My savory ground turkey chili, slow-cooked to perfection in a trusty Crock Pot, is the ultimate answer to your comfort food cravings.
When it comes to hearty, comforting, and large crowd-pleasing dishes, few can rival a steaming bowl of chili. My recipe is chock full of veggies and the most flavorful seasonings like oregano, cumin, and chili powder for a classic chili flavor. Plus, I add beans and corn for a cost-effective way to make this a really filling meal.
We all have that uncle who makes the ‘World’s Best Chili,’ so making your own batch can seem like a daunting meal to make, but this post will guide you through every step. From browning the turkey to perfecting the seasoning blend, I guarantee that your chili will be bursting with flavor and cooked to perfection.
Chili is a great make-ahead meal, especially if you cook it in the Crock Pot. You can freeze it, or even home can it if you want. And if you’re making this meal for dinner guests, you can put the chili in the slow cooker in the morning and let it simmer all day for an even more flavorful finished product.
If you like chili, I’ve got you covered. We love chili around here and I’ve put all my favorite chili varieties up on the blog for you to enjoy with your company, too. Try any of these: Vegan White Bean Chili, Copycat Wendy’s Chili Recipe, Copycat Texas Roadhouse Chili Recipe, Copycat Hawaiian Zippy’s Chili Recipe and don’t forget a slice of my beer bread to go with your chili.
Easy Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Chili
Why My Crock Pot Ground Turkey Chili Recipe Will Be A Family Favorite
- Delicious Classic Flavors: For starters, it’s a flavor-packed meal, blending tender ground turkey, a medley of savory vegetables, and an assortment of spices that bring out all the classic flavors of chili.
- Comfort Food: This recipe is perfect for a wholesome weeknight dinner, a game-day feast, or a dish to help your guests feel welcome and comfortable at a party. It’s the kind of recipe that just seems to warm your soul and leaves everyone at the table hoping for seconds. (You can double the batch if you need to!)
- Super Easy Crock Pot Dinner: This chili recipe is also very approachable. While stovetop chili recipes tend to be a bit intimidating and need at least a little bit of fussing over, this slow cooker version is pretty much fail-proof make-ahead dinner. So you can feel confident you’ll end up with a pot of chili you’ll be proud to serve.
Crock Pot Ground Turkey Chili Ingredients
To make this simple, savory Crock Pot ground turkey chili recipe, you’ll need:
- Extra lean ground turkey – Turkey tends to be leaner than other proteins out there, and it’s cost-effective too. I like extra lean because my chili ends up less oily, and I don’t lose a lot of the product weight when I cook it down. If ground chicken is on sale that would also be great in this recipe instead.
- Yellow onion – Yellow onions are a touch sweet, but not as sweet as a Vidalia. If you need to replace the yellow onion, I recommend you use white or red onion.
- Garlic cloves – Jarred minced garlic will work well, too.
- Bell Pepper – a mix of red, green, and yellow is perfect.
- Jalapeno – If you prefer to leave out the jalapeno, the recipe will work out just fine, so do what you think is best for your guests.
- Seasonings – Chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt
- Crushed tomatoes and a can of Rotel – Rotel is just tomatoes with green chiles. If you aren’t a fan, use extra crushed tomatoes instead, but expect a much milder flavor.
- Pinto beans – You’ll need canned beans for this recipe. You can use canned black beans or red kidney beans if you prefer.
- Yellow corn – Corn gives this recipe a chunky texture and makes it much more filling. I like to use canned, but you can also use frozen corn, or corn that’s been cut off the cob.
📝 Note: You can find the full recipe with ingredients and measurements in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
How to Make The Best Ground Turkey Chili in the Crock Pot Step-By-Step
- Start by prepping your ingredients, particularly your vegetables. Chop the onions and peppers so they’re ready to go. Open your cans of chili and drain them. Give them a good rinse under cold water. You can also get out your spices, measure out your broth, and start warming up your Crock Pot on low.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the chopped onions and peppers. Cook until they become softened, which should take about 4 minutes.
- Next, add the ground turkey. Stir occasionally while it cooks, allowing the turkey to fully brown until there’s no pink showing. Turn off the heat and tilt the pan to spoon off any excess fat.
- Transfer the cooked meat and vegetables to a slow cooker and add the chili powder, ground cumin, coriander, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir to combine all the spices with the meat mixture.
- Finally, pour in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, rinsed pinto beans, and drained yellow corn. Stir everything together.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and let the chili cook for about 5 hours. Serve hot with your favorite toppings and dippers. Enjoy!
Tips and Helpful Hints
- Really try to resist opening up the lid of your Crockpot. Food always cooks best in the slow cooker when the heat is fully trapped inside. Opening the lid let’s the heat out!
