Slow Cooker Turkey Chili – this healthy turkey chili is loaded with beans, veggies, and lean turkey. This easy crockpot turkey chili is perfect for a chilly day!
Crockpot Turkey Chili
Josh and I have very different opinions about winter. I am not a fan of the cold and snow, but Josh loves it. Winter is his favorite season. Josh jumps for joy when there is a snow storm and I hide deeper under my covers. I spend most of the winter hibernating and Josh spends his winter outside on the slopes.
One of Josh’s favorite post-ski meals is his Slow Cooker Turkey Chili. He throws all of the ingredients into the slow cooker before he heads up the mountain and when he comes home he has a hot bowl of chili waiting for him. It is the perfect meal for a cold day! He looks forward to this chili recipe every fall and winter.
Healthy Turkey Chili
Josh’s Slow Cooker Turkey Chili is easy to make and it’s healthy too! He uses lean ground turkey, black beans, and red kidney beans. This chili is a protein powerhouse! He also throws in some veggies so you get a well-rounded meal in one bowl!
He uses a 6-quart slow cooker to do the job. The chili simmers away in the slow cooker while he spends the day on the mountain skiing. Sometimes, I am nice and will make our favorite easy cornbread while he is gone. Chili and cornbread are a match made in heaven!
Turkey Chili Hits the Spot
When Josh gets home from a long day of skiing, his chili is waiting for him. He likes to top his chili with green onions and shredded cheddar cheese. It is the perfect way to end a great day on the slopes! Feel free to add your favorite chili toppings, avocado, cilantro, jalapeño slices, radishes, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream are all good options.
This Slow Cooker Turkey Chili is also a great weeknight meal for cold nights. Prepare the chili in the morning and let the slow cooker do the work. After a busy day, it is nice to have a hot meal waiting for you!
Warm up with a big bowl of Slow Cooker Turkey Chili! It is sure to hit the spot! Don’t forget the cornbread, it is the best!
How to Make Turkey Chili
Watch the quick video below and see how to have Turkey chili in the slow cooker! You are going to love this yummy turkey chili recipe you can throw together in no time.
If you like this turkey chili recipe, you might also like:
- Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
- Slow Cooker Beef Chili
- Dad’s Spicy Chili
- Smoky Bacon Chili
- Sweet Potato Chickpea Chili
- White Chicken Chili
Soup
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 4 hours
- Total Time
- 4 hours 10 minutes
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 8
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb 99% lean ground turkey
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 1 yellow pepper chopped
- 2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 2 (15 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
- 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (16 oz) jar deli-sliced tamed jalapeno peppers, drained
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional toppings: green onions shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream/Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place turkey in the skillet, and cook until brown. Pour turkey into slow cooker.
- Add the onion, peppers, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, jalapeños, corn, chili powder, and cumin. Stir and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Serve with toppings, if desired.
- Note-we use a 6 quart slow cooker.
Keyword
turkey chili
Chili is the best! And turkey chili is my absolute favorite. I’m with you on the cold though- no thank you!
Maria, this looks so perfect for a chilly day!!!
Although I am in Florida and don’t really require “winter-y” meals, I need this in my face yesterday. I love easy, slow-cooker meals…especially when they involve the words turkey and chili! This looks perfect with a little side of cornbread. Yum!
Great minds think alike – I have turkey chili defrosting for lunches this week and I love putting corn in mine!!
As I get older, I do not like the cold one bit. Love to look at a picture of a fresh snowfall from a warm room. Love turkey chili. Thank you and have a great day.
This chili looks delicious–wonderful photos!
I’ve never heard of tamed jalapeño peppers. I must investigate and see if they are on the shelves.
Thanks!
Absolutely adore turkey chili!! Love that you can do everything in the crockpot and just set it and forget it! 🙂 gorgeous photos!
Sounds a lot like my chili except I use Rotel tomatoes for a spicy touch. Yum!
Loving all the yummy warm slow cooker recipes today — they make the house smell so good!! This looks bright and fabulous, Maria 🙂
This chili looks so warm and hearty! Perfect for the winter days! Love crock-pot meals <3
We are a big chili family too! So easy for a great and flavorful weeknight meal. Of course yours looks amazing.
It’s flipping freezing in Denver today, so I am thinking this turkey chili is the perfect way to warm up!
This looks amazing Maria and it’s just what I need when the temps are in the negative!
This would be so perfect for a day like today. And with some cornbread on the side? YES.
