Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

Need a go-to turkey chili recipe in your rotation? Of course you do: it's this one. This slow cooker turkey chili is high-protein, easy, and so delicious!

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Slow cooker turkey chili

It seems like most everyone has a chili recipe of some kind floating around in the family. With all of the regional variants, chili is almost like a language, with its own accent and flair.

I prefer simplicity in chili, and I like big flavor without spending all day in the preparation process.

That, and I want something with some nutritional value. Basically, I want my comfort food to be working with my health goals, and not against them.

I took all of those things into account when making this slow cooker turkey chili recipe. It's simple, easy, and fits the bill of something big on flavor and nutrients. It'll be a big hit with everyone, if you don't spill it.

Turkey chili ingredients

All right, I hear you saying. If it's such a *simple* chili, like you claim, then how many ingredients does it have? 20? 40? 95?

This one has only eight ingredients, plus toppings. Pretty sweet, right?

I think so. Look: I applaud chilis that involve sourcing every separate molecule in the thing from a different place. But I don't have time for that.

I do have time to make this one, however, which comes together quite rapidly (as you will see below).

Chili substitution ideas

Chili is infinitely customizable, which is probably why there seem to be infinitely many variations out there.

For starters, it's not necessary to use turkey. You could use beef, venison, sausage... or no meat at all!

This recipe uses a pre-made chili seasoning packet, but toying with the spice content is one of the great pleasures of chili. This is just one of those recipes that I want to throw together quickly (for chili, that is), so the convenience of a pre-made packet is something I'm willing to opt for!

How to make slow cooker turkey chili

Here are the steps involved in making slow cooker turkey chili:

• Gather all ingredients.
• Start by chopping the vegetables. Mince the garlic and dice the pepper and onion.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the garlic, onion, and pepper to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Cook the vegetables for about 4 minutes.
• Add the ground turkey to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to break up the meat. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until there isn’t any pink.
• While the meat is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Start by opening and draining both cans of beans.
• Dump the cans of beans into the slow cooker.
• Open the can of tomatoes (don’t drain) and add it to the slow cooker.
• After the meat mixture is done, add the meat and vegetable into the slow cooker.
• Add the seasoning packet.
• Mix everything in the slow cooker well.
• Cook for about 4 hours.
• Top with cheese, yogurt, jalapenos, avocado, and whatever else you love on chili.
• Enjoy!

What is the healthiest chili?

As I say in nearly all of my recipe posts, what actually ends up being healthy for any particular person is going to vary, perhaps more widely than you might think.

So, how do you know what's healthy for you? Consulting your doctor about any benefits you might receive from changing your diet is probably a good starting point. After that, it's about paying attention to what you eat, forming healthy habits, and being kind to yourself.

Does turkey chili have a lot of sodium?

The recommended sodium intake (for folks in the US, at least) is 2,300 mg per day. One serving of this turkey chili is going to give you 555 mg. It's not ultra-low sodium, but it's perfectly possible to mix it in to a nutrition plan aiming to follow those guidelines.

How do you make turkey chili thicker?

Most times, when cooking with liquid ingredients like the ones found in chili, the key is to give it enough time to thicken over low heat. A slow cooker is the perfect way to implement this: cooking for a few hours will allow this mixture to develop a perfect consistency.

If you find that you're ending up with a chili that's way to watery, you might need to adjust the ratio of wet-to-dry ingredients in your recipe.

What are some other recipe ideas?

Need some more recipe inspiration? Wanting some more comfort food ideas? Check out some of these Jordo's World staples:

• Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup
• Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
• Biscuits and Gravy Bake

Print Recipe

5 from 12 votes

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

Need a go-to turkey chili recipe in your rotation? Of course you do: it's this one. This slow cooker turkey chili is high-protein, easy, and so delicious!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time4 hours hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chili, turkey chili

Servings: 6

Calories: 292kcal

Author: Jordan Smith

Equipment

• Slow Cooker
• Large Skillet
• Cutting Board
• Knife

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey I use 93% lean
• 1 onion diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic minced
• 1 bell pepper diced
• 1 15 oz can black beans drained & rinsed
• 1 15 oz can kidney beans drained & rinsed
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 1.25 oz packet chili seasoning original or spicy
• Toppings: greek yogurt cheese, jalapenos, avocado

Instructions

• Gather all ingredients.
  
• Start by chopping the vegetables. Mince the garlic and dice the pepper and onion.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the garlic, onion, and pepper to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Cook the vegetables for about 4 minutes.
• Add the ground turkey to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to break up the meat. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until there isn’t any pink.
  
• While the meat is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Start by opening and draining both cans of beans.
• Dump the cans of beans into the slow cooker.
• Open the can of tomatoes (don’t drain) and add it to the slow cooker.
• After the meat mixture is done, add the meat and vegetable into the slow cooker.
• Add the seasoning packet.
  
• Mix everything in the slow cooker well.
  
• Cook for about 4 hours.
  
• Top with cheese, yogurt, jalapenos, avocado, and whatever else you love on chili.
  
• Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 555mg | Potassium: 419mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 6g

Use This Recipe in a Meal Plan