Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with No Beans

caitlinbrae — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 00:54:00 +0000

Slow cooker turkey chili will become your go-to cozy meal when the air turns crisp and you want to throw together an easy meal for yourself or your family. What’s great about this chili is you need minimal ingredients like ground turkey, seasonings, a few fresh veggies, and canned tomatoes!

Slow cooker turkey chili for the win

Anyone else love a cozy bowl of chili during the fall and winter months? Chili is just one of those foods that never gets old when the air is crisp and cold and you want to warm up on the couch.

What you’re going to love about this turkey chili recipe is that it is made in the crock pot – so minimal preparation is involved. Prep, set and forget. That’s a win in my book!

Definitely take a minute to review the ingredients, storing methods, and substitute ideas down below. Also, if you’re looking for some more cozy meals – I have you covered. Keep scrolling to find some of the best cozy soup recipes!

Why you’ll love slow cooker turkey chili

Not only is this chili warm and cozy, it is also packed with flavor. Here are some other reasons why you’ll love this recipe.

It has 34 grams of protein per serving!
This chili is packed with flavor.
Chili is so versatile so you can tailor it to your liking (see my substitute recommendations below)
This recipe makes a large batch so it is perfect for a large crowd or to meal prep.
Crock pot turkey chili is so easy to make. You can have it cooking in the crock pot in 10 minutes.
This chili is freezer friendly! Freeze half for a later date (find my freezing instructions below)

Slow cooker turkey chili ingredients

Ground turkey is the main protein source. I recommend using 93/7 lean turkey for this recipe but feel free to use any ground turkey you like.

We will sauté some yellow onion with the turkey before adding it into the crock pot. You can also use a shallot, white onion, or red onion (I usually use whatever I have on hand).

Seasonings: chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper

Next up, red bell pepper and green bell pepper to add some fresh veggies. You can also use yellow or orange bell peppers – it’s a total preference!

Three peeled and chopped carrots to add some more veggies, texture and flavor.

And the last veggies we are working with is sweet potato! Sweet potato adds flavor, texture, and carbohydrates. Sweet potato paired with the turkey and tomato base makes the best combination.

Canned diced green chilis, Canned diced tomato and canned tomato sauce help make up the base of this soup. Combining these three ingredients creates the best chili base.

How to make

Making crock pot turkey chili could not be any easier. Brown the turkey, add the ingredients to the crock pot and let it cook all day long. I have outlined the key steps below!

STEP 1

Sauté the ground turkey. Sauté the ground turkey with onion and seasonings until browned and cooked through about 7-10 minutes.

STEP 2

Add all the ingredients to the crockpot. Add the ground turkey mixture to the bottom of the crock pot along with the remaining ingredients: chopped peppers, carrots, sweet potato, canned green chilis, diced tomato, and tomato sauce. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

STEP 3

Cook all day long! Cook the chili on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8 hours.

STEP 4

ENJOY! Enjoy the chili as is or add some of your favorite toppings like cheese or sour cream.

How to store

Leftover chili always makes the best dinner. I find that chili almost tastes better the next day or even two days after. Anyone else with me?

Store the cooled chili in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days. To reheat the chili, simply add it to a pot on the stove or heat it up in the microwave.

Alternatively, you can freeze this chili for a later date! Do you like to meal prep some meals like me? Store this turkey chili in a freezer friendly container in the freezer for 3 months. Let the chili thaw at room temperature or add it to a large pot over the stove to defrost and heat through.

P.s these these freezer cubes are a great way to store soups and chilis in the freezer!

Substitutes and variations

Find a few substitutes and variations below. If you try something different with this recipe be sure to let me know how it works out for you in the comments below!

Ground turkey or ground beef. This chili calls for ground turkey! I find that 93/7 lean turkey works best as it offers a nice flavor and isn’t too fatty. However, you can also use ground beef! I would use a 90/10 lean beef or whatever ground beef you prefer.

Bell peppers. This recipe calls for two bell peppers: green and red. However, feel free to use any bell peppers you like. Green, red, orange or yellow will all work in this recipe.

Sweet potato or white potato. Crock pot turkey chili pairs perfectly with the diced sweet potato in this recipe. If you aren’t a sweet potato fan, feel free to substitute in a regular diced potato! Red bliss potato or a russet potato will work.

Beans. While this recipe does not call for any beans, you can definitely add in a can of your favorite beans! Make sure to drain and rinse them before adding.

Corn bread and chili

What’s chili without cornbread?!

If you love cornbread like me, definitely whip up a batch of this popular oat flour corn bread. It is soft, fluffy, and pairs perfectly with this turkey chili.

Other cozy recipes you’ll love

If you love making soups and chilis, here are some other cozy soup recipes you’re going to love.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Chicken Tortellini Soup

The Best Easy Taco Soup

Gnocchi Sausage Soup

The Easiest Roasted Tomato Soup

Did you make this chili?

I love hearing from you so please don’t forget to rate this recipe or leave a comment down below! Your feedback and support is super helpful to me and to other readers thinking about making this recipe. For some more recipe inspiration, you can also find and follow me on Instagram and Pinterest. Enjoy!