Speedy Sausage Chili

Twenty minutes from start to bowl. Spicy turkey sausage gets broiled until browned, then sliced and simmered with canned beans, tomato soup, chili powder, oregano, and Worcestershire sauce. It’s not a slow-simmered, all-day chili, and it doesn’t pretend to be. It’s a fast, flavorful weeknight dinner.

Broiling the sausages first renders excess fat and gives them a charred, smoky flavor that a simple simmer can’t achieve. Draining the fat after broiling keeps the finished chili lighter.

Tomato soup as the base gives the chili body and sweetness without needing to open multiple cans of tomato products. Combined with the spice from the sausage and the chili powder, it creates a surprisingly full-flavored sauce in just 5 minutes of simmering.

Kitchen Tips

• Use spicy turkey sausage, not mild. The sausage carries most of the heat in this recipe, and mild versions leave the chili flat.
• Slice the broiled sausages into coins or half-moons before adding to the pot. Bite-sized pieces distribute better.
• Add more chili powder if you like it hotter. Two teaspoons is mild to moderate heat.
• Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, or diced onion for a more complete bowl.

Variations

• Pork sausage version: Use hot Italian pork sausage for a richer, fattier chili with more traditional flavor.
• Loaded chili: Add canned corn and diced green chiles to the pot for a Southwestern twist.