I don’t mind the cold so much if I’m able to hibernate in the house in my slippers. I’m more of a fall gal. This chili would sure make me happy in this cold weather we’re having. Yum!
Will be making this for girls night on Wednesday. Need a dairy / ‘cleanse’ friendly recipe — can’t wait to try! Also, I assume this would be freezer friendly for any extras?
Yes, this chili freezes beautifully! We have some in our freezer right now!
LOVE slow cooker chili!! Looks delish!!!
Even though I am not a meat eater, those green onions look like a great idea for on top of a chili or even another type of soup!
I was actually thinking that the turkey was not required. The recipe would be just as good without it.
I am not a fan of winter but I love chili. This one looks fabulous and you cannot beat a slow cooker.
The perfect family meal ~ especially living here in the mountains!
This looks like a perfect way to warm up from the inside out! With these cold temps right now, I think we could all use a bowl or two!
You can never have too many slower cooker chili recipes! This one has all of my favorite things, I can’t wait to test it out!
It is so cold outside today. A big bowl of this chili would definatly improve my day!
Mmm, can’t wait to try this!
Happy New Year Maria!
haha! My favorite season is always the season we’re NOT in. When it’s summer, I’m wishing for winter. When it’s winter, I’m wishing for summer. 🙂 But, in winter, I’m always in the mood for chili….so bring this one on! 🙂
What a tasty turkey chili!
Would this recipe work on the stovetop for an hour-2 hours instead?
Now I’m craving chili and cornbread!! 😉
I love turkey chili. haven’t made it in a slow cooker. good idea!
Hi- This sounds great. Do you drain the beans?
Yes, rinsed and drained. I will update the recipe so it is clear. Thanks!
All the ingredients fit perfectly into my 6qt slow cooker. How did you make it all fit in a 4.5 qt !?
I was wondering the same about the beans – do they need to be drained? I didn’t drain them and my chili looks watery.
We always rinse and drain our beans! Sorry if that wasn’t clear!
Made this last night with cornbread muffins — absolutely delicious! The jalapenos added the perfect kick, and it smelled so good cooking all day. Great winter meal!
The Chili looks amazing!! I don’t think we have deli sliced tamed jalapeno here in Québec…do you know what else I could use? Thanks!
Looks delicious. Quick question — I have 2 young girls so was going to skip the jalapenos (but will add them to my bowl since I love them). Will that effect the overall flavor too much if I leave the jalapenos out?
Why do you have to cook the turkey meat first? That defeats the purpose of using a slow cooker.
How many cups is a serving size? Thank you.
Tried this today it came out soo good! My husband had to heaping bowls.
Did not find the tamed jalapeños .
I made this recipe for a chili cookoff at work and won first place!! Great recipe-not as spicey as I expected with a jar of jalapeños! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Sounds so good! Think I can used canned corn instead? (its what I’ve got on hand)
Hi Maria,
I would love to make this chili this weekend. I don’t have a lot of experience cooking with a slow cooker but was wondering if this recipe could be halved? My slow cooker is 3.5 quartz.
Thanks!
Do you know the serving size-ie, 1 cup, 1.5 cups, etc?
Gonna give this chili a try. I’m not a big fan of jalapeno’s. Was wondering if diced green chili’s could be substituted.
Green chiles can be substituted! Enjoy!
This chili was great! Next time I’m going to freeze half to save for a future meal because it filled the CrockPot to the brim almost. I did skip the jalepenos because we don’t like spicy food.
One question though: It is the chili powder or the cumin that gave it a kick still?
I see this makes 8-10. There are only 2 of us. Can this be frozen?
Yes! This chili freezes great!
Do you know the serving size and calories per serving?
Excellent recipe, tasty!
looks sooo good! What’s the serving size?
This recipe is a hit! We made it for a football group & they loved it. Just made a new batch for today’s game. Go Seahawks! I found the jalapeños in the pickle section (needed a bit of help to find). The photos are great on the site – thank you! Melanee
Just put this into the crockpot! It barely all fit and I’m a little worried that it will not have enough liquid but we will see! Ill check back in in 4 hours 🙂
and the verdict is in! 5 Stars! Yum. The whole family loves it and there was plenty of liquid!!!
Not a fan of ground turkey; I use ground venison. I make chili both ways, stovetop and slow cooker, both delish!
Hi there!
I made this once and it was amazing! Thank you! I have a smaller crockpot about 4 qt. How would you adjust the recipe for this size?
Thanks!!
Thank you for your delicious recipe. The chili is in the crock pot. Can’t wait until dinner.
Enjoy!
Do you have a rough estimate how many calories per cup?
