Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey Chili

Made with lean turkey, hearty beans, and smoky fire-roasted chilis, this Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey Chili recipe has great flavor, is easy to make, and is ideal for feeding a crowd!

Scooping up slow cooker healthy turkey chili.

Whether I’m hosting a large group for a game night or just want something flavorful and filling to meal prep some dinners or lunches throughout the week, I love making my Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey Chili. Ideal for prepping ahead of time, I like to throw it all in my Crock-Pot® Slow Cooker first thing in the morning so that my guests can help themselves throughout the afternoon and evening. Then I’ll have a large array of toppings to choose from. My favorite is fresh minced cilantro, but other great ones are hot sauce, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, Greek yogurt, and minced jalapeños.

Ingredients

  • Ground turkey: Extremely lean so you still get the protein you need without a bunch of calories.
  • Warm spices: This chili uses a combo of cumin, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to season the turkey to add a warm, comforting flavor.
  • Onion: I use a white onion as it’s mild enough to add flavor without being overpowering.
  • Bell pepper: I’ll typically use either a red or yellow bell pepper, but it adds a bit of crunch as well as a bit of sweetness to the chili.
  • Black beans: Soft and creamy in texture, they’re a great source of protein and fiber.
  • Kidney beans: Slightly sweet and soft, they add another bit of protein to make this chili the hearty, filling dish it is.
  • Diced tomatoes: I love to use fire-roasted tomatoes as it gives an extra smoky flavor to the dish.
  • Chipotle peppers: Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce is a canned pepper that is packed full of flavor. Smoky, tangy, and perfect for chili.
  • BBQ sauce: Adds a bit more sweetness to balance out all of the smoky, warm flavors of the other ingredients.
  • Beer: Adds a wonderful, deep flavor to the chili. However if you wanted to skip this, you could use chicken broth instead!

How to make Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey Chili

Cooking ground turkey

Start your slow cooker healthy turkey chili by taking your ground turkey and browning it in a pan over medium-high heat.

Adding cumin to ground turkey

Season it with the cumin and garlic powder.

Adding paprika to pan

As well as the smoked paprika and some salt and pepper.

Ground turkey in slow cooker

Once the turkey is browned, add it to the bowl of your slow cooker.

Adding onion to slow cooker

Then add in the diced onion.

Adding bell pepper to slow cooker

Followed by your diced bell pepper.

Beans added to slow cooker

Then add in the drained and rinsed black beans and kidney beans.

Adding fire roasted tomatoes

Followed by the fire-roasted diced tomatoes.

Adding minced chipotle peppers

Next add the minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

Adding bbq sauce

And add the dollop of BBQ sauce.

Adding beer to chili

Finish her off with the beer before cooking on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Slow cooker healthy turkey chili

Serve garnished with your favorite toppings, and enjoy your slow cooker healthy turkey chili!

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the healthiest meat to put in chili?

Lean proteins are the healthiest, so turkey or chicken is usually better than beef. But you could also use a lean beef cut!

Can I put raw ground turkey in the crockpot?

Browning the meat before tossing it in the slow cooker adds flavor, but isn’t necessary. You could toss the ground turkey in raw and it’ll cook with the rest of the chili.

Is chili good for weight loss?

Because its packed full of ingredients high in protein and fiber, chili is great for weight loss! It’ll keep you feeling full for longer to help you cut on total calories.

Slow cooker healthy turkey chili1

More Slow Cooker Meals

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Liz enjoying slow cooker healthy turkey chili.

The peace of mind my Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey Chili will give you of being able to prepare it and then walk away is reason enough to give it a try.

Your spoon is waiting.

Slow cooker healthy turkey chili

Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey Chili

4.07 stars average
Made with lean turkey, hearty beans, and smoky fire-roasted chilis, this Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey Chili recipe has great flavor, is easy to make, and is ideal for feeding a crowd!
PREP: 10 minutes
COOK: 4 hours
TOTAL: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6

Equipment

Recipe Video

Ingredients
 

  • 20 ounces ground turkey breast
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 1 red bell pepper (diced)
  • 15 ounce can black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 15 ounce can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons BBQ Sauce
  • 12 ounces beer (i.e. Modelo)
  • cilantro (sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, scallions – optional toppings)

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Sauté ground turkey with the next 5 ingredients (cumin through pepper) until browned and cooked through, about 8-9 minutes.
  • Place cooked turkey and all remaining ingredients in your Crock-Pot® Slow Cooker and heat on low for 8 hours of high for 4 hours.
  • Serve in large bowls garnished with optional chili toppings.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 24.8gProtein: 24.7gFat: 1.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.1gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 867mgFiber: 6.1gSugar: 5.3g

16 thoughts on “Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey Chili”

  1. Do you have any recommendations for substituting the beer? We aren’t drinkers, so I don’t want to buy it just for this.

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