6-Ingredient Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

updated Jan 29, 2020
Snapshot Cooking
Post Image
Credit: Ghazalle Badiozamani; Food Styling: Pearl Jones

You only need six ingredients for this super-easy turkey chili, and the slow cooker practically does the work for you.

Serves4

Makes8 cups

Prep5 minutes

Cook4 hours to 8 hours

Jump to Recipe
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
Credit: Ghazalle Badiozamani; Food Styling: Pearl Jones

Turkey chili is the big-batch recipe I keep in the freezer for emergency meals throughout the fall and winter seasons. As soon as the leaves start to turn, I head to the grocery store and stock up on the ingredients. My surprise ingredient? Beer! It’s an oft-forgotten cooking liquid that’s great as a replacement for (or an addition to) water or stock in a stew or braise, and lends a rich depth of flavor. You’ll want to use a lighter beer, like a lager, for this chili.

Credit: Ghazalle Badiozamani; Food Styling: Pearl Jones

A tip for buying ground turkey: If you’re worried about your ground turkey tasting bland, here’s a tip: Buy ground turkey from the meat counter that’s a mix of white and dark meat, or a pre-packed container that is 85% lean and 15% fat, which will add rich, delicious flavor to your chili. The dark meat (that often tends to be the crowd favorite in my family!) brings more fat and flavor than the low-fat white meat, so it’s important to have some in the mix.

More Delicious Turkey Chili Recipes

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

You only need six ingredients for this super-easy turkey chili, and the slow cooker practically does the work for you.

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 4 hours to 8 hours

Makes 8 cups

Serves 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon

    olive oil

  • 1 pound

    ground turkey

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans

    black beans

  • 1 (14-ounce) can

    fire roasted diced tomatoes

  • 1 (12-ounce) can or bottle

    lager beer

  • 1 (14.4-ounce) bag

    frozen peppers and onions

  • 1 (1-ounce) packet

    taco seasoning, such as Old El Paso

  • 2 teaspoons

    kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper

  • Garnish options: Greek yogurt, thinly sliced scallions, shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Show Images
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 pound ground turkey and cook, breaking the meat up into small pieces, until browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid, then transfer to a slow cooker.

  2. Drain and rinse 2 cans black beans and add to the slow cooker. Add 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes and their juices, 1 (12-ounce) can or bottle beer, 1 (14.4-ounce) bag frozen peppers and onions, 1 packet taco seasoning, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine.

  3. Cover and cook until the flavors are combined, 8 hours on the LOW setting or 4 to 6 hours on the HIGH setting. Garnish with Greek yogurt, sliced scallions, hot sauce and shredded cheddar cheese, if desired. 

Recipe Notes

Storage: The chili can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer.