Family-friendly Turkey Chilli: A tasty Batch Cook for Busy Weeks
Cook once, eat twice is something of a mantra in our house. On a busy evening, having a homemade meal ready in the freezer can make it much easier to eat well without starting from scratch.
This turkey chilli is one of my go-to batch cooks. It’s built around turkey mince for protein, with onion, red pepper, courgette and tomatoes adding fibre and colour. The flavour comes from a few store-cupboard spices rather than a long list of ingredients, and the chilli flakes are optional, so it works for the whole family, with extra heat on the table for anyone who wants it.
Why turkey? Red meat can be part of a balanced diet, so this isn’t about cutting it out. But turkey makes a nice change from beef, with a lighter flavour that takes on the spices well. I use 2% fat turkey mince, which is much leaner than standard beef mince, so you get less saturated fat and fewer calories, with more protein for every calorie. Turkey is also a source of vitamin B6, which contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity, and vitamin B3 (niacin), which contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
The recipe serves four, but I’d recommend doubling it - eat half now and freeze the rest for another night. It’s a really versatile meal, too - serve it with rice or a baked potato, or turn it into quesadillas for a weekend lunch.
Ingredients
Serves 4 (easily doubled - see below)
500g turkey mince (I use 2% fat)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 courgette, chopped
1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
½–1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional, or add when serving)
1 low-salt chicken stock cube (e.g. Kallo), crumbled
1 tsp sea salt, plus extra to taste
Black pepper
Optional: a handful of dried red lentils (about 40g), rinsed. Reduce or leave out if they don’t suit you.
Method
Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 6-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the turkey mince and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Tip onto a plate, then add a splash of water to the hot frying pan and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.
Add the red pepper to the onion and cook for a further 6-8 minutes.
Add the browned turkey, along with the juices from the frying pan.
Add the paprika, oregano and chilli flakes, and stir for a minute or two.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and crumbled stock cube.
If using lentils, stir them in now with about 150ml water.
Simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the courgette and cook for a further 20 minutes. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
Stir in 1 tsp sea salt and season with black pepper. Taste and add a little more salt if needed.
To serve
Serve with rice, new potatoes, a baked potato or a baked sweet potato, and a green salad on the side. Top with any of the following:
Guacamole
A spoonful of sour cream or Greek yoghurt
A little grated cheese
Make it into quesadillas: for a weekend lunch or tea, spread some chilli over half a tortilla, sprinkle with grated cheese, fold over and cook in a dry frying pan for a few minutes on each side until golden and the cheese has melted. These are always a hit with kids.
Cook once, eat twice
Double all the ingredients to make 8 portions - one meal now and another for the freezer. Use a large pan and allow a few extra minutes for it to thicken.
Storage
Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking.
Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To freeze, divide into portions in airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat until steaming hot all the way through. Only reheat once.