Slow Cooker Turkey Chili–ground turkey is simmered with fire roasted tomatoes, green pepper, onions, garlic, beans and spices to produce a comforting bowl of chili that is topped with cheese, fritos and green onions. (P.S. you can also use ground beef in this recipe)
Get the Instant Pot version of the recipe here
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Sometimes you just need a nice bowl of chili. January is the month for that! I know a lot of you are in blankets of snow and freezing temps so if you can make it to the grocery store pick up the ingredients for this slow cooker turkey chili.
Here are a few notes about the ingredients:
Ground turkey: I used a lean(ish) ground turkey for my chili. You can also use ground beef. I just rarely have ground beef at my house so that’s why I opted for the turkey chili.
Fire roasted salsa style tomatoes: I bought a can of these at Walmart and they provided a major flavor boost to the chili. If you can’t find them you can just use a can of fire roasted tomatoes instead.
Corn: I chose to add a can of corn which gave the chili somewhat of a taco soup taste. You can leave the corn out if you prefer.
Quinoa: To add some more texture and protein to my chili I added rinsed and uncooked quinoa. I love quinoa but you can totally leave it out if you want. If you do use it make sure to rinse well before adding it in to the pot. It will taste bitter if you don’t.
Toppings: I love corn chips (Fritos) with my chili but you can also crunch up some tortilla chips (Juanitas are my favorite). I do think that some kind of crunch on top of the slow cooker turkey chili is necessary. I also believe you need a dollop of sour cream and some grated cheddar to make the chili complete.
More recipes you’ll love…
Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Turkey Lentil Chili
Instant Pot/Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili
Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker Skinny Taco Chili Soup
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
What Slow Cooker Did You Use?
For Slow Cooker Turkey Chili I used my 6 quart oval Kitchenaid slow cooker.* I love this slow cooker (you can see me talking about it in a video here). It cooks low and evenly. I love the medium heat choice because most slow cookers that I’ve seen only have the option of cooking on low or high. If you’re going to buy just one slow cooker, this is the one that I recommend.
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Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours on low
- Total Time: 24 minute
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Description
Ground turkey is simmered with fire roasted tomatoes, green pepper, onions, garlic, beans and spices to produce a comforting bowl of chili that is topped with cheese, fritos and green onions. (P.S. you can also use ground beef in this recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth or beef broth
- 1 medium green pepper, diced
- 1 (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14.5 oz) fire roasted salsa style diced tomatoes
- 1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup rinsed uncooked quinoa (optional)
- 1 (16 oz) can corn, drained
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp to 1 Tbsp of chili powder (I don’t love a lot of chili powder so I only put in 1 1/2 tsp)
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- Toppings: diced green onions, grated cheddar, sour cream and corn chips
Instructions
- Heat a large pan on the stove over medium high heat. Add in the ground turkey and break it up with a wooden spoon. Brown it for a couple minutes and then add in the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent. About 5 minutes. (If you’re using ground beef you may have to drain off grease). Add to the slow cooker.
- Add in the broth, green pepper, crushed tomatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, quinoa, corn, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and garlic powder to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Stir the chili and then season to taste. You may want to add in more chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and serve topped with desired toppings. This chili tastes better as leftovers than it does the day of! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. This chili would also freeze well. Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
Notes
I used my 6 quart oval Kitchenaid slow cooker.* Ground turkey: I used a lean(ish) ground turkey for my chili. You can also use ground beef. I just rarely have ground beef at my house so that’s why I opted for the turkey chili. Fire roasted salsa style tomatoes: I bought a can of these at Walmart and they provided a major flavor boost to the chili. If you can’t find them you can just use a can of fire roasted tomatoes instead. Corn: I chose to add a can of corn which gave the chili somewhat of a taco soup taste. You can leave the corn out if you prefer. Quinoa: To add some more texture and protein to my chili I added rinsed and uncooked quinoa. I love quinoa but you can totally leave it out if you want. If you do use it make sure to rinse well before adding it in to the pot. It will taste bitter if you don’t. Toppings: I love corn chips (Fritos) with my chili but you can also crunch up some tortilla chips (Juanitas are my favorite). I do think that some kind of crunch on top of the slow cooker turkey chili is necessary. I also believe you need a dollop of sour cream and some grated cheddar to make the chili complete. This recipe is GLUTEN-FREE! Just check your broth to be sure it does not contain gluten
- Category: Chili
- Method: Slow Cooker
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Would love the recipe for the 3 qt Instant Pot please. Looks really good. Thank you!
Here is the IP version: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-turkey-chili/
I would halve the recipe in the 3 quart pot.
How many calories is this per serving? Did u miss it?
Hi Sashlyn, I just added the nutrition info into the recipe. Enjoy!
When writing recipes out please print in right hand corner the amount of cups served. It helps with food packing and freezing. I usually decide if I am going to make something based on the amount. Being able to skip right down to the recipe and immediately see on the right hand side the amount is quick, easy to find and informative. This also tells me how many servings I should have if I portion control.
I’m appreciative of the turkey recipe. I’ve been looking for a good recipe and this looks good! Eating healthy doesn’t have to be bland!
★★★★
Good idea, thanks!