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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.

If you have leftover Herb Butter Roasted Turkey from the holidays you can shred that and use that in this turkey chili. 

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

Yield: 8-10

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes

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.

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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.