The Best 30-Minute Spaghetti with Quick Turkey Chili

What happens when you combine the hearty, savory comfort of a rich chili with the classic, family-pleasing appeal of a great big bowl of spaghetti? You get the ultimate weeknight dinner mash-up! This incredible recipe for Spaghetti with Quick Turkey Chili is a fast, easy, and unbelievably satisfying meal that is destined to become a new family favorite.

This isn’t a chili that needs to simmer all day to be delicious. We’ll show you how to build deep, rich, savory flavor in a single skillet in under 30 minutes using a few smart techniques and lean ground turkey. Served over a comforting bed of spaghetti and piled high with your favorite toppings, this is the kind of fun, fast, and flavorful meal that makes any busy weeknight feel special.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Weeknight Mash-Up

What makes this Spaghetti with Quick Turkey Chili a weeknight champion is its incredible speed and its use of simple, accessible pantry staples. The entire chili comes together in one pan while the pasta boils, making for a streamlined cooking process and minimal cleanup. It’s a healthier, lighter take on a classic comfort food pairing that doesn’t skimp on flavor, making it a meal you can feel good about serving your family.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	30 minutes
Active Prep Time	15 minutes
Difficulty Level	Easy
Servings	4

The Essential Ingredients for This Quick Chili

This recipe uses a handful of simple, easy-to-find ingredients to create a chili that tastes like it has been simmering for hours.

• Ground Turkey: A fantastic lean and healthy alternative to ground beef. For the best flavor and texture, we recommend using a 93/7 ground turkey. It has just enough fat to stay moist and tender in the chili but is still a wonderfully light choice.
• The Quick Chili Flavor Base (Tomato Paste & Chili Powder): This is our shortcut to a deep, rich chili flavor. The secret is to “bloom” these ingredients. By cooking the tomato paste until it darkens to a brick-red color and toasting the chili powder in the hot oil, we caramelize the sugars and awaken the spices, creating an incredible depth of flavor in minutes.
• Pinto Beans & Ketchup: These are the classic chili mix-ins that make this dish so comforting. Canned pinto beans add a wonderful creamy texture and a healthy boost of fiber and protein. A few tablespoons of ketchup might seem surprising, but it provides the perfect touch of tangy sweetness to balance the savory and spicy notes.
• Spaghetti: Serving chili over spaghetti is a beloved American tradition, most famously seen in Cincinnati-style chili. The long strands of pasta are the perfect, satisfying vehicle for scooping up every last bit of the delicious turkey chili.
• Scallions: We use the entire scallion for maximum flavor. The white parts are sautéed at the beginning to build a sweet, aromatic base, while the fresh, green parts are stirred in at the very end for a mild, crisp oniony bite.

Step-by-Step to the Best Quick Turkey Chili

Follow these simple, detailed steps to create this delicious one-pan chili while your pasta cooks.

Step 1: Start the Pasta and Sauté the Aromatics

First, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil for your spaghetti.

Meanwhile, heat the 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced white parts of the scallions and the finely chopped garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the aromatics have softened and are fragrant.

Step 2: Build the Deep Chili Flavor Base

Add the 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and the 2 tablespoons of chili powder to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Pro Tip: This is the most important step for a flavorful chili! As you cook the tomato paste, it will darken from a bright red to a deeper, brick-red color. This means its natural sugars are caramelizing, which removes any raw or metallic taste and creates a much richer flavor. Toasting the chili powder at the same time awakens its aromatic oils.

Step 3: Simmer the Quick Turkey Chili

Add the 1 pound of ground turkey to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to stir and break up the meat into smaller crumbles. Cook until the turkey is mostly cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Pour in the 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth, the drained and rinsed pinto beans, and the 3 tablespoons of ketchup. Stir everything together, scraping up any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.

Bring the chili to a simmer and let it cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes. During this time, the chili will reduce and thicken slightly, but it should still be saucy enough to coat the spaghetti beautifully.

Once the chili has thickened, turn off the heat. Stir in the sliced green parts of the scallions and hot sauce, to taste.

Step 4: Cook the Spaghetti and Serve

While the chili is simmering, add the spaghetti to your boiling water. Cook according to the package directions until it is al dente. Drain the pasta well.

To serve, divide the hot, cooked spaghetti among four bowls. Ladle a generous amount of the quick turkey chili over the top. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Print

Serving Your Spaghetti and Chili

The best part of any chili night is the toppings! This dish is perfect for setting up a fun, interactive “toppings bar” for the family. Ladle the spaghetti and chili into bowls and let everyone customize their own meal with:

• Shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
• A cool dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• Extra sliced scallion greens or chopped cilantro
• More hot sauce for those who like it spicy
• Crushed saltine crackers or corn chips for crunch

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Chili is a fantastic meal to make ahead, as the flavors get even better on the second day!

• Make-Ahead: You can make the entire batch of turkey chili up to 3 days in advance. Let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Storage: For the best results, store the leftover chili and spaghetti in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Reheating: Reheat the chili gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it is warmed through. You can reheat the spaghetti by briefly dipping it in simmering water or in the microwave.

For more recipe follow my Pinterest account

Creative Recipe Variations

This easy, family-friendly recipe is a wonderful base for your own delicious additions.

1. Use a Different Bean: If you’re not a fan of pinto beans, this chili is equally delicious with canned black beans or dark or light red kidney beans.
2. Add More Vegetables: For an extra dose of nutrition and sweetness, you can sauté 1 finely chopped carrot or 1 chopped red bell pepper along with the scallion whites at the very beginning of the recipe.
3. Make it Spicier: If you love a chili with a kick, it’s easy to dial up the heat. Add one finely chopped and seeded jalapeño along with the garlic. You can also use a hot chili powder blend or add a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Enjoy Your New Weeknight Favorite!

You’ve just created the perfect weeknight comfort food mash-up. This Spaghetti with Quick Turkey Chili is fast, flavorful, family-friendly, and a wonderfully satisfying meal for any night of the week. It’s a delicious and fun way to enjoy two all-time classic dishes in one amazing bowl.

We hope this becomes a new staple in your quick-and-easy dinner rotation!

If you loved this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who is always looking for a great 30-minute meal!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)