This healthy, easy slow cooker turkey lentil chili is the perfect meal for any night of the week. It fills you up without filling you out while still having tons of flavor.
Even though this is a simple and healthy recipe it’s one of my favorites lately. It’s perfect for a cold day and is quite hearty. It has tons of protein (33 grams) with the turkey and the lentils plus almost half of your dietary recommendation of fiber! I love the leftovers for lunch the next day as well. If you’re looking for a tasty and healthy slow cooker recipe try this one out…I know you’ll love it!
In a skillet over medium heat brown the ground turkey. Add in the diced onions, garlic, tomato paste and salt and cook until meat is browned and onions are soft and translucent.
Add turkey mixture to the slow cooker.
Add lentils, water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, green chiles, chili powder, cumin and pepper to the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for 4-6 hours, or until lentils are tender.
Scoop into servings bowls and top with cilantro and sour cream, if desired.
I’ve actually done that before. It worked pretty well. I prefer the texture of the turkey when I brown it beforehand but my husband didn’t seem to care either way.
It’s not crushed tomatoes, it’s tomato sauce…it comes in little 8 oz cans and it’s similar to pasta sauce but more plain. You can find it by the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste 🙂
I’m not fond of most meats and am wondering if I could put in basmati rice instead, which, with the lentils, makes a complete protein. Thanks
Yes you could. But you’ll probably want to increase the amount of liquid. So if you add in a cup of rice add in 1.5 cups extra broth/water
Do you have suggestions for any vegetables to add?deb
grated carrots, chopped celery would be good additions
Do you use french green lentils also called LePuy which hold their shape better than regular brown or green lentils?
I haven’t tried them but I bet they would work great!
Do the lentils have to be cooked beforehand?
No they should be uncooked.
Can I use ground beef instead of ground turkey? Could I substitute a can of ROTEL for the diced tomatoes and green chilis??
Thanks
Yes and yes!
I love this recipe too! I’m wondering if your serving size of 339g is roughly 1 cup or 1/2 cup?
Thank you!!
1 cup 🙂
I’m new to cooking with lentils….can I use brown lentils instead of green?
yes they’ll be great
Would red lentils work?
Yes but they cook a lot quicker so watch that.
How many servings does this recipe make?
I would say this feeds about 6 adults.
Can you use canned Lentils?
I’ve never seen canned lentils before. Are they cooked?
Can you cook the turkey in the crockpot as well? I’m thinking perhaps just add an hour or so to the cooking time and a little more liquid?
I’ve actually done that before. It worked pretty well. I prefer the texture of the turkey when I brown it beforehand but my husband didn’t seem to care either way.
Would it work in a pressure cooker or an instant pot
I’m sure you could do this! I don’t have an instant pot so I’ve never tried and can’t give you directions but try it and let me know.
Can you elaborate on Tomato Sauce? Do you mean crushed tomatoes or pasta sauce?
It’s not crushed tomatoes, it’s tomato sauce…it comes in little 8 oz cans and it’s similar to pasta sauce but more plain. You can find it by the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste 🙂
I just wanted to say that this is DELICIOUS! I've made it twice for my husband and I– the prep is just so easy! Thanks for sharing!
Brittany I love this one too! It is seriously so underrated. I made it so many times last winter.