version yet, but I did make this for dinner last night and OMG!!! Might be my new favorite chili recipe! Sooo good!!!
You know, it does sound a bit odd. Apple, cider vinegar, chili…all in one pot. But at the same time it looks amazing. Saved it to my ziplist, going to have to give this one a try!
Its actually apple cider not cider vinegar!
Oh wow! This chili looks amazing! Can I ask what kind of turkey did you use? I struggle finding a good ground turkey that’s not slimy and grosses me out. I do most of my grocery shopping at Hy-Vee. Thanks for all the great recipes and inspiration you provide me!!! ;)
This was 99% fat free Jennie-O ground turkey. :)
Have to admit that I’m a little jealous about your trip! It’s been too long since we’ve been up there and we don’t even have an infant as an excuse! :)
This chili is my kind of comfort food!
This looks fantastic … I think I’m drooling a little. I had the same thought about hard cider; I tried a new kind this summer that I wasn’t wild about but it would probably be yummy in this and we have several bottles to use up. I also wonder how this chili would fare in the slow cooker. I look forward to giving it a try!
Aw, that tribute to your mom is so sweet. She looks so happy and is in great shape! Looks like you’ve got great genes.
you have NO IDEA how annoying uptown has become. soooo many overpriced “luxury” condos and apartments taking away from the feel of things, but then at the same time, still ultimately rich hipster-y. it’s confusing and i miss the old dirty uptown haha. (on a recipe note, this looks AMAZING! apples in chili!)
Wow! I’m so impressed by the road trip with a two month old. Congrats to you cool parents for keeping it together! Looks like you guys had a great time. This chili looks delicious! I’ll be adding it to my list of fall recipes!
You always look like you have such great weekends! I love all the photos, your family really looks so happy!!
This soup sounds so good! I love the sweet apple with the chipotle. It is one of my favorite fall pairings!
Sounded like a good short trip to Mpls…….I love that you miss it or were nostalgic in a good way! I commute downtown to my job daily and the skyline of bldgs…..never gets old to me:)
I guess IKEA didn’t happen? I suppose you and your mom will be there soon though?
Great to hear about everything in IGE’s world…..seriously. I am in heaven with the apples of the season….this recipe sounds great!
It didn’t :( Too hard transporting baby back and forth in the rain. We’ll hit it up when my Mom and I head back for our annual MOA trip for the holidays!
This looks delicious – I can’t wait to try it out.
I also wanted to say that you’re looking really good. As a new Mother too I’d love to know your tips to losing pregnancy weight.
Hi! I love your blog and mean this with the best intentions, but your carseat straps are way too loose to provide proper protection. When your infant is buckled in there should be no slack and you shouldn’t be able to pinch any slack in the straps. There are some great videos online about checking proper strap tightness on infant seats. In a crash the extra few inches of slack I can see in the picture could cause him to move forward too much and injur himself.
I made many mistakes in putting my son as a carseat as an infant and learned a lot of different things and techniques trying to correct my knowledge. So again, don’t feel bad or think that I don’t love your blog! Just wanted to point out something I noticed. Your son is absolutely beautiful!
Kristin, you forgot your disclaimer – “straps loosened for comfort when car not in motion”. LOL. Please PLEASE don’t stop posting pictures :)
I though the same thing too, but in one of the pictures it clearly looks like the car is in motion. If the straps are loosened for comfort while the car is not moving my apologies! And my comment wasn’t meant to Kristin uncomfortable or stop posting pics, so please don’t! I put my son in his seat incorrectly for months and just wish someone had pointed it out sooner, so just thought I’d throw that in there. I get there’s tons of judgement on moms on all sides, but I’m just hoping car seat safety is one thing we can have polite discourse on without making it seem like moms are trying to Shame each other rather than help! :D