Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Sweet Potato and Black Beans
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This lean, healthy 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
- In a large pan over medium to medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté diced sweet potatoes for about