This Slow Cooker Turkey Chili is packed with flavor and is the perfect comfort food for any night of the week!
We had such a mild winter in Utah that when it actually snowed a little (and I mean little) the other day, I was totally in the mood for chili. So I made this Slow Cooker Turkey Chili. I love all kinds of chili, it’s total comfort food for me, and this chili was so delicious.
I know when you see or hear the words “slow cooker” you probably think just dump the ingredients in, turn your slow cooker on and let it do all the work. Unfortunately, that’s not quite how this recipe works, but trust me, it’s worth the little bit of prep work you have to do. But I’ve learned that sometimes to get the best tasting slow cooker recipes, you have to do a little prep work, and that’s ok. If the end result is delicious, I’m just fine with a little prep work.
We topped ours off with some grated cheddar cheese, sour cream and Fritos (I just forgot them in the picture). My boys absolutely loved it. When Parker asked me what I was fixing for dinner that night, I told him turkey chili, his reply was “why can’t you just make normal things.” I’m not sure why he thought turkey chili wasn’t normal, maybe I should have just told him I was making chili. Anyway, after all his whining, he snarffed it right down and said he loved it.
This recipe makes a lot, perfect for leftovers or freezing. I love the flavor the chipotle chiles add to this chili. This stuff was so delicious, I seriously could have eaten half of it myself. Yum!

- 2 slices white sandwich bread , turn into quarters
- 1/4 c. whole milk
- 2 lbs. ground turkey (not ground turkey breast - this will be too dry)
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 3 yellow onions , minced
- 6 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. ground chipotle powder
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 2 cans (15-oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
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In a large bowl, combine bread and milk into a paste. Mix in turkey, salt, and pepper.
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Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions, chili powder, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes.
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Stir in the turkey mixture cook for about 5 minutes and cook until no longer pink. Stir in the tomato sauce and scrape up any brown bits in the pan. Transfer to the slow cooker.
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Stir rest of the ingredients into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.
I cooked mine for only 4 hours and it was perfect.
Recipe Source: America’s Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution
ok Jodi, its snowing and I had chili on the menu tonight…but I was missing one ingredient for my chili and didn’t want to venture out in the weather…so lucky me, I saw your recipe! Making it now!
Glad I had you covered Christine! Hope you liked it.