Thanks for the recipe. We made this today with fresh homemade bread. It was perfect for a ‘sick’ day at home! Sharing it on my blog.
I have a 5 qt slow cooker. How should I adjust the recipe?!
Made this a couple of weeks ago (because I’m a serious chili lover). My husband said this was the best I’ve made yet (after 8 years of making chili for him)! Making it again today…my new go-to recipe!
This is a great chili! The tamed jalapeños really make it. Fills the the pot to the top, so make sure you have a big crock pot.
Love it and it is very easy to make! Really pretty as well!,
I love this recipe and have used it 3 times in the last 6 weeks now, making slight changes each time.
For those looking for the extra protein, just double up on the ground turkey (2 pounds).
Also, I have been using fresh Serrano and Jalapeno peppers (6 and 2 respectively), in order to cut down on the added sodium of the pickled peppers and to increase the spiciness.
Thank you guys! Keep up the good work 🙂
Nathan
http://www.stlbodycoach.com
Do you happen to know the nutritional value for a serving?
Great flavor in the chili. Love being able to sneak in all these veggies. Only modification I would make is to add tomato paste to thicken the chili, it was a little too thin and soup like for my taste.
Is it a total of (15oz) or would it be (30oz) for the ingredients?
Total would be 30 oz…two cans!
This looks delicious! I want to make tomorrow but work for 8 hours….would that be too long to cook for on low?
This looks wonderful. I don’t have a slow cooker, but have been tempted to purchase. There are conflicting reports about how they cook. You obviously have great success with yours. Would you share the make and model?
I made this last night–my mom and husband and I all really loved it. I just put 1 can each of the beans–good thing I did because my crockpot was full. I didn’t have the jalapeno’s that you recommended, so I just put in a heaping tablespoon of the jarred diced jalapenos. It was delicious! This recipe is a keeper–especially now, since in our area Laura’s Lean is $9.99/lb. yikes!
I made this yesterday and all I can say is WOW!! My family loved it! Had it for supper last night and just had another bowl for lunch. I think it’s better today. Thanks for the great recipe.
Hi why does 1 lb of turkey seem so little?
Made your turkey chili yesterday and it’s delicious. I used roasted green chilies instead of the jalapeños. This is definitely the best turkey chili I’ve made. Will be trying other recipes you’ve shared. We may not have winter cold and snow in Florida but still there’s nothing like coming in and being greater by the smell of dinner cooking.
can you freeze this recipe and how long?
I’ve made this before and it’s delicious. I was wondering if it could also be made with leftover shredded Thanksgiving turkey breast instead of ground turkey?
Just made this for probably the fourth time. Great recipe, and I’m always pleasantly surprised at how much it makes.
I adore all your recipes!! Not only do they look inviting to make and enjoy. They are delicious and nutritious too.
Thanks for sharing. Love all the varieties.
Eva
This was the PERFECT meal for us on a cold wintery day! Delicious!
Way to hot for me. I had to add another can of tomatoes, serve with sour cream, garlic toast…anything I could do to cool it down
We make this every couple of months it’s that good. Absolutely love it.
HI DO you have a recipe for the cornbread you mention here? thanks
Hi! I make this chili several times a year, love it! Do you think I should double it for a dinner serving 12 people? Wondering your advice on good sides to go with it. Yum!
I love your recipe!! I make it all the time, with either beef or turkey. I cook the onion (with a little garlic) with the meat before adding it to the crockpot…delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Do you have the nutritional calories for this dish?
Thank you. I just made this and it’s delicious. And much healthier than my usual version. I’m thrilled. My husband and son loved it too. Thank you!!
How many calories per cup are there?
For some reason, none of the directions or ingredients are showing here. Did something change on the website? It was working yesterday…
I make this ALL. THE. TIME. It’s so easy and so delicious. It’s a perfect meal to have leftovers for a couple of days (and ones you look forward to!) Definitely a go-to in our household 🙂
We make this recipe all the time! Just prepped another batch to turn on tomorrow morning. Planning on using it for lunches. So easy and tasty! Instead of 2 cans of diced tomatoes and jalepenos, I started using 3 cans (because they are slightly smaller) of Rotel. I call it my 9-can chili, but I always credit you haha.
Glad you love this recipe! Thanks for letting us know!
Can you freeze this?
I been looking for this recipe for a while just didn’t know the name now I do…
Super easy, super tasty. I only added about a cup of broth only because I knew it would be in the crockpot longer than stated time.
Glad you liked the chili!
