Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Sweet Potato
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This lean, healthy slow cooker turkey chili is not only hearty and absolutely delicious, but it’s also chock full of fiber, protein, and nutrients. It’s also gluten-free & dairy-free! This crockpot chili is delicious and fresh but is also a great make-ahead meal.
Or try our Instant Pot Turkey Chili instead.
About This Recipe
Can chili be refreshing? Well, not like refreshing in as a cold drink on a hot day. But, it definitely qualifies as a welcomed break from the overindulgent foods of the holidays. It was a winner and will be a regular in our winter menu planning for sure.
The jalapeño lends just the right amount of heat without being overpowering. It’s perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner and then leftovers for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
This lean turkey chili is not only hearty and absolutely delicious, but it’s also chock full of fiber, protein, and nutrients.
Here are some of the powerhouse ingredients in this delicious, yet, oh-so-healthy chili:
- Sweet potatoes (a superfood!)
- Onion
- Garlic
- Jalapeño pepper
- Lean ground turkey (lighter than ground beef)
- Seasonings
- Tomato paste
- Petite diced tomatoes
- Broth (make your own with this recipe!)
- Black beans
How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Saute Sweet Potaotes
In a large skillet or pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat until shimmery. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until softened and starting to take on some color. Season lightly with salt and pepper while they cook. Transfer to a plate and set aside
Brown Meat Mixture
In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat until shimmery. Add the onion, jalapeno, and turkey and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the turkey is cooked through and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off some of the excess liquid/grease and return to the hot burner. (Tip: I do this by holding a lid on top and cracking it just a little while draining the liquid into a bowl.)
Add More Ingredients
Add the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano (crush it in your hand first) to the skillet and stir to coat the meat mixture. Cook for only 1 minute to release the flavors of those ingredients. Transfer to the slow cooker insert.
Slow Cook & Serve
Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, black beans, the cooked sweet potatoes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH. Stir in the lime juice when done.
Taste and season with more salt or lime juice to your preference. Chili will thicken as it sits and cools slightly. Serve with your favorite chili toppings.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. We’ve written a separate post on Instant Pot Turkey Chili!
You bet! This is a great recipe for anyone trying to minimize gluten and dairy in their diet. Just skip the sour cream topping at the end and you have yourself a super healthy bowl of chili!
Can I Freeze Turkey Chili?
You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for an easy, healthy freezer meal. It holds up incredibly well in the freezer! It’s one of my favorite soups to make at the beginning of the week and freeze for lunches.
There are two ways to make this a freezer meal:
1) Prepare it so it will be ready to dump in the slow cooker later. Here’s how:
- Follow step 1, but set the sweet potato aside to cool instead of transferring it to the slow cooker.
- Follow step 2 and let the meat mixture cool.
- Transfer the sweet potatoes and meat mixture to a gallon-size freezer bag or container and add the broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, black beans, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Seal, toss gently to combine, and freeze.
- To prepare from frozen, thaw and transfer the chili to the slow cooker. Follow steps 4 and 5.
2) Fully cook and cool the soup and freeze it in small containers. Use one of our safe thawing methods when you want to eat it! Pro Tip: I love using Souper Cubes for freezing soups.
More Amazing Chili Recipes
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Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Sweet Potato and Black Beans
This lean slow cooker turkey chili is not only hearty and absolutely delicious, but it’s also chock full of fiber, protein, and nutrients. It’s perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner and then leftovers for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 3 cups 1/2-inch diced peeled sweet potatoes (about 1 large)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno pepper (about 1 small)
- 1 pound 99% lean ground turkey
- 4 garlic cloves, minced (2 teaspoons pre-minced)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano, crushed in hand
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, juices and all
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus more to taste (1-2 small limes)
- Optional toppings for serving: lime wedges, diced avocado, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions or chives, cilantro leaves, hot sauce, etc.
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Saute Sweet Potatoes: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat until shimmery. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until softened and starting to take on some color. Season lightly with salt and pepper while they cook. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Saute Meat Mixture: In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat until shimmery. Add the onion, jalapeno, and turkey and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the turkey is cooked through and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Optional: Drain off some of the excess liquid/grease and return to the hot burner. (Tip: I do this by holding a lid on top and cracking it just a little while draining the liquid into a bowl.)
