Pellet Smoked Turkey Chili

Pellet Smoked Turkey Chili

It’s getting cold outside and that means it’s chili time! Turkey chili can be a rewarding meal when you are hungry and need to warm up. This recipe is easy to make except for all the veggie chopping, but that is normal. If you never had ground turkey instead of beef in your chili it’s not bad like you may be thinking. The texture can be slightly different and the flavor is not the same but let’s address that. This recipe calls for 1 can of beef broth and a beef bouillon cube. This adds the beefy flavor that you are used to and makes it quite similar in taste. But hey if you are really into poultry, then you can use chicken broth and bouillon instead. Now let’s talk smoke cause that is where the flavor is at. For this recipe we use apple wood pellets to keep things mild and not too overpowering. You can add some pecan to increase the smoke flavor if that’s what you are into. As with any chili you can go off script and add your favorite ingredients and wood pellets.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 large white onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 4 vine tomatoes (or 2 beefsteak)
  • 2 jalapeño peppers
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 1 can sweet corn
  • 1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (15 ounce) kidney beans
  • 1 can (15 ounce) black beans
  • 1 can (15 ounce) pinto beans
  • 1 can beef broth
  • 1 beef bullion cube

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Directions

First, dice the onion, poblano pepper, tomatoes and one jalapeno pepper. Slice the second jalapeno pepper and set aside. Mince or finely dice the garlic cloves.



In a large skillet, saute the onions in a small amount of butter. Add diced poblano and one diced jalapeno. When the onions begin to turn translucent, add the garlic. Add a splash of beef broth. Cook for 1 minute then add the turkey meat. Mix the turkey meat around, breaking up any clumps into smaller pieces. Add the taco seasoning and continue to cook until the meat is browned and no longer pink.


Add the canned items into a large cast iron skillet or foil casserole pan. Next add the diced tomatoes and the turkey and onion mixture. Add the seasonings then stir everything together.

Place the skillet or pan on the smoker running at 275F with apple wood pellets. Cook for about 4 hours and stir the chili every 30 minutes. Near the end of the cook, if the chili has excess liquid, use an immersion blender to thicken it up.

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Ultimate Game Day Queso Dip

Ultimate Game Day Queso Dip

“That big game lawyers won’t let you mention” is coming soon and you need a recipe for a legendary party sized crowd pleaser. Nothing gets the job done better than a killer queso dip with a few bags of tortilla chips. So you’ve been all around the internet and back, but all the thousands of queso dip recipes are clones of each other. What makes this recipe different? A few more ingredients and a little more work on your part is the difference maker. If you don’t have much time, you can do these steps a few days before the big game and put everything together then. Go ahead and dice all the veggies a day or two before the cook and store them in a zip seal bag. You can cook the meat and bean mixture a day ahead and put everything together on the big game day. This recipe works best on a pellet smoker, but if you don’t have one this recipe can cook on a grill or bake in an oven. Just follow the same steps for temperatures and time to achieve a delicious result.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground chuck
  • 1 can pinto beans
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 2 jalapeno peppers
  • 2 vine tomatoes
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 8 – 12 green onions
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 2 lb velveeta cheese
  • 1 lb monterey jack cheese
  • ½ cup half and half

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Directions

First, dice the red and green bell pepper, 1/2 white onion, 12 green onions, 2 vine tomatoes, poblano and one jalapeño pepper. Set aside half of the green onion for toppings. Slice the second jalapeño pepper for toppings. Mince or finely dice the garlic cloves.


On a medium heat, fry the ground beef for about 5 minutes. Break the large chunks down into smaller bits. Add the packet of taco seasoning and stir together. Add 1 can of drained and washed pinto beans and smash most of the bean and meat mixture into smaller bits. Remove from the heat when the meat is all brown and not pink.


Start the smoker at 300 F using a mixture of pecan and hickory pellets.


Next add the diced veggies to a 9 x 13 aluminum foil pan. Add the beef and bean mixture, then stir everything together.


Slice the velveeta and monterey jack into chunks then place the cheese on top of the veggie beef mixture.



When the smoker reaches temperature, add the cheese dip and cook for 30 minutes. Stir the melted cheese into the beef and vegetable mixture then add 1/2 cup if half and half. Continue to stir until everything is properly mixed together. Lower the heat to 250 F and cook for 2 – 3 more hours stirring every 30 minutes.


On the final half hour of the cook, add the sliced jalapeños and some of the cilantro and green onion that was set aside. Pull the cheese dip at 3 hours max then top with the remaining green onions and cilantro. Allow it to cool a few minutes then serve with tortilla chips.

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Pellet Smoked Teriyaki Salmon

Pellet Smoked Teriyaki Salmon

Here is a quick recipe for smoked salmon that you can make on your pellet smoker. This is a simple marinade method and it’s super easy compared to wet and dry brine methods. You can marinade for 4 hours or up to 12 hours depending on how much time you have. The total smoke time is about 3 hours. So give this a try and don’t skip on the jalapeños because you can always take them off after cooking and still get that sweet heat!

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Atlantic salmon fillet
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
  • 1 tablespoon old bay seasoning
  • 2 jalapeño peppers

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Directions

First slice the salmon fillet into 2 to 3 inch pieces then place them into a zip seal bag.


Add the soy sauce and teriyaki to the bag then seal it closed. Place the bag in the refrigerator overnight or at least 4 hours.


After marinating, remove the salmon slices and place them on a cooling rack. Season them with old bay seasoning.


Slice 2 jalapeno peppers into thick slices and place two or three on top of the salmon slices.


Start your pellet smoker with pecan pellets at 150 to 170 F.


Smoke the salmon until it reaches 145 F then remove and let it rest for 5 minutes. The meat will fall off the skin (usually) and is ready to eat.

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Holiday Turkey Ballz

Holiday Turkey Ballz

Holidays always need appetizers and this turkey ball recipe does not disappoint! These turkey balls have all the flavors of the holidays except for mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. You can prepare these ahead of time and cook them later because it’s that easy. For this recipe we used a pellet smoker to add a smokey flavor dimension. If you don’t have a smoker you could easily cook these indirectly on the grill or bake them in the oven.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 6 oz stove top stuffing (turkey flavor)
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 4 oz chevre (goat cheese)
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

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Directions

First, cook the stuffing according to the directions on the box and substitute water with chicken broth. Usually this will require you to boil 1 1/2 cups of broth then add the stuffing mix. Stir around the mixture then cover and remove it from the heat. Let it sit at least 5 to 10 minutes to cool down to room temperature prior to mixing it with the turkey meat.


Mix together the ground turkey and the stuffing. Add the seasonings and continue to mix everything together. You may notice that salt was not on the list of seasonings. You can add salt if you like, but keep in mind the stuffing mix and broth are already salty.


Place some meat and stuffing mixture into the palm of your hand. Flatten it down into a thin round patty until it covers the palm of your hand. Scoop about 1 / 2 teaspoon of cheese and place it in the center of the patty. Add several dried cranberries, then fold the patty closed around the cheese and cranberries. Roll the meat around in your hands forming a round ball. Place the turkey ball on a greased cooling rack.


Smoke the turkey balls with apple or pecan wood at 200 F for roughly 1 hour or until they reach 160F. Transfer them to a grill and cook them over a medium flame until they reach 165F. If you don’t have a smoker you can bake them in the oven at 350 F for around 25 to 35 minutes or until they reach 165 F.

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