Slow Cooker Turkey Chili is a leaner chili than when beef is used but is still hearty and flavorful. Put this in the crockpot, go about your day and come home to a delicious bowl of chili.
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Last week was a sad day in my house because my slow cooker died. I had a moment of panic considering I use it a lot during the week for meals like this Slow Cooker Turkey Chili, Slow Cooker Chicken Curry or Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup.
I especially like using my slow cooker when we have a busy day ahead.
I love taking the guessing game out of that daily question of “what is for dinner?” No matter what stage of life your family is in, I know there can be days when making dinner after a busy day just doesn’t sound appealing. Turkey chili is one of my favorite meals to make because it is hearty, filled with a lot of protein from the beans and turkey and is also very flavorful.
Since fall is officially here I knew I had to hurry up and buy a new one. With fall comes football, tailgating, comfy sweaters, boots, apple picking & of course chili. Today’s Slow Cooker Turkey Chili is a go-to recipe I make in the fall and winter for football games or an easy dinner during the week.
As with most chili recipes, this is very customizable. You can add whatever vegetables you like, use more or less beans or try adding in different beans like chickpeas or white beans. This is also a good freezer friendly meal to save for a busy day in the winter.
When it comes to customizing your chili the options are endless. If you like a thinner chili add more tomato sauce, or for a spicier chili use more cayenne red pepper or crushed red pepper, for a richer flavor try a teaspoon of cinnamon and cocoa powder.
You can also do a chili bar where you set out a table of garnishes so people can top their chili with a variety of things like cheese, sour cream, chips, cilantro, green onion, red onion and avocado. My kids love this because they can load their chili with their favorite toppings.
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili makes a big pot of chili so I often have leftovers for lunches during the week or I freeze a batch for later. I think chili actually tastes better a day or two later when all of the flavors have really soaked together.
This chili can be used in many ways from a tailgate meal, to a dip with cheese melted on it and chips for serving, dinner, or chili cheese dogs. Whatever you fancy this recipe is one to keep on hand when you want to put a hearty, warm dish on the table at the end of a busy day.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS TURKEY CHILI?
GROUND TURKEY: As you can tell by the name, this chili uses ground turkey. You can switch it up and use what you like from beef to ground pork to even making it a vegetarian chili.
BEANS: In this chili recipe I use black beans and kidney beans. I also like adding white beans or chickpeas to this chili.
VEGETABLES: The corn, sweet onion, jalapeño and garlic add great flavor. Feel free to bulk up this chili using other vegetables like carrots, celery, zucchini, bell peppers or poblano peppers.
SPICES: I enjoy the spices used in this recipe: chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika and oregano. You can adjust the spices to your liking and how much spice you want.
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Ingredients
For the turkey chili
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup diced sweet onion
- 1 large red pepper bell pepper, seeds removed, chopped
- 1- 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 – 15oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 – 15oz cans of diced tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 – 15 oz can of corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, chopped {optional for spice}
- 3 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne red pepper {optional for spice}
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garnishes
- Sour cream
- Cheese
- Fresh cilantro
- Diced red onion
- Avocado, chopped
- Jalapeno
- Diced tomatoes
Instructions
In a large skillet heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cooked until browned.
Add the turkey to the slow cooker followed by all of the remaining ingredients and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3 hours. Serve warm in soup bowls with your choice of toppings like sour cream, avocado, cheese and chopped red onion.
Notes
If you want to freeze this chili let it cool in the fridge before you put it in the freezer. It works great as a freezer mea.
You can substitute ground beef for the ground turkey.
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking says
September 24, 2014 at 2:42 pmI love turkey chili!!! You cannot even taste the difference!!! Mike is crazy. haha! Oh and RIP old crock pot!
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking recently posted..BBQ Chicken and Corn Fritters
Julia says
September 24, 2014 at 3:46 pmI know! I agree–turkey is just as good! 😉
Alaina {Fabtastic Eats} says
September 24, 2014 at 5:31 pmoh man! Im in dire need or a new slow cooker, but at least it’s kind of working for the time being! love turkey chili, what a great idea to do it in the slow cooker!
Alaina {Fabtastic Eats} recently posted..10 Minute-One Pot Apple Pie Oatmeal
Julia says
September 24, 2014 at 9:05 pmThanks Alaina! 🙂
Julia says
September 24, 2014 at 9:04 pmThanks Jess! Simple and easy is the best. 🙂
Christie - Food Done Light says
September 25, 2014 at 8:54 amI would be so sad if my slow cooker died. At least you got this wonderful chili before hand.
Christie – Food Done Light recently posted..Almond Oat Strawberry Banana Smoothie and a Giveaway
Beth @ The First Year says
September 25, 2014 at 8:55 amI often refer to mine as the magical crock pot, because everything that comes out of there is amaazzing! Love that I can add this recipe to the list!
Beth @ The First Year recently posted..Coffee Lover’s Donuts
Rachel from Rose Tinted Home says
December 12, 2014 at 6:00 pmI made this tonight and wow it was delicious! We came home after a very long work week to a steaming crock pot of tasty chili. No better meal for a cozy night in. Thanks for sharing!
I may post later this week on a few creative ideas to use the leftovers from this meal. I hope that is ok! Happy Holidays!
xo Rachel
Julia says
December 12, 2014 at 7:54 pmI am so glad you liked it Rachel! Thanks for letting me know!
Julia says
December 12, 2014 at 7:55 pmI am so glad you liked it!
Jill says
February 17, 2015 at 10:44 amI made this two nights ago and it was amazing. We loved it. I was super happy with how thick and flavorful it turned out. It has just the right amount of spicyness. I will definitely make this again! Thanks for the recipe!
Julia says
February 17, 2015 at 12:12 pmThanks so much for the feedback Jill! That means a lot. We love this recipe too. It is such a great one to set while you are going about your day and then come back to. 🙂
Kassie says
November 27, 2017 at 10:46 amGoing to try this tonight! I’m making it for 9 people. HOW should I tweak it to accompany more guests?
Julia says
November 27, 2017 at 12:27 pmIt could possibly feed 9 but would probably only make enough for each person have a small bowl. I would try and add additional ingredients to bulk it up–you could do a can or two more beans and/or additional turkey and another diced tomatoes. I would taste the chili once it is ready to serve and add more spices since you will be adding the additional ingredients.
Julia says
January 21, 2018 at 9:17 amFrom a reader Steve-these were his modifications:: Just making this, looks and smells gorgeous, added garlic, turmeric and Asafoetida, also browned the onions off before adding, changes the flavour of them, will also add a few squares of dark chocolate near the end of cooking. The added extra beans and corn are brilliant, this will be a firm favorite for me….
Andy Bishop says
September 24, 2018 at 8:52 pmJulia, thanks for sharing your recipe! Is it possible to substitute the turkey with chicken?
Julia says
September 25, 2018 at 6:22 amYou can absolutely do ground chicken. Is that what you are thinking? If you want to do chicken breasts I think you might be able to stick those in and let them cook in the chili and then shred the chicken but I haven’t tried that.