- Add More Ingredients: Add the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano (crush it in your hand first) to the skillet and stir to coat the meat mixture. Cook for only 1 minute to release the flavors of those ingredients.
- Slow Cook: Transfer the meat/veggie mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, black beans, the cooked sweet potatoes, 3/4 teaspoon salt*, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH. Stir in the lime juice when done.
- Serve: Taste and season with more salt or lime juice to your preference. Chili will thicken as it sits and cools slightly. Serve with your favorite chili toppings.
*Use 1 teaspoon salt if you used low sodium chicken broth.
Freezer For Later:
- Method 1 (before slow cooker): Complete recipe through Step 3. Add the cooked and cooled meat and vegetables to a gallon-sized freezer bag or container. Then, add the remaining ingredients from Step 4 to the same bag. Seal, toss gently to mix, and freeze.
- Method 2 (fully cooked): Fully cook and cook the chili. Freeze in a large freezer bag or in individual containers.
Prepare From Frozen:
- Method 1 (before slow cooker): Thaw for 24-48 hours in the refrigerator. Cook according to instructions beginning with Step 4.
- Method 2 (fully cooked): Thaw in the refrigerator. Warm on the stovetop, in the crock pot, or in the microwave.
Notes/Tips
- I updated this recipe on 11/13/24 to more closely match our cookbook recipe in From Freezer to Cooker. I also incorporated a few techniques I’ve learned for adding more flavor–toasting the tomato paste and spices and adding in lime juice for acid at the end. I also increased the jalapeno amount slightly (don’t worry it’s not too spicy at all). All of those changes add up to a better recipe in my opinion. I hope you enjoy it! (If you prefer the old version, you can print off the original version here.)
- Instant Pot Version: Use our Instant Pot Turkey Chili recipe.
- Stovetop Instruction: Follow Steps 1-3 (except use a large stock pot instead of a pan). Add ingredients from Step 4 in. Bring to a low boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, just until the sweet potatoes are soft. Stir in lime juice. Follow Step 5.
- Be sure to chop and lay out all your ingredients and equipment before beginning this recipe, since it goes quickly once you begin.
- The jalapeño adds a low level of heat in the background—not overpowering at all. If you like more heat, add more jalapeño or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- I love to freeze this chili in 2-cup Pyrex glass containers or Souper Cubes so I can warm them up for lunches in the microwave.
- You can double this recipe in a 6-quart slow cooker. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may have to saute the turkey and vegetables in two batches.
Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
Where does the tomato paste go?
Hi Jocelyn. I edited the recipe to include the tomato paste in the directions. It is mixed it with the seasonings and diced tomatoes, etc. before slow cooking. Sorry we omitted it. Thank you for asking so we could make that change.
Super delicious! Altered the recipe by omitting the jalapeno and using one chipotle chile in adobo sauce plus 1 tsp extra adobo sauce. Decreased the chili powder to 1-1/2 tsp and the cumin to 1 tsp. Will make again!
Hi Danielle. Glad you were able to make a few tweaks to better match your family’s tastes. Thank you for detailing them for others to know about!
Hi! First time visitor to your site, was wondering if I could use another protein that’s not turkey? Or perhaps sub chickpeas?
Hi Christine. You could sub ground chicken for the turkey. And you could certainly sub any other ground meat, but would need to adjust seasonings a bit. If you sub chickpeas, let us know how it turns out! So glad you found us!
This has become a staple in our house for guests and for everyday. It’s such a crowd pleaser!
Glad to hear this Anna! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
Absolutely delicious! This will be added to my must repeat recipes.
Wonderful! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
The ground turkey, sweet potato, and black bean chili is delicious and filling! My husband doesn’t love ground turkey or sweet potatoes, but said this chili was really good 😉.
Oh wow! That’s awsome that your husband liked this chili given that he doesn’t like two of the main ingredients. So glad you gave it a try and that you left a review for others to know that they might enjoy this recipe even if they too don’t love ground turkey or sweet potatoes!