Turkey Chili With Cocoa: The Chili Recipe That'll Surprise Everyone

I find nothing more satisfying than a bowl of turkey chili with cocoa.

Yes you read that right: cocoa. I absolutely love the endless possibilities with chili. You can go purist and just have it plain, or go all out with mix-ins and toppings. I believe you can’t really go wrong with chili, but my absolute favorite kinds are the chilis that have layer after layer of complex flavors and textures. I want a balanced dish with savory and sweet components, and there better be more than just ground beef (sorry, but Texans be damned!).

Over the years of playing with different chili recipes, I found that cocoa powder packs a punch of flavor that makes you go, “Hm, what is that?” It brings out the umami in the meat, but adds this subtle sweetness that’s hard to put your finger on.

So if you’re ready to whoa your friends and family, try this turkey chili with cocoa the next time you make this classic comfort food!

Turkey Chili with Cocoa

Here are some tips for making my famous turkey chili with cocoa!

Choosing meat for your chili

I hate greasy chili. I find that beef chili leaches way too much fat for my liking, so I’ve played with different meat varieties over the years. Turkey meat is my favorite, but there is a huge difference between white and dark meat ground turkey.

My mom taught me that you need the dark meat to mimic the taste of beef. The dark meat has just enough fat to add depth of flavor, but not grease. White meat turkey, on the other hand, often comes out dry and makes it super obvious you’re trying to make a healthy version of this comfort food classic.

Case in point: my boyfriend thought this recipe was made with ground beef. If your food store doesn’t carry ground turkey thigh meat I highly recommend going with the leanest ground beef you can find. Substituting ground white meat turkey is going to lose too much flavor, which could make you doubt that this turkey chili with cocoa is the best chili recipe ever.

What cocoa powder in chili tastes like

Don’t be scared of the chocolate. This recipe still has all the savory makings of your typical chili thanks to the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. The chocolate is just used to intensify that savory flavor, resulting in a deep umami flavor.

The key is to use dark chocolate and leave the sweetening to the maple syrup, brown sugar, and ketchup. It’s these ingredients that give this turkey chili a subtly sweet back note, not the chocolate. And the best part? The flavor only gets better as these ingredients sit together, so this is a great make-ahead or leftover dish.

To give you more perspectives, my boyfriend and dad (the latter of who insists he hates Mexican food) loved this chili recipe. My boyfriend preferred it on its own, but I couldn’t get over how well the sweet-but-savory flavors paired with sour cream and creamy avocado. I didn’t include the optional toppings in the nutritional information below, but I encourage you to use your favorites for even more flavor bombs in your mouth.

Speaking of flavor, it’s not just flavor that makes a dish.

Texture is also a really important component. While many chili purists would balk at the addition of beans and corn, I think it makes for a much more interesting dish.

You have that familiar grainy texture ground meat provides, but the beans and corn provide a softer, slightly gummy feel as the chili rolls around your mouth. Plus, they intensify the flavors of this dish: the corn adds to the sweetness and the beans add to the savoriness. I usually use a mix of black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans to really up the interest.

I love throwing mix-ins into my chili for even more texture. I encourage you to play around with common pantry staples to find your favorite combo, but my go-tos are shredded cheddar, cilantro, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, tortilla chips, and cornbread.

Optional substitutions or additions

As I mentioned earlier, you can sub lean beef if you can’t find ground turkey thigh meat. I also mentioned you can also get creative with the exact beans and toppings you include. Here are some other ideas for substitutions and additions.

Spice

If you like a spicier chili, feel free to add peppers or hot sauce to this dish. I recommend just using hot sauce as a finisher like you would a topping, but peppers should be added right after the onions before you add the beef so they can sweat. You could even roast them first to get some smokiness!

Add anything from a mild bell pepper, poblano, jalapeño, fresno, serrano, chipotle, or habanero, depending on your lust for heat.

liquid

If you’re low on diced tomatoes or salsa like this recipe calls for, you can add some tomato sauce or chicken broth to loosen up the chili. Just be careful not to put so much in that it becomes a soup. If that happens, let it cook down to evaporate liquid.

Slow Cooker

You can totally make this dish in the slow cooker. I still recommend sweating the onion and browning the meat (up to step 5 in the recipe). Then add those to the pot on a slow cooker and add in the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours, adding the frozen corn in the last 30 minutes.

The recipe for turkey chili and cocoa

Serves 6 | Active 15 minutes | 45 minutes total

Ingredients:

1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2.5 – 3 lbs ground turkey thighs
1/4 cup chili powder
2 Tbsp. unsweetened dark cocoa powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 cup tomatillo salsa (regular is fine, or you can sub 3-4 canned tomatillos, chopped)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2, 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2, 15 oz. cans of beans, drained & rinsed (I use a blend of black beans, kidney beans, & pinto beans, low or no sodium)
1 bag frozen roasted corn, defrosted
1/4 cup cilantro, plus more for garnish if desired
Salt and pepper to taste
Avocado, sour cream, scallions, shredded cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the onions and cook until golden, about 7 minutes.
Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Push the veggies to the side to make a mini well and reveal the bottom of the pot.
Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the turkey meat to the well of veggies you created. Season generously with salt. Cook until the turkey is browned and no longer pink, breaking it up with a spoon (about 5 minutes).
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl mix the chili powder, cocoa powder, smoked paprika, and cumin. Stir the chili powder mix into the pot when the meat is ready and let everything cook for 3-5 minutes.
Stir in the salsa, ketchup, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Then add the drained beans and diced tomatoes. Salt to taste.
Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes.
When the chili is almost done, add the corn and 1/4 cup cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve with desired toppings, such as sour cream, avocado, scallions, shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, and cilantro. Enjoy!

Nutritional Facts Disclaimer: I am not a registered nutritionist and therefore these numbers are approximate. I researched the serving sizes and facts for each ingredient in this recipe (mostly using the manufacturer labels and this site), but slight variations in things like seasoning, garnishes, and substitutions can change the nutritional information. Use this information only as a general indication of your nutritional intake.