Crockpot Ground Turkey Chili
This Ground Turkey Crockpot Chili is the best ever! It is veggie-loaded and so simple to prepare. Just brown the ground turkey in a skillet, mix it into the slow cooker with the other ingredients and turn it on! Then just sit back and relax and let the crockpot do all the work.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe For Crock Pot Turkey Chili
My motto is that you really cannot have enough hearty chili recipes! I have 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, all the way to my first Turkey Chili made with Pinto Beans – just to name a few!
Needless to say, I have covered a lot of ground. So I was kind of surprised to realize I had never shared a healthy slow cooker turkey chili recipe! Chili is a comfort food staple for a cozy night in our house.
Best Turkey Chili Recipe Highlights
- This easy turkey chili recipe takes less than 30 mins of hands-on time!
- Loaded with fresh veggies that break down as chili cooks for low-calorie bulk – you’ll never know they’re in there!
- Bold spice blend- this is not your everyday slow cooker chili!
- Customize with your favorite chili toppings.
- Only 368 calories, 10 grams of fiber, and 24 grams of protein per delicious serving.
- Hands-off slow cooker meal – let the crockpot do all the work!
Simple Ingredients Needed for Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Oil: Avocado or olive oil
- Ground Turkey: One pound, or a 20.8-ounce package lean ground turkey
- Seasonings: Ground chili powder, ground cumin, salt, cinnamon, minced garlic
- Vegetables: Bell peppers (any color), zucchini, onion, crushed tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted), diced tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted tomatoes), red kidney beans, tomato paste. Feel free to get experimental with this combination of veggies. Just choose some that are soft enough to break down almost completely in the slow cooker. Like our Turkey Sloppy Joes, the veggies in this turkey chili recipe are for added nutrition, and low-calorie bulk.
- Sweetener: Sugar or maple syrup, optional
- Optional Garnishes: Greek yogurt, scallions, cheddar cheese, cilantro, avocado, and pumpkin seeds.
- Water
Step By Step Instructions For Healthy Turkey Chili Recipe
Step 1: Brown Ground Turkey
Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and then add your turkey. Crumble the meat with a wooden spoon until it’s broken into smaller pieces and is no longer pink. This should take 6 to 8 minutes.
Step 2: Season
Sprinkle the meat with chili powder, cumin, salt and cinnamon. Stir the seasonings well over heat until it’s fragrant. This will take about 30 to 90 seconds. Pour in half a cup of water and stir to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Remove the skillet 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, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, and garlic to the turkey mixture and give it a good stir.
Step 4: Cook
Cover the slow cooker and set it on low for 8 hours, or 4 hours on high.
Step 5: Serve and Garnish
Taste the chili and add sugar or syrup if desired. Serve in a bowl, topped with optional garnishes.
FAQs and Expert Tips
FAQs
Yes, you can. To start, brown the turkey with the sautee function. Then, simply stir in the remaining ingredients! Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes and you’re done!
Make Ahead, Storage, Freezing Instructions and Reheating
- Make Ahead: Combine the browned ground turkey and the other ingredients in the slow cooker insert, cover, and then you can refrigerate it overnight. Then in the morning set the insert into the cooker and cook as directed on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).
- Leftovers: You can store leftovers in the refrigerator. Just make sure you allow it to cool before storing it. Serve the chili within 4 days.
- Reheating: Rewarm the chili on your stovetop. You may need to thin it with a little bit of chicken broth to reheat.
- Freezing Instructions: Yes, it’ll keep in airtight container for up to 6 months in the freezer. When thawing, allow it to do most of the work in the refrigerator and then rewarm it on the stovetop with a bit of chicken broth.
Substitutions and Variations to Try
- Instead of kidney beans, try using black beans or white beans!
- Add in some freshly chopped jalapeno with the other veggies for a little flavor kick.
- Stir in 1 cup of thawed frozen corn kernels at the end for added texture (and delicious corn!).
- If you don’t want to use zucchini and bell pepper, you can add whatever vegetables you like!
- Add some roasted sweet potato.
