This slow cooker turkey chili is the perfect balance of smoky warm spices, pinto beans, kidney beans, Rotel tomatoes, and chipotle peppers. It is so tasty, easy to make, and with ground turkey, slightly lower in calories and saturated fat.
Cooking with ground turkey can be flavorful when you use the right spices, and use ground turkey, not ground turkey breast.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Ground turkey: Use ground turkey that has both white and dark meat. Turkey breast is too lean, and it will taste bland and dry.
- Smoked paprika: Not to be confused with sweet paprika. The red peppers are smoked over an oak fire before grinding.
- Beef broth: Preferably low-sodium.
- Diced tomatoes: I prefer fire-roasted, but any diced tomatoes will work.
- Rotel tomatoes: Rotel now has fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles. If you can not find them, use regular mild or hot Rotel tomatoes with green chiles if you like things a little spicier.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: Chipotle peppers are aged, dried, and smoked jalapeno peppers. You can find them canned with adobo sauce in the Hispanic food section. Adobo sauce is a slightly sweet, tangy, rich sauce made with ground ancho and guajillo chiles.
How To Make Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Brown the ground turkey in a skillet over medium heat.
- About halfway through the browning process, add the onion and cook until the turkey browns and the onion is soft.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, dried marjoram, smoked paprika, salt, onion powder, and black pepper. Cook while stirring for a minute.
- Transfer the mixture to a crockpot. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, pinto beans, kidney beans, brown sugar, chipotle pepper, and adobo sauce.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
Preparation Tips
- Adjust the seasonings to your taste. This chili is moderately spicy. If you want it mild, reduce or eliminate the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Likewise, if you like it spicier, add more chipotle peppers and adobo sauce.
- If you want more veggies, add bell peppers, sweet potatoes, celery, or carrots.
- Add a little more beef broth if the chili becomes too thick.
Customize It
Customize with your favorite toppings, such as pickled jalapenos, crispy bacon, sour cream, green onions, avocado, chopped cilantro, and tortilla chips. Or try pepitas (pumpkin seeds), pickled red onion, shredded cheddar cheese, corn chips, and lime wedges.
Serving Suggestions For Turkey Chili
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
This crockpot turkey chili is the perfect balance of smoky warm spices, pinto beans, kidney beans, Rotel tomatoes, and chipotle peppers.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 163kcal
Ingredients
- 20 ounces ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 (16-ounce) can Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (16-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1-2 chopped chipotle peppers
- 1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce
Instructions
- Brown the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium heat.
- About halfway through the browning process, add the onion and cook until the turkey is browned and the onion is soft.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, dried marjoram, smoked paprika, salt, onion powder, and black pepper. Cook while stirring for 1 minute.
- Transfer the mixture to a crockpot. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, pinto beans, kidney beans, brown sugar, chipotle pepper, and adobo sauce.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
Nutrition
Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 1188mg | Potassium: 615mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1079IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 2mg
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Melanie E
I am a fan of choli but have never made it with turkey before. That does sound like a healthier option. Making it in a slow cooker sounds like it would so much more convenient. I don’t have one of those yet.
Beth Pierce
You should treat yourself. You will love it.
Stephanie
I love making chili when it’s cold outside, and this was a perfect alternative to my usual chili. My family really liked the ground turkey in this recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Stephanie! So glad that they liked it.
Lisa
This is the only way I will cook chili, using turkey meat. With the way the weather has been these last few days, I need to make a big pot now. I sometimes add a batch cornbread, and the kids love it! The slow cooker recipe works perfect every time
Amy
This turkey chili was so incredibly hearty and flavorful! I love using the slow cooker to let all those spices really meld together. It’s the perfect healthy-ish comfort food for those busy weeknights when you want something warm and filling.
Catherine
The turkey stayed tender and the flavor was great. Even better the next day.
Tammy
Such a comforting bowl and delicious meal! Also so good the next day! Nothing beats chili on a cold day
Ben
Another great, EASY recipe. I love being able to just set it and forget it until I’m ready to eat. I made it with some garlic bread. Tasty.
Terri
I made this with some cornbread, and it was the perfect winter meal. Really good stuff, and it’s nice that it’s so easy to make.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Terri! So glad that you enjoyed it.
Kristin
This is so good, and I love how EASY it is to make! With kids and a husband, I need recipes like this that can feed an army without me babysitting them!
Maria
The slow cooker made this recipe sooo convenient. I have a chili recipe I make in a pot, and I have to check it constantly. I loved this so much more!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Maria!