A hearty bowl of wild turkey chili, slow-simmered for hours and ready to top with your favorite fixings. (Author photos)
March 30, 2026
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
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Wild turkey legs and thighs are notoriously tough and difficult to cook, and even after several hours of cooking, the meat can still be stringy. This meat can be chopped up to make decent taco or burrito filling, but the best way I’ve found to use these flavorful cuts is to grind the meat.
Wild turkey makes fantastic ground meat, and you’d be surprised by how much you can get from the legs and thighs alone. Ground wild turkey is just as versatile as storebought ground meat and interchangeable in virtually any recipe that calls for the ingredient. As far as chili, ground wild turkey is a high-protein, low-fat option.
There is no reason to throw these parts away. While preparing for spring turkey season this year, make sure that your grinder is also in working order. I own a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer, and the metal food grinder attachment is an invaluable tool. It’s perfect for small jobs like this one.
This is a low and slow kind of chili recipe, requiring about 5 hours for flavors to marry and for the turkey meat to become melt-in-your-mouth.
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Servings: 6-8Prep time: 2 hoursCook time: 5 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients Wild turkey leg and thigh meat, trimmed and cubed, is spread out before a quick freeze to prep for grinding. 2 pounds wild turkey thigh or leg meat, boneless 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 small onion, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tbsp. chili powder ½ tsp. dried oregano ½ tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. paprika ½ tsp. onion powder ¼ tsp. garlic powder 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) roasted diced tomato 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed 15-ounce can Mrs. Grimes Original Chili Beans in Chili Sauce 1 tbsp. brown sugar 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock Tabasco Jalapeno Green Pepper Sauce, to taste Chili toppings: shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped onion, avocado, etc. Directions Ground wild turkey and spices come together as the chili base builds rich, layered flavor. To grind wild turkey legs and/or thighs, remove the meat from the bones. Make sure to remove all “pin bones,” which are actually hard, calcified tendons. Then cut meat into pieces that could easily fit through the feeder of your meat grinder. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and then scatter the turkey pieces — not touching — in one layer. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer to partially freeze for about 1-2 hours, which will help your meat grinder work more efficiently. When meat is firm, but not completely frozen, assemble meat grinder with the coarse grind plate. Steadily feed the turkey pieces through the grinder. Keep ground meat covered and cold until you’re ready to cook it. In a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey with a generous pinch of salt to brown. Then add chopped onion, stirring frequently to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Next, stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and minced garlic. Stir for 1 minute. Add canned diced tomato, drained and rinsed black beans, the whole can of Mrs. Grimes chili beans, chicken stock and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and then cook, covered, on low for 5 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching. If you can’t babysit a chili pot all day, transfer this mixture to a slow cooker and cook on low for 5-8 hours. After 5 hours, the chili should be thick and creamier than how it started. Add a splash of water or stock whenever needed. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco green pepper sauce. Serve chili with your favorite toppings and cornbread.