This was sooo good and really easy to make! I added half a teaspoon of cinnamon, which gave it an even heartier flavour. Will dream of eating this at work!
I made this chili last night. My crock pot was about to overflow so I left out one of the cans of beans. It still tasted wonderful and was a huge hit with the hubby!! Thanks for sharing.
I have made this more times than I can count for various get togethers and it is always a hit. Thank you!!!
Can you make this in a pressure cooker?
Add extra tbsp cumin
Add extra tbsp chilli
Add 3/4 cup of lime juice
Double turkey
Add 2x tbsp smoked paprika
Add 1 tsp cinnamon
Salt to taste
Sooooooooooo good. Freezes so well
Awesome recipe. Where can I fondness the nutritional information?
I have made this recipe several times and it is a hit! I’ve had friends and family tell me it’s the best chili they’ve ever had, and of course I feel the same! I only make a few adjustments. I don’t add jalepeño because I can’t handle spicy food. I also add garlic, garlic salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. I use all of the recommended toppings and I serve with French bread. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
I need to make this! It looks good!
Have you tried using pinto beans in place of the kidney beans? That’s all we ever put in our chili.
So easy and so delicious I love stronger flavor so made your recipe with twice the amount of chili , a whole head of garlic and the very largest Spanish onion I could find. Also used Vegeta seasoning (replacing some of the salt ). You may not want to use Vegeta as it has some MSG, but it makes everything (soups, sauces, salads, fish, meat etc-Anything one might put salt on) taste incredible.
Great recipe BUT as I have a smaller crock pot I cut down the chilli and jalapenos by half & halved the beans and sauce too. Still used 500 grams of turkey though…delicious. New quick to prep family fave!
anyone know the weight watcher point value for this?? Thank you!!
This was so delicious and flavorful. I used half the amount of jalapenos and it still had that hint of Chilli Heat. Recipe with so simple and quick to put together.
How would I convert this recipe to the Instant Pot?? I make this at least a half a dozen times every fall/winter and want to use my IP this fall since I don’t have a crockpot anymore. Thanks!
I am doubling this recipe and there’s no way I will be able to fit the total amount in my slow cooker. do you think I will get the same results by cooking this in a giant pot on the stove?
What is the calorie count per serving?
Love this recipe! Been making it for awhile now. I now have some health issues and need to count carbs. Do you happen to know the serving size and carb amount?
Tamara, you can see my comment below. I doubled the turkey and halved the beans. It ended up being 320 cal and 34 carbs, which is low-carb, according to my dietitian.
Absolutely delicious! My family loves it too!
This recipe was great and super easy! I ended up using 1 can of black beans instead of two and replaced the corn with cauliflower rice to make it even more healthy and add some more substance. I also used a bit less jalepenos.. i barely put any salt and pepper in bc I wanted to wait and see if it really need it at the end and it didn’t. Def holding on to this recipe!!!
Very easy to make. I halved the can of beans since I have a smaller slow cooker. Even my boyfriend who was doubtful that he would like this recipe, ended up loving it.
We love this chilli….easy to make and delicious
I made this today, with a couple adjustments to fit my dietitian’s guidelines for me. I doubled the turkey and used one can of dark red kidney beans and one can of pinto beans. I used “no salt added” tomato products and added one small can of tomato paste. IT WAS DELICIOUS. I have never eaten a bowl of chili so fast in my life! I am single and this certainly did fill the 6 quart slow cooker, so now I have 8 servings for later eating. Based on my ingredients, each serving is 320 cal, 34g carbs, 9g fat, 27g protein, 1000mg sodium, and 6.2g fiber. That does not include the shredded cheese and sour cream I added.
Whoops. Neglected to mention that I omitted the corn, which would bump those carbs up. Didn’t use any salt or pepper and didn’t miss either of them! 🙂
Made this yesterday during a snow storm. It was delicious and easy to make. Rave reviews from the family all around.
Glad you enjoyed the chili!
1. What are “tamed jalapeno peppers”?
2. Are the above jalapenos marinated or pickled?
3. Are fresh sliced jalapenos acceptable replacements? If so, quantity?
Thanks!
This recipe is fantastic!! And so easy! I accidentally grabbed medium jalapeños instead of mild so it had a bit of a kick lol. We will definitely be making this again!
Glad you liked the chili!
This was unbelievably good. The ultimate combination of sweet and spicy! This is on my favorites list for sure. The only thing is that I would consider making a pound and 1/2 of turkey. If you’re a beef lover, trust me, you won’t know you’re eating turkey with this recipe!