Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

This Slow Cooker Chili Recipe is another family favorite! If you love chili like we do, you are going to love this Crock Pot chili recipe! It’s great to make for potlucks, game day, family gatherings, rainy days and weekday meal prep.  It’s so easy to make and it’s SO delicious!

Our slow cooker turkey chili is made with ground turkey, kidney beans, bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic, adobo sauce, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, chili seasoning and cheddar cheese. It has an amazing combo of flavors and it’s always a crowd-pleaser!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy To Make. This Crock Pot chili recipe takes just minutes to prep and then all that’s left to do is let the Crock Pot do the rest.
• Amazing Flavor. This chili has an amazing combination of flavors!
• Simple Ingredients.  We use budget friendly ingredients for this recipe. If you need to feed more people, just double or triple the recipe.

Slow Cooker Chili Recipe Ingredients

This slow cooker turkey chili recipe is super easy to pull together.

• Olive oil. We use olive oil to cook our aromatics in.
• Aromatics. We use onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper for this recipe, which adds a lot of flavor. 
• Seasoning. This chili is seasoned with chili powder, ground oregano, cumin, bay leaves, onion powder, garlic powder, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
• Cheese.  We stir grated cheddar cheese into the chili while it cooks, which adds a rich flavor to the chili.
• Tomatoes. Use crushed tomatoes (including the juices) and tomato paste for a delicious base.  So you won’t waste leftover tomato paste, use our easy tutorial for how to freeze tomato paste for you to use at a later date.
• Adobo Sauce. We add a tablespoon of chipotle pepper adobo sauce to the mix, which adds just a hint of smokey flavor to the chili.  Use the same tutorial for how to freeze tomato paste for freezing leftover chipotle chiles and adobo sauce so you won’t waste the leftovers.
• Ground Turkey Meat. We use ground turkey meat for this chili, but you can use ground chicken or beef if you prefer.
• Broth.  Just a little chicken broth adds flavor and thins the chili out a bit. 
• Beans. We use kidney beans for this chili. 

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

How To Make Crock Pot Chili 

1. Saute Aromatics. Heat the oil in skillet over medium low heat. Add the chopped onion, celery and bell pepper and sauté for about 8 to 10 minutes or until they become soft. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.
2. Add Ground Turkey. Add the ground turkey to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat up into smaller pieces as it cooks.
3. Add Seasoning. Stir in the seasonings.
4. Transfer to Slow Cooker.  Transfer the cooked aromatics and ground turkey to a slow cooker.
5. Add Beans, Tomatoes, Broth, Paste and Adobo Sauce. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, adobo sauce, and chicken broth to the slow cooker and stir.
6. Simmer.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Place lid on pot. 
7. Stir in Cheese.  Add the grated cheese to the chili during the last 30 minutes of cooking.  
8. Serve. Serve chili with grated cheese, chopped onion (green, white or red), tortilla strips, tortilla chips, sour cream, or any of your favorite chili toppings

Tips For Making The Best Slow Cooker Chili

• The longer the chili cooks, the less soupy it will be.
• Adjust seasoning by adding more adobo sauce if you want more smokey flavor or add more chili powder if you want a little more heat.
• If you like bell peppers, add more of them.
• Instead of adding 2 cans of kidney beans, add 1 can kidney beans and 1 can pinto beans.
• If you don’t have crushed tomatoes, you can add diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes to a blender and pulse a couple of times. It’s an easy substitute and works just as well.

How To Store Leftovers

To store leftover chili, transfer to airtight container(s) and place in the refrigerator. If properly stored, leftovers should last up to 5 days. You can also freeze leftover chili by measuring single servings into freezer containers or freezer bags. Label the date on the container  and store in the freezer. If properly stored, it should last up to 3 months. To defrost, remove containers from the freezer and transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Heat leftovers in a saucepan and serve with your favorite toppings.

Favorite Chili Toppings

• Cheese (Cheddar, Jack Pepper Jack or Mexican blend)
• Homemade tortilla chips, tortilla strips, or Fritos
• Avocado slices
• Guacamole
• Pico de Gallo
• Sour cream
• Chopped Onion (green, white or red onions) 
• Jalapeno slice

More Chili Recipes

• Chili Cornbread Casserole
• Easy Chili Recipe
• White Bean Turkey Chili
• Lentil Chili
• White Bean Chicken Chili
• Chicken Chili Without Beans

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 6 Servings

Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

This Slow Cooker Chili Recipe is another family favorite! If you love chili like we do, you are going to love this Crock Pot chili! It's great to make for potlucks, game day, family gatherings, rainy days and weekday meal prep.  It's so easy to make and it's SO delicious!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 Turkish bay leaves
• 1-1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 14.5-ounce can kidney beans
• 1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in skillet over medium low heat. Add the chopped onion, celery and bell pepper and sauté for about 8 to 10 minutes or until they become soft. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the ground turkey to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat up into smaller pieces as it cooks.
3. Stir in the seasonings.
4. Transfer the cooked aromatics and ground turkey to a slow cooker.
5. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, adobo sauce, and chicken broth to the slow cooker and stir.
6. Place lid on slow cooker and set it on high to cook for 3-4 hours or on low to cook for 6-8 hours.
7. Add the grated cheese to the chili during the last 30 minutes of cooking.  
8. Serve chili with grated cheese, chopped onion (green, white or red), tortilla strips, tortilla chips, sour cream, or any of your favorite chili toppings.

Notes

Tips For Making The Best Slow Cooker Chili

1. The longer the chili cooks, the less soupy it will be.
2. Adjust seasoning by adding more adobo sauce if you want more smokey flavor or add more chili powder if you want a little more heat.
3. If you like bell peppers, add more of them.
4. Instead of adding 2 cans of kidney beans, add 1 can kidney beans and 1 can pinto beans.
5. If you don't have crushed tomatoes, you can add diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes to a blender and pulse a couple of times. It's an easy substitute and works just as well.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 460Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 755mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 5gSugar: 10gProtein: 40g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.