turkey cauliflower taco chili
People who grew up in the midwest know the drill. It’s Tuesday night, and the smell of ground beef hits first. Then the punch of the Old El Paso packet creeps in, and now you’re sure what’s about to go down. Flaccid flour tortillas are in the microwave going even soggier on plates sealed in saran wrap. Everyone makes their own taco, including you. You top yours with iceberg lettuce and shredded cheddar jack from Costco. You think hot sauce is for dads and won’t know what guacamole is for another ten years.
This particular chili was born out of a desire to create a low-carb version of this taco.
Chili has quite a range: verde, classic red, con carne; chicken, turkey, beef; braised or ground meat, beans or none. No way is wrong. But one you don’t hear about often is what I call “orange chili,” resplendent with the flavors of cumin-heavy ground meat skillets of my youth. Nothing exists until someone invents it. And so that’s what I did.
I make this about once a month, if not more. It goes quick, makes a large amount, and involves very little up front prep. It’s the kind of thing you post up with at your coffee table and eat with tortilla chips in lieu of a spoon. You can save it for emergencies in the freezer, or eat it for lunch all week. Yes, it’s midwest AF, but the midwest is nothing if not sturdy, dependable, and consistent. Don’t we all need a little of that these days?
RECIPE
A low-carb version of the infamous Midwest Taco Night, only in soup form. Ground turkey, canned beans, lots of chiles, and taco seasoning simmer with cauliflower rice for a spicy, flavorful weeknight chili that has no business being as good as it is.
Effortful time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 6
YOU NEED
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. ground turkey (NOT breast)
1 small yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3x 5oz cans chopped green chiles with liquid
8 tbsp. taco seasoning—I use Penzey’s
2 cans beans, drained and rinsed; I like to use one pinto and one black
12 oz. fresh or frozen riced cauliflower
6 cups chicken broth
Juice of one lime
For serving: fresh chopped chives, avocado, Greek yogurt, hot sauce, tortilla chips, etc.
MAKE IT
Cook the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-low heat. Cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Brown the turkey. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the ground turkey and brown it, breaking it up into tiny pieces with a spatula or spoon as you go until the pink is gone, about 8 minutes.
Season the turkey. Pour over all of the taco seasoning, along with a splash of water to keep it from burning. Stir to fully coat the turkey-onion-garlic in the seasoning powder.
Build the chili. Add the canned chiles with their liquid, the drained+rinsed beans, and riced cauliflower. Pour in the chicken broth and give it a good stir. Bring to a boil, then drop to a low simmer. Cook 45 minutes on low, uncovered, or until the chili is thick and well-combined (you may want to add more water throughout cooking if it’s evaporating too quickly). Squeeze in the lime juice.
Serve it up. Don’t skimp on the toppings.
This reheats well, and freezes great! I always make the whole batch even if it’s just for me.