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.
The Best 30-Minute Spaghetti with Quick Turkey Chili
A quick and comforting one-pan meal that combines two classic dishes: spaghetti and chili. This recipe features a simple chili made with ground turkey, pinto beans, and a savory sauce of tomato paste, chili powder, and ketchup. The slightly soupy chili is simmered until the flavors meld and is then served over a bed of freshly cooked spaghetti. The dish can be finished with traditional chili toppings like shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Sautéing, Simmering, Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- Hot sauce, to taste
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the white parts of the scallions and the garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes until soft.
- Stir in the tomato paste and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is brick red and fragrant.
- Add the ground turkey to the skillet. Stir, breaking up the meat with a spoon, and cook for about 4 minutes until it is almost cooked through.
- Add the chicken broth, pinto beans, and ketchup. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chili has slightly thickened but remains soupy.
- Stir in the green parts of the scallions and hot sauce to taste.
- While the chili simmers, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta well.
- To serve, divide the cooked spaghetti among four bowls and top with the turkey chili.
- Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
Notes
- This recipe is designed for a quick weeknight meal, with the chili cooking in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
- Separating the scallion parts allows the whites to be cooked for a savory base, while the greens are stirred in at the end for a fresh, mild onion flavor.
- The chili is intentionally left a bit ‘soupy’ so it can act as a sauce for the spaghetti.
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.
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Creative Recipe Variations
This easy, family-friendly recipe is a wonderful base for your own delicious additions.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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)
Q1: Is it strange to serve chili on top of spaghetti?
Not at all! It’s a beloved American regional tradition, most famously associated with Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati-style chili is a unique, finely-ground meat sauce that is famously served over spaghetti and topped with a mountain of shredded cheddar cheese. This recipe is a quicker, chunkier, more classic chili version of that delicious idea.
Q2: What is the best kind of ground turkey to use for chili so it isn’t dry?
For the best flavor and a moist texture, we recommend using a 93/7 ground turkey. This means it is 93% lean and 7% fat. A super-lean ground turkey breast (99% lean) can become a bit dry and crumbly in a chili. The 93/7 blend provides the perfect balance.
Q3: My chili seems a little thin. How can I make it thicker?
This chili is designed to be slightly “soupy” to act as a great sauce for the spaghetti. However, if you prefer a much thicker chili, you can let it simmer for an extra 5-10 minutes with the lid slightly ajar to allow more of the liquid to evaporate. You could also mash up some of the pinto beans against the side of the pot to release their starches, which will naturally thicken the chili.
Q4: Can I make this turkey chili in a slow cooker?
Yes, this recipe can be adapted for the slow cooker. You will get the best flavor if you first complete Step 1 and Step 2 on the stovetop (sautéing the aromatics and blooming the spices). Then, transfer that mixture to the slow cooker along with the raw ground turkey, broth, beans, and ketchup. Break up the turkey as best you can. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Stir in the scallion greens and hot sauce just before serving over freshly cooked spaghetti.
Q5: Can I use ground beef instead of ground turkey?
Absolutely. For a more traditional chili, you can substitute the 1 pound of ground turkey with 1 pound of lean ground beef (an 85/15 or 90/10 blend would be great). Simply follow the recipe exactly as written.