This Ground Turkey Crockpot Chili is the best ever! It’s vegetarian and so easy to make. Simply brown the ground turkey in a skillet, mix with the other ingredients in the slow cooker and turn it on! Then just sit back and relax and let the crockpot do all the work.
Why we love this crockpot turkey chili recipe
My motto is that you really can’t have enough of chili recipes! I’ve shared a variety of healthy chili recipes over the years, from Meal-Prep Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili, Maple Turkey Chili, and Crockpot Veggie Chili to my first Pinto Bean Turkey Chili – to name a few!
Needless to say I covered a lot of ground. So I was pretty surprised to discover that I had never shared a crockpot turkey chili recipe before!
Recipe Highlights
- Requires less than 30 minutes of hands-on time!
- Packed with fresh veggies that break down as chili cooks for low cal bulk – you’ll never know it’s in there!
- Bold blend of spices – this isn’t your everyday slow cooker chili!
- Customize it with your favorite chili toppings.
- Just 368 calories, 10 grams of fiber and 24 grams of protein per tasty serving.
- Hands-off slow cooker meal – let the crockpot do all the work!
Main ingredients for this recipe
- Oil: avocado or olive oil
- Ground Turkey: One pound or 20.8 ounce packet
- Spices: Ground Chili Powder, Ground Cumin, Salt, Cinnamon, Minced Garlic
- Vegetables: Peppers (any color), zucchini, onion, tomato passata (preferably roasted over the fire), Diced tomatoes (preferably fire roasted), kidney beans, tomato paste.
- Sweetener: Sugar or maple syrup, optional
- Optional toppings: Greek yogurt, scallions, cheddar cheese, cilantro, and avocado Pumpkin seed.
- water
Step-by-step slow cooker turkey chili instructions
Step 1: Brown Turkey
Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, then add the turkey. Crumble the meat with a wooden spoon until it breaks up into smaller pieces and is no longer pink. This should take 6 to 8 minutes.
Step 2: Season
Sprinkle the meat with the chili powder, cumin, salt, cinnamon, and chipotle chilli powder. Stir the spices well over heat until fragrant. This takes about 30 to 90 seconds. Pour in 1/2 cup of water and stir to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and scrape the mixture into the insert of a large (6 quart) slow cooker.
Step 3: Add Vegetables
Add the peppers, zucchini, onion, tomato passata, diced tomatoes, beans, tomato paste and garlic to the turkey mixture. Mix well.
Step 4: Cooking
Cover the slow cooker and set it on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Step 5: Serve and garnish
Taste the chili and add sugar or syrup to taste. Serve in a bowl and garnish with optional accompaniments.
FAQs and expert tips
Yes you can. First, use the roast function to sear the turkey. Then just stir in the rest of the ingredients! Cook under high pressure for 25 minutes and you’re done!
Yes, just make sure you let it cool before storing. Serve the chili within 4 days.
Combine the browned ground turkey and other ingredients in the slow cooker insert, cover and refrigerate overnight. Then, in the morning, place the insert in the oven and cook as directed for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).
Heat the chili on your stove. You may need to thin it with some chicken broth to reheat.
Yes, it can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let it do most of the work in the fridge when thawing, then reheat it on the stovetop with some chicken broth.
You can add any veggies you like! However, I like this vegetable combo because it’s soft enough to almost completely fall apart in the slow cooker. It creates fantastic texture, extra nutrients, and low-calorie bulk without feeling like you’re eating veggies.
Substitutions and variations to try
- Try black beans instead of kidney beans!
- Add some freshly chopped jalapeno with the other veggies for a little flavor boost.
- At the end, stir in 1 cup thawed frozen corn kernels for added texture (and delicious corn!).
serving suggestions
Chili toppings
- Greek yogurt for a creamy and cool balance to your chilli
- shallots or spring onions
- Cheese: Cheddar, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican cheese like crumbled Cotija
- coriander
- Avocado or guacamole for healthy fats
- pumpkin seed
- Pickled jalapenos
- Shredded tortilla chips or homemade baked corn tortilla strips
Additional ground turkey recipes to try
Thank you for reading! If you’re new here, you might want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes straight to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and Leave a star rating and review. I’d love to hear what you think!
Have fun cooking! ~Kati
description
This crockpot turkey chili recipe is the best ever! It’s vegetarian and so easy to make. Simply brown the ground turkey in a skillet, mix with the other ingredients in the slow cooker and turn it on! Then just sit back and relax and let the crockpot do all the work.
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 Pound ground turkey (20.8-ounce packet works too)
- 3 tablespoons ground chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons Salt
- ½ teaspoon Cinammon
- ½ cup water
- 2 Paprika, diced (any color)
- 1 medium zucchini, shredded
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 28 ounce can of mashed tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
- 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic, approx 2 cloves
- 2 teaspoons Sugar or maple syrup, optional
- Optional Sides: Greek Yogurt, Spring Onions, Cheddar Cheese, Cilantro, Avocado, Pumpkin Seeds
- Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey and crumble with a wooden spoon until it breaks into small pieces and is no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt, cinnamon, and chipotle chili powder. Stir well over heat until fragrant, 30 seconds to 90 seconds. Pour in ½ cup of water and stir to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and place the turkey mixture in the insert of a large (6 quart) slow cooker.
- Add the peppers, zucchini, onion, tomato passata, diced tomatoes, beans, tomato paste and garlic to the turkey mixture and stir well.
- Cover and let rest 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
- Taste and add sugar (or syrup) to taste. Serve with an optional side dish.
Remarks
To prepare: Combine the browned ground turkey and other ingredients in the slow cooker insert, cover and refrigerate overnight. Then in the morning, place the insert in the oven and cook as directed for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Active time: 25 minutes
- Cooking time: 4 hours, 15 minutes
nutrition
- Serving size: 2 cups
- Calories: 368
- Sugar: 12 g
- Fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 24 g
Keywords: Slow Cooker Turkey Chili, Crockpot Turkey Chili, Crockpot Turkey Chili, Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
About the author
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she started working in the test kitchen for EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications. Her cookbook Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. In 2009 she started Healthy Seasonal Recipes. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow lab dogs. In her free time, she can be found at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.