This smoky slow cooker turkey chili is rich and bold in flavor- with chipotle chilis, ground turkey, kidney beans and plenty of spices. The slow cooker makes this easy and hands off to prep, and it works great for meal prep!
Hearty, healthy and easy to prepare...these are just a few of my favorite things about chili. While I love a good Vegan Crockpot Chili and Crockpot White Chicken Chili, this smoky turkey chili might just be my favorite!
Most ground turkey chili recipes taste exactly like what they are, a lighter swap that sacrifices flavor to cut calories. This one does not. The difference is the chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, which brings a smokey depth that makes this slow cooker turkey taste every bit as bold and satisfying as the beef version. After years of testing and refining this recipe, the slow cooker is the method I always come back to because the extended cook time lets every ingredient to fully develop into something far more complex than the effort it took to make it.
Reasons you'll ♡ slow cooker turkey chili:
- Easy: simmers 8 hours in the slow cooker for an easy hands off dinner
- Flexible: you can sauté the turkey for extra flavor or skip this step in favor of shorter prep time
- Meal Prep: freezer friendly and the leftovers taste even better!
Ingredients for Perfect Turkey Chili
- Ground Turkey: for the best flavor, pick a mixture of light and dark turkey meat. Avoid the extra lean ground turkey.
- Spices: chili powder, cumin, coriander, and salt
- Produce: onion and garlic
- Canned Goods: corn, kidney beans, chipotle pepper, stock, canned tomatoes and canned tomato sauce
- Optional Toppings: lime wedges, green onions, shredded cheese, corn chips
How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Cook the ground turkey in a skillet, breaking up as you go and drain off any grease.
- Add the ingredients to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker and stir well.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
Tip: You can skip cooking the turkey ahead of time and add it directly to the slow cooker. The one downside to this is that it does release moisture as it cooks. I personally prefer to cook it ahead of time, but you can add it directly to the slow cooker if you prefer.
Favorite Chili Toppings
Chili is all about the toppings. Here are some of my favorites:
- Cheese: shredded pepper jack, sharp cheddar, or a yummy smoked gouda pair well with this chili
- Sour cream or greek yogurt: since this chili has a great smokey flavor the sour cream creates a really delicious flavor combination.
- Tortilla strips or corn chips: great for adding a bit of crunch
- Produce: green onions, red onions, cilantro, avocado or fresh tomatoes are all great options!
Instant Pot & Stovetop Chili
You can easily make delicious turkey chili in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop:
More freezer meals
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Smoky Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey 450 g
- 2 tablespoons chili powder see note 1
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 11 oz can of corn drained
- 19 oz can kidney beans drained & rinsed
- 1 chipotle pepper chopped; see note 2
- 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
- 1 cup stock chicken or veggie
- 15 oz can of diced tomatoes including juices
- 15 oz tomato sauce see note 3
Serve with
- lime wedges
- green onions
- shredded cheese
Instructions
- Cook ground turkey in a large pan over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces, until no pink remains. Add the chili powder, cumin, ground coriander and salt and cook for an additional 1 minute, until spices are fragrant. See note 4
- Place turkey and spice mixture into a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker with all remaining ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Taste before serving and add salt or lime juice to taste. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips or avocado.
Tips:
- store in the fridge for up to 4 days
- store in the freezer for up to 3 months
- a gallon sized plastic freezer bag
- a 3 quart glass meal prep container (I’m a fan of the ones IKEA carries)
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Hi, I'm Annie. With a Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in nutrition and nearly 20 year of both classical training, and self-taught experience, I've spent my career proving that home cooking can be practical, delicious and inspiring. What started in 2013 as one food blog has grown into a full-time business. Today, my husband Clayton and I run five food websites that connect with millions of home cooks every month.
When I'm not in the kitchen or behind the camera, I'm using fueling my love of travel, or chasing down new ideas that keep food fun and fresh.
Sarah says
I made this over night last night, woke up hungry because it smelled so amazing. Ended up eating it for breakfast, and it tasted just as amazing as it smelled! Thanks for the tasty recipe!
Denise says
What a smart idea to cook overnight! Thanks for reporting back, Sarah 🙂
Claire says
This chili is DELICIOUS! I like things spicy so I doubled the chipotle peppers and added a jalapeño. I normally make chili with beef and was hesitant to use ground turkey as I sometimes thinks it lacks flavor- this recipe made me change my mind! Thanks so much
Denise says
Yay! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed, Claire! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a review with the modifications you made. That's so helpful!
Liberty says
Why did you cook the turkey before putting it into the slow cooker?
Denise says
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.
Abby P says
So are you tossing out the liquid before you freeze it or freezing it with?
Denise says
Hi Abby, it doesn't really matter. You can toss it or leave it layered.
Adam says
I like it spicy so I added 4 chipotles. Delicious!
Denise says
Whoa!! Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Adam, and thanks for the review 🙂
Melanie says
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 says
Thanks for the info on jar storage! I need to give it a try. I like your idea with the pumpkin 🙂
Lulu says
Very tasty and easy. A winner.
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed it, Lulu!