Smoky Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

4.91 from 11 votes

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!

Prep Time20

Cook Time4

Total Time4 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Denise Bustard

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- Cook ground turkey in a large pan over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces, until no pink remains (5-8 minutes). Add the chili powder, cumin, ground coriander and salt and cook for an additional 1 minute, until spices are fragrant. See note 4
Cook in slow cooker- Place turkey and spice mixture into a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker with all remaining ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours.
Garnish + serve- Taste before serving and add salt or lime juice to taste. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips or avocado.

Video

Notes

1- use a chili seasoning blend, not a pure ground chili powder. I've linked to a homemade chili seasoning blend recipe in the post

2- As written, this turkey chili is mildly spicy. Adjust the chipotle to taste: if you like a spicy chili, double the chipotles!

Freeze leftover chipotle peppers & adobo sauce in jars or freezer bags for up to 3 months.

3- not to be confused with ketchup, this is pureed tomatoes, sometimes call passata

4- you may skip cooking the turkey + spices, but your chili may have slightly less flavor

Storage

Cool chili completely, then portion out into meal prep containers or storage jars.

store in the fridge for up to 4 days
store in the freezer for up to 3 months

Reheating

Heat individual portions in the microwave until steaming hot.

Heat larger portions in a pot over medium heat on the stove until warmed through.

Freezer crockpot meal

This is a type of meal that you assemble ahead before cooking, then freeze. If you choose to use this chili as a crockpot freezer meal, cook your turkey + spices, then cool completely before adding to your freezer bag.

You can store your crockpot freezer meal in

a gallon sized plastic freezer bag
a 3 quart glass meal prep container (I’m a fan of the ones IKEA carries)

Freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw completely before cooking as directed.

Nutrition