This turkey chili is full of flavor and fiber–the perfect dish to come home to on a chilly night. Just set it and forget it!
With fall in full swing, it’s the perfect time to break out the crockpot and make some chili! One of my favorite things about crockpot cooking is finishing up a busy day and having supper already ready for me when I get home. I’m convinced that there are few things in life better than opening the door to a house that already smells like supper. Not to mention, this recipe is so easy to throw together!
Start by browning the ground turkey in a pan on the stove over medium-low heat. For those who may not use ground turkey very often, it has a lower fat content which makes it more susceptible to burn. Adding a little olive oil to the pan can help. While the turkey is browning drain and rinse the kidney beans, pinto beans, and corn. Rinsing canned beans and vegetables helps remove some of the excess sodium (salt). Some canned products can also have a metallic flavor that rinsing helps eliminate.
Continuing to keep an eye on your turkey to make sure it doesn’t burn, start chopping up the celery, onion, and bell pepper and mincing the garlic. If you have other veggies in your fridge that you want to use up like zucchini or carrots you can chop them up to throw in your chili too.
By the time your veggies are all chopped up your turkey should be done browning. To be safe, cook it to an internal temperature of 165F. Then, it’s time to measure out all the spices and seasonings that make chili so tasty! I have a bad habit of measuring spices directly over the crockpot. Sometimes everything works out okay, and sometimes I accidentally dump a lot more chili powder or cayenne pepper in than intended…oops! This time I measured all my spices out into a separate dish to be safe.
Once the turkey is browned, beans are rinsed, veggies are chopped, and spices are measured out it’s time to mix everything together in the crockpot! Don’t forget the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth too.
Once everything is in the crockpot, give it a good stir. Then, it’s cooking time! Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4.
Once it’s done cooking–enjoy! I recommend serving cornbread or cheese and crackers alongside this satisfying chili. You can also try topping it with shredded cheese, sour cream, or some slices of avocado. I’ve even served it with tortilla chips to scoop some chili onto–delicious! This recipe almost tastes better leftover, just be sure to promptly refrigerate any leftovers and consume within 3-4 days.
And that’s it! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I have!
Crockpot Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn drained and rinsed (optional)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 bell pepper (yellow, orange, or red) chopped (optional)
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Brown ground turkey in pan on stove over medium-low heat.
- Add all ingredients and seasonings to crockpot and stir.
- Cook on low 6-8 hours (or high for 4 hours).
Video
Notes
- Ground beef, pork, or chicken can be substituted for ground turkey if desired.
- To make this recipe vegetarian/vegan friendly, simply omit the ground turkey and substitute vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Have some extra veggies in the fridge that you need to use up? Zucchini, carrots, green beans, radishes and even leafy greens like kale, turnip greens, or collard greens can easily be added to this recipe (just wait until right before serving before adding any leafy greens so they have a little texture still).
- Don't have canned corn? Frozen corn can be used instead. Just sub ~1.5 cups of frozen corn instead of the canned.
- If you have a low tolerance for spicy foods use a little less cayenne pepper and chili powder.