- Watch to make sure that the chili isn’t running out of liquid. If you can’t see in your Crock Pot due to condensation on the lid, give the lid a good shake without actually opening it, and that should remove enough of the moisture so that you can see inside.
- If you do need to open your crock pot lid, open it quickly and try to put it back as soon as possible.
Best Toppings for Chili
The nice part about chili is everyone can make it their own favorite way with toppings. Sevre this ground turkey chili with a few toppings to make it a hearty bowl of chili.
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese or a spicy Mexican blend
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Sliced pickled jalapenos
- Finely chopped green onions
- Diced tomatoes
- Crispy onion strings
- Guacamole
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Oyster crackers
- Freshly chopped cilantro
Favorite Foods to Dip in Chili
Of course, you can’t go wrong adding some dippers to your chili bar. My favorite is, hands down thick-cut sour dough! Here are more breads, crackers, and other dippers that are perfect with chili:
- Quick and easy beer bread (homemade)
- Homemade cornbread
- Cheesy Pull Apart Bread
- Garlic naan
- Tortilla chips
- Butter crackers
Dinner Party Crock Pot Chili Bar
If you’re throwing a dinner party and want a comforting and relaxed menu without a lot of fuss, chili is the way to go. If you want to get really creative, you can create a chili bar party for your party and serve this recipe up with all kinds of toppings. Just place the toppings in small bowls or plates near the crockpot and allow your guests to serve themselves. So easy, right?
Help! My chili is thin and watery. What can I do?
Don’t worry! There are actually ways to thicken up watery chili. You can read about how to fix your thin chili here.
How to Store Leftovers
If you have leftovers, here is how to store them. Of course, we all know chili is even better the next day. Serve as a main dish, side, on hot dogs, burgers, or, my favorite way, smothered over French fires!
- In the fridge – Chili stores really well and might even taste better the next day. Keep it covered with a lid until you’re ready to serve it again. You might need to thin it out a bit when you reheat it. Use a touch of water or a bit more broth if you have some.
- In the freezer – Chili freezes very well! Just place it in freezer-safe bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. The beans might get a bit mushy when it thaws, but the chili will still taste great
- How to use up leftovers – Leftover chili is perfect for topping nachos. It’s delicious just to warm up and eat for a second time, too!
- How to reheat – Chili can be quickly reheated in the microwave in single servings. If you want to heat up a lot of chili, you can use a pot on the stove. Heat over medium heat until steaming hot, and serve right away. If you need to add a touch of broth, go ahead.
Make It A Meal Idea
Chili makes a great main dish all on its own, but if you want to serve it as a side for a game day party or other celebration, why not keep it simple and make chili dogs? Add a side of slaw and my favorite chips and copycat onion dip recipe.
If you have a crowd to feed, then you will definitely want to use your slow cooker to make hot dogs. Yes, you can easily cook hotdogs in a slow cooker!
I Want To Answer Your Questions & Hear Your Comments
Do you have a question about this recipe❓ I will answer in the comment form below👇🏼 the recipe card. Did you make this recipe? If so, could you be a gem and leave a comment and rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below? This helps others find yummy 😋 recipes to make for their family and friends.
Turkey Chili Recipe
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1.25 pounds ground turkey, extra lean 10/90
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/3 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1/3 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno peppers, (optional), finely chopped and seeds removed.
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste if desired
- 15- ounce crushed tomatoes
- 10 ounce tomatoes and green chiles, can
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 30 ounces pinto beans, canned, rinsed, drained
- 15 ounces yellow corn, drained
Instructions
- Chop the onions, garlic and peppers. Open your cans of chili and drain them. Give them a good rinse under cold water. Get out your spices, measure out your broth, and start warming up your Crock Pot on low.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the chopped onions, garlic and peppers. Cook until they become softened, which should take about 4 minutes.2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 cup yellow onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1/3 cup red bell pepper, 1/3 cup yellow bell pepper, 1/3 cup green bell pepper, 1 tablespoon jalapeno peppers
- Next, add the ground turkey. Stir occasionally while it cooks, allowing the turkey to fully brown until there’s no pink showing. Turn off the heat and tilt the pan to spoon off any excess fat.1.25 pounds ground turkey
- Transfer the cooked meat and vegetables to a slow cooker and add the chili powder, ground cumin, coriander, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir to combine all the spices with the meat mixture.4 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Finally, pour in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, rinsed pinto beans, and drained yellow corn. Stir everything together.15- ounce crushed tomatoes, 10 ounce tomatoes and green chiles, 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, 30 ounces pinto beans, 15 ounces yellow corn
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and let the chili cook for about 5 hours. Serve hot with your favorite toppings and dippers. Enjoy!