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Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Beans (Easy Crockpot Recipe)
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This Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Beans is an easy crockpot dinner made with lean ground turkey, black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes and a jar of salsa. It takes about 10 minutes of hands-on time, it’s mild enough for the kids, and everyone gets to pile on their own toppings.
Brown the turkey with the onion, peppers and garlic, tip it all into the slow cooker with the beans, tomatoes and spices, and dinner is sorted. It freezes and reheats great, so it’s worth stashing a few portions for busy nights. Serve it with a wedge of my Skillet Cornbread. For more easy crockpot meals, have a look at my Easy Slow Cooker Dinners.
Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
The Best Slow Cooker Turkey Chili for Game Day, Busy Weeknights, and Fall Potlucks
Put this on in the morning and it’s ready when the game starts. Set the slow cooker out on the counter with bowls of cheese, avocado, sour cream and cilantro, and everyone serves themselves. It’s also a lifesaver on a school night when you need dinner ready the minute you walk in, or for a fall potluck where you can carry the whole slow cooker in.
Making a game day spread? Add a bowl of my Chipotle Corn Salsa Recipe with tortilla chips. If you like having dinner bubbling away in the slow cooker all day, my Slow Cooker Beef Stew is another good one for cold weeknights.
Ingredients Needed for Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Olive oil: One tablespoon in the skillet for browning the turkey.
- Ground turkey: One pound. I use 93% lean and there’s no need to drain it. 99% lean works too.
- Onion: One medium onion, diced. It softens with the turkey before everything goes in the slow cooker.
- Bell peppers: Two, diced. A mix of red, yellow and green gives you plenty of color in every bowl.
- Garlic: Three cloves, minced.
- Crushed tomatoes: One 28 ounce can. This is the base of the chili.
- Tomato sauce: One 15 ounce can, for a smooth, rich sauce around the beans and turkey.
- Black beans and kidney beans: One 15 ounce can of each, drained and rinsed.
- Salsa: One cup. Medium salsa or your favorite jar, and it’s also how you control the heat. My Fresh Tomato Salsa works if you have some made.
- Chicken broth: One cup, to loosen the chili as it cooks.
- Chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika: Two tablespoons of chili powder, one tablespoon of cumin and one teaspoon of smoked paprika for that warm chili flavor.
- Salt and black pepper: One teaspoon of each. Taste at the end and add more if it needs it.
- Toppings: Shredded cheese, diced avocado, cilantro, and sour cream or Greek yogurt. All optional, all good.
How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
**For more detailed instructions, please refer to the printable recipe card below.**
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and cook the ground turkey until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir in the onion, bell peppers and garlic and cook until softened.
- Transfer everything to the slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, kidney beans, salsa and chicken broth, then sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper over the top.
- Stir everything together, cover, and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve with your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, diced avocado, cilantro, and sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Turkey Chili Variations
- Make it spicy: Use a hot salsa instead of medium, and add a diced jalapeño with the peppers if you want even more kick.
- Add corn: Stir in a cup of frozen corn for a little sweetness and extra color.
- Swap the beans: Pinto beans can stand in for either the black beans or the kidney beans. Keep the cans the same size.
- Use ground beef: Lean ground beef can go in place of the turkey if that’s what you have in the fridge.
- Chili mac: Spoon leftover chili over cooked elbow macaroni and top with shredded cheese for an easy second dinner.
What to Serve with Turkey Chili
- Skillet cornbread: The classic. A wedge of my Skillet Cornbread on the side is perfect for dunking.
- Cheddar biscuits: Warm Cheddar Biscuits are great for mopping up the last of the bowl.
- Irish brown bread: A thick slice of my Irish Brown Bread with butter is great for dunking too.
- Chips and guacamole: Set out tortilla chips with a bowl of Homemade Guacamole for scooping, which is perfect on game day.
- Over rice or a baked potato: Spoon the chili over white rice or a split baked potato and top with cheese and sour cream for a heartier plate.
How to Store and Freeze Turkey Chili
- How should I store Slow Cooker Turkey Chili?
Let the chili cool, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat it in a pot on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave, stirring until it’s hot all the way through. Add a splash of broth if it has thickened up in the fridge. - Can I freeze Slow Cooker Turkey Chili?
Yes, and it freezes and reheats great. Cool it completely, then portion it into freezer containers or freezer bags laid flat, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove until hot. Add the toppings fresh after reheating. - Can I make Slow Cooker Turkey Chili ahead of time?
Yes. Dice the onion and peppers and mince the garlic the night before and keep them covered in the fridge, so all you have to do in the morning is brown the turkey and load the slow cooker. You can also make the whole pot a day ahead and reheat it on the stove.
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Tips for the Best Crockpot Turkey Chili
- Use 93% lean turkey: It browns well and there’s no fat to drain, so it goes straight into the slow cooker. 99% lean works too.
- Pick your salsa for the heat: The salsa sets the spice level. Medium keeps it mild and family friendly, and a hot salsa makes it spicy without changing anything else.
- Rinse the beans: Drain and rinse both cans so the chili tastes of the tomatoes and spices, not the canning liquid.
- Season at the end: Salsa and broth both bring salt, so taste the chili once it’s cooked and add more salt and pepper only if it needs it.
- Set up a toppings bar: Put the cheese, avocado, cilantro and sour cream or Greek yogurt in little bowls and let everyone build their own.
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Looking for more meal inspiration?
Want the rest of the week planned too? My Monthly Meal Plan for October 2026 has a full month of easy dinners ready to go. Got another pound of ground turkey? Try my Turkey Meatball Casserole next. Turkey chili is one of six slow cooker recipes in my easy soup recipes roundup, along with beef stew and chicken and dumplings.
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Beans (Easy Crockpot Recipe)
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili is a hearty, simple dinner made with lean ground turkey, beans, tomatoes, and warm spices. Easy to prep and great for weeknights.
Equipment
- Slow cooker (6 quart)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey 93% lean
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Optional Toppings
- shredded cheese
- diced avocado
- cilantro
- sour cream or Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook the ground turkey until browned.
- Stir in the onion, peppers, and garlic and cook until softened.
- Transfer everything to the slow cooker.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, kidney beans, salsa, broth, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Stir and cover.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Turkey: 93% lean ground turkey does not need draining. 99% lean works too.
Salsa: use a medium salsa or your favorite. For a spicier chili, use a spicy salsa.
Slow cooker: made in a 6 quart slow cooker.
Storage: keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freezing: freezes and reheats great. Freeze in portions for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove.
Nutrition
Calories: 396kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 35gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 1417mgPotassium: 1676mgFiber: 18gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 3035IUVitamin C: 72mgCalcium: 140mgIron: 8mg
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