This healthy Slow Cooker Turkey Chili is made with lean ground turkey, black beans, and a delicious blend of spices for an easy, delicious dinner that is sure to satisfy the whole family!
There is something so comforting about a bowl of chili on a cold day. It is the best kind of comfort food for a cold weather day but also a favorite to make for game day too.
This chili recipe is the perfect way to fill up your belly and in a healthier way too – with lean turkey. This easy swap for traditional ground beef makes a healthier bowl of chili and the addition of black beans makes it even more nutritious and hearty.
Aside from being a delicious family favorite, this Slow Cooker Turkey Chili recipe is made with simple ingredients. It’s also made in the easiest way possible – in the slow cooker! No need to babysit a big pot of chili at all. Honestly, there is nothing better than coming home to a delicious meal that is ready to go!
Why we love this Slow Cooker Turkey Chili recipe:
- It makes a hearty, delicious comfort food the whole family will love!
- This easy turkey chili recipe is made in the slow cooker- one of my favorite ways to get dinner on the table on a busy day!
- You can easily load this ground turkey chili recipe with loads of veggies if you want to get those picky eaters to eat more veggies! See my “Optional Ingredients” section below for ideas.
- You can load up this turkey chili recipe with your favorite toppings to make it just the way you like it!
- Leftover black bean turkey chili can be just as delicious the next day making it great for meal prep.
- It’s great on its own but also makes a great topping for hot dogs (chili dogs are so good)!
Ingredients to make Turkey Chili in Slow Cooker
- Olive oil: Used to saute the onions and ground turkey.
- Onion
- Ground turkey: Lean ground turkey makes this a healthier chili recipe. Ground chicken is a good substitution as well.
- Tomatoes: A can of crushed tomatoes as well as tomato passata (a simple tomato sauce consisting of just pureed tomatoes and salt).
- Black beans: I use canned black beans as they don’t require any pre-cooking and can be dumped straight into your slow cooker. If you don’t like or don’t have black beans, you can substitute red kidney beans, pinto beans, or garbonzo beans.
- Chicken broth
- Brown sugar: I add just a little brown sugar to cut some of the acidity from the tomatoes. You can leave this out if you wish.
- Homemade spice blend: Chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, cinnamon, salt and black pepper.
**Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.**
Optional Ingredients for Chili
This recipe can easily be adapted to make it spicier or to sneak in more veggies.
Add more heat: You can make a spicy chili by adding in some cayenne pepper. You can also just serve the chili with red pepper flakes or hot sauce so that dinner guests can add more heat if they like.
Add more veggies: I love a good recipe that you can sneak some veggies into and this is one of them. Sweet potatoes, red bell peppers or green bell peppers (or any color bell pepper), and zucchini are some of my favorites to add to this chili recipe. If you want to hide them so they are undetectable to picky eaters, make sure to cut them real small or shred them. I find peeling the zucchini and then shredding it makes it undetectable.
How to make Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Saute the onions: Heat olive oil in a skillet and add the onion. Saute on medium heat until onions begin to turn translucent.
- Cook the turkey: Add the ground turkey and cook for a few minutes, being sure to break up any large pieces.
- Add everything to the slow cooker: Place the remaining ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker. Add the sauteed turkey and onions and mix it all together.
- Let the slow cooker take over: Place the slow cooker lid on and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
This recipe really is so easy and the slow cooker does most of the work! It is so nice to come back to a warm, delicious bowl of chili!
Toppings for turkey chili
I love to serve this turkey chili with a variety of toppings. Our personal favorite toppings include:
- shredded cheese (I especially love this with a sharp cheddar cheese)
- green onion
- a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt
- diced avocado
- tortilla chips
What to serve with turkey chili:
- Easy Homemade Cornbread
- Corn Muffins
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Healthy Caesar Salad with Roasted Chickpea Croutons
Storing leftovers and reheating
Leftover chili can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge after it has cooled.
To reheat it, add the chili into a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until it is warmed through. Alternatively, you can also microwave the leftover chili until it is warmed which makes it great for bringing leftovers for work lunches.
This turkey recipe is our new favorite chili recipe and I hope it becomes one you and your family love as well!
-Cathy
You may also like these other slow cooker meals:
Mac and Cheese (Slow Cooker)
Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup
Slow Cooker Roast Beef
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 can black beans or red kidney beans
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup tomato passata
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and add the onion. Saute on medium heat until onions begin to turn translucent.
- Add the ground turkey and cook for a few minutes, being sure to break up any large pieces.
- Place the remaining ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker. Add the sauteed turkey and onions and mix it all together.
- Place the slow cooker lid on and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
