Assemble this slow cooker smoky turkey chili ahead of time and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to cook: thaw, dump it in the slow cooker, push ‘start’ and walk away. So easy!
Today’s recipe is brought to you by pregnancy cravings. And despite the fact that I prepped this recipe at the end of summer, when it was sweltering hot, I was still craving chili!
I have a few chili recipes on my site (Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili, Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chickpea Chili and Slow Cooker Roasted Red Pepper Chili), but I don’t have a turkey chili and I figured it was about time that should change. Plus, chili is one of the absolute best recipes to stock your freezer with.
You can actually stock your freezer with this slow cooker smoky turkey chili recipe in a few different ways: cook it all first, then freeze, or assemble it uncooked and freeze. Hands up if you like options! Meeeee!
Now, you may notice that I pre-cooked the ground turkey. I recommend that you pre-cook your turkey as it can release a ton of liquid…sometimes none, but this time, a LOT.
So. Cook and cool your ground turkey. Place in a bag. Top with remaining chili ingredients. You may want to leave out the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce until cook day…as you can see my bag was getting quite full. I’ve never had a freezer bag leak yet (knock on wood!), but over-filling the bag can increase your risk of bags breaking and leaking.
If you do leave out the tomatoes from the freezer bag, just make sure you label your bag with specific instructions.
Like I mentioned, you can also cook this slow cooker smoky turkey chili ahead of time, cool it, and freeze it in handy portions. This is probably the best and most convenient option for prepping ahead, but we don’t always have time to cook the whole batch, so it’s good to have other options.
What is your favorite way to freeze soups and chilis? I have been using these these plastic freezer jars
, which are BPA free, and heavy-duty for re-using multiple times. I haven’t had the courage to try mason jars.
If you use mason jars, let me know your tips to prevent jars from bursting! I think I’m ready to graduate to jars 😉
That’s it for today! Have a great week 🙂
Tips for your perfect Slow Cooker Smoky Turkey Chili
- I tested this recipe in both my 5 quart Crock Pot
and my 2.5 quart Crock Pot (for a half batch). - Adjust the chipotle to taste; chili is mildly spicy. If you’d like it spicier, double the chipotles!
- You can freeze this before cooking (as a freezer slow cooker meal; I use these gallon freezer bags), or after cooking (I use these these plastic freezer jars) for up to 3 months
- Looking for more freezer-friendly meals? Check out this round-up of 38+ Healthy Freezer Meal Prep Recipes for New Moms
and my 
(for a half batch).
), or after cooking (I use these
Slow Cooker Smoky Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb ground turkey lean
- 2 cups onion chopped
- 2 carrot chopped
- 2 celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 11 oz can of corn drained
- 19 oz can kidney beans drained & rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 chipotle peppers chopped
- 4 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
- 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 23 oz/680mL tomato sauce I used two 13.5 oz/398 mL cans
Instructions
- Cook ground turkey in a large pan over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces, until no pink remains (5-8 minutes)
- Place all ingredients in a 5 quart slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours
- To assemble ahead & freeze
- Place all ingredients except the diced tomatoes & tomato sauce in a gallon-sized heavy duty freezer bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible, then freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely before placing in a 5 quart slow cooker with the diced tomatoes & tomato sauce and cooking on low for 8 hours.
Nutrition
Liberty
Why did you cook the turkey before putting it into the slow cooker?
Denise
Hi Liberty! It comes down to personal preference, I know some recipes call for you to put the meat in uncooked but I like to cook mine first because sometimes it releases a LOT of liquid.
Adam
I like it spicy so I added 4 chipotles. Delicious!
Denise
Whoa!! Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Adam, and thanks for the review 🙂
Melanie
Thanks for the recipe. Adding the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce is a new twist. I may try this with some added pumpkin puree too.
I regularly store cooked meals in pint jars in the freezer. The trick that has worked for me is to leave the lids off or loose enough to allow any pressure (air) or any bulging food to escape out the top. When the lids are screwed on, my jars crack. Good luck!
Denise
Thanks for the info on jar storage! I need to give it a try. I like your idea with the pumpkin 🙂
Lulu
Very tasty and easy. A winner.
Denise
So happy you enjoyed it, Lulu!