Serving Suggestions
Chili Toppings
- Greek yogurt or sour cream for a creamy and cool balance to your homemade chili
- Scallions or green onions
- Cheese: cheddar cheese, Colby Jack, Pepper jack, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican cheese like crumbled Cotija
- Cilantro
- Avocado or guacamole for healthy fats
- Pumpkin seeds
- Pickled jalapenos
- Crushed tortilla chips or homemade baked corn tortilla strips
Additional Ground Turkey Recipes To Try
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Crockpot Ground Turkey Chili Recipe
- Total Time: 4 hours, 30 mins
- Yield: 11 cups 1x
Description
This Crockpot Turkey Chili recipe is the best ever! It is veggie-loaded and so simple to prepare. Just brown the ground turkey in a skillet, mix it into the slow cooker with the other ingredients and turn it on! Then just sit back and relax and let the crockpot do all the work.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey (20.8-ounce package works too)
- 3 tablespoons ground chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 bell peppers, diced (any color)
- 1 medium zucchini, shredded
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 28 ounce can crushed 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 minced garlic, about 2 cloves
- 2 teaspoons sugar or maple syrup, optional
- Optional Garnishes: Greek yogurt, scallions, cheddar cheese, cilantro, avocado, pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey, and crumble with a wooden spoon until broken into small pieces and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt and cinnamon. Stir well over the heat until fragrant, 30 seconds to 90 seconds. Pour in ½ cup water and stir to scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet. Remove from the heat and scrape the turkey mixture into the insert of a large (6 quart) slow cooker.
- Add peppers, zucchini, onion, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beans, tomato paste and garlic into the turkey mixture and stir well.
- Cover and set on low for 8 hours, or 4 hours on high.
- Taste and add sugar (or syrup) if desired. Serve topped with optional garnishes.
Notes
To prepare ahead: Combine the browned ground turkey and the other ingredients in the slow cooker insert, cover, and then you can refrigerate it overnight. Then in the morning set the insert into the cooker and cook as directed on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Active Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours, 15 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 368
- Sugar: 12 g
- Fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 24 g
Question; do you squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini before adding it?
No need. It contributes moisture to make the “sauce” for the chili.
Can you add sodium content to your nutritional values?
Thanks!
Unfortunately, the software I use doesn’t provide reliable sodium count, so I do not include it.
Just made this last night. Easy, simple, fresh ingredients- SO good!
I am so happy that you tried it and liked it! I appreciate that you came back to review too!
Love this recipe! So easy to make and so flavorful. Perfect for the cooler months ahead 🙂
oh I like how you add zucchini to this chili. It’s a great way to use up all that garden zucchini!
Always enjoy a dish that switches things up with turkey. Very flavorful!
What fantastic flavors and textures in this easy to make turkey chili. It’s hearty, comforting and perfect for my family.
This turkey chili was so delicious! And I love how easy it was to make in the crockpot!
Hey Katie!!! Haven’t cooked one of your recipes in awhile but this was a real winner.
I am not a fan of chicken chili but there is lots of seasoning and thus lots of flavor in the dish. It made a huge amount for the two of us but I know it will freeze well. I added the maple syrup and we found it took the flavor in a good direction.
Take care!
Hi Debbie! So nice to hear from you. I hope you and Peter are well. Yay, I’m glad you were inspired to try this new chili recipe and double yay that you liked it! Thanks so much for letting me know. That means a lot.
This recipe is easy and delicious! It made two meals for us. I made it according to the recipe, leaving out the sweetener. We decided, however, that it needed a bit of sweetener after all, so for the second meal I added a teaspoon of sugar. (Here in California maple syrup is way too expensive right now!) For toppings we had Mexican cheese blend, pickled jalapenos and avocados. This will definitely be in regular rotation. Thank you!
Isn’t it funny how just a smidge of sweetness really balances the whole flavor profile? You would never know it was in there, but it does taste better. Thanks for coming back to report on how it went. I am glad you liked it!
I don’t see an amount for the chipotle chili powder. Maybe I’m just not seeing it. Thanks!
Thanks for catching that. In earlier versions of the recipe I tried it with chipotle but it was too spicy and took it out of the recipe. I must have left that in the method of the recipe and forgot to delete it. Fixed now! Let me know if you make it and how it comes out.