Gluten Free Chili with Red Beans

This gluten free chili is packed with ground turkey, red beans, tomatoes and spices! It is all simmered together on the stovetop until tender and flavorful and cooks in under 30 minutes. We all know there’s nothing better than a big bowl of turkey chili on a cold day, but this cozy meal is a crowd pleaser even when you don’t have the entire day to let it simmer. 

If you love an easy weeknight dinner with tomatoes, you’ll also love my turkey taco skillet and my one pan ravioli casserole.

This gluten-free chili is hands down one of the easiest recipes to make, and can be made in the crock pot or in a dutch oven as well! Recently, I’ve been making this gluten free chili on the stovetop in a skillet because it is so quick and easy to throw together.

Why You’ll Love this Gluten free Recipe

• This gluten free chili recipe makes for the perfect comfort food dinner, and also makes for a great game day meal when watching football or going to a tailgate! I love bringing this to a potluck because no one ever knows it is actually gluten free and I get to safely enjoy it!
• The best part about this recipe is that it is a one pan meal…which means only one pan to make it and only one pan to clean up! My ideal situation since I hate doing dishes.
• This kidney bean chili recipe is allergy friendly. This recipe is a naturally gluten free dairy free chili!
• It’s an easy freezer friendly meal, which means it is a great option for a meal prep lunches or dinners! I love to have it ready to go when I need to just pull a dinner out of the freezer and heat it up quick.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Red onion: I love adding red onion because it a savory base flavor to the chili. You can use a yellow or white onion instead if that’s what you have. Don’t make this gluten free dairy free chili too complicated!

Ground turkey: Ground turkey provides lean protein for our chili, but you can easily swap it out for ground beef, chicken, or even plant-based ground meat substitutes.

Chili spice blend (chili powder, coriander, cumin, paprika, garlic): This blend of spices is what gives gluten free chili its signature chili flavor; if I don’t have a pre-made blend, I mix these spices individually. You can adjust the amounts to your taste.

Diced tomatoes: Diced tomatoes add a juicy base of the sauce. You can use crushed tomatoes or even fresh diced tomatoes if you thats what you have.

Kidney beans: Kidney beans add texture, fiber, and extra protein to the kidney bean chili, and you can substitute them with black beans, pinto beans, or any other type of bean you like. You can add more beans for a heartier red bean chili.

Water or broth: Water or broth helps to create the right consistency for the chili and allows the flavors to meld together; using broth (chicken or vegetable) will add a bit more depth of flavor in the gluten free chili.

Directions

Start with the diced onion: Grab your large pot (any pot will do!) or pan, and put it on the stove over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once the oil is warm (it’ll shimmer a bit), toss in your chopped red onion. Cook it until it looks soft and see-through, this should take about 5 minutes. Don’t worry if it gets a little brown, that’s okay!

Add the turkey: Now, add the ground turkey to the pot. As it cooks, use a spoon to break it up into smaller pieces. Keep cooking until the turkey is no longer pink. If there’s a lot of liquid in the pot from the turkey, carefully pour it out.

Add in the flavor! Now for the good stuff! Stir in your chili spice blend, the can of diced tomatoes (don’t drain it!), the kidney beans (make sure you rinsed them first!), and the water or broth. Give the gluten free chili a good stir to make sure everything is mixed together.

Simmer: Turn the heat down a little so the chili is gently bubbling. This is called simmering. Let it cook like this for at least 15 minutes. If you have time, you can let it simmer for up to 30 minutes for an even richer flavor. The longer the kidney bean chili simmers, the more the flavors will blend together.

Season and serve: Give your red bean chili a taste! Now’s the time to add some salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Start with a little bit and add more to your liking.

Expert Tips & Tricks

To make this gluten free chili spicier, I like to add hot sauce, red pepper flakes or some cayenne pepper to the mix!

If you don’t have ground turkey, you can substitute ground beef or chicken.

Feel free to add other vegetables to your chili, such as diced bell peppers, corn, or zucchini to your kidney bean chili.

How Do I Serve this Gluten free Chili?

I like to serve my red bean chili with mini quesadillas for dipping. They are just 2 ingredient quesadillas made from corn tortillas and cheese. This chili is also delicious when serve with a topping of cheese or dairy free cheese, jalapenos (I like the pickled kind), sour cream, red onions, green onions, or chips. You can also serve with cornbread, corn chips or over rice.

How do I store and Meal prep the gluten free chili?

To store, I let the gluten free chili cool completely before refrigerating in an airtight container for up to four days.

For longer storage, I love to portion into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2 months.

To meal prep into individual portions, divide the kidney bean chili into separate containers. These individual portions are my favorite for great grab-and-go lunches or quick dinners during the week.

How do I Reheat Leftover gluten free chili?

To reheat the red bean chili, you can use a stovetop method or the microwave. If you are short on time or in an office, I find the microwave is easiest. Its quick and makes little mess. Just pop the chili into the microwave in a microwave safe dish and heat for 2-3 minutes or until it is fully warmed through. If you are at home, I love to put the red bean chili in a pan or skillet and warm on medium heat until the chili is hot again.

Can I use another protein instead of turkey?

If you don’t love ground turkey, or just don’t have it on hand you can use any other protein. You can choose a lean option like ground chicken or shredded chicken. For a richer protein, use ground beef, shredded beef or pulled pork.

How do I make this gluten free chili vegan?

An easy way to make this red bean chili vegan is to skip the ground turkey and use black beans, more red beans or white beans instead! This makes a really delicious kidney bean chili. Doubling up on the beans is my favorite way to get some protein in but skip the meat.

Is chili gluten-free?

This kidney bean chili recipe is gluten free and most chili are naturally gluten-free. The ingredients for the base of chili, like turkey, tomatoes, beans and spices are all naturally gluten-free, but I like to make sure that the spices I use are certified gluten free. Sometimes I see a chili recipe that uses beer or Worcestershire. Those are ingredients you want to avoid or make sure you purchase a gluten free version of.

Looking for more gluten free recipes?

If you make this recipe and enjoyed it, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest. Purchase my cookbook Easy Allergy Free Cooking. Join my exclusive weeknight meal plan group for 5 weekly 30-minute dinner recipes. The weeknight meal plan also has an accompanying podcast as well! I would love for you to follow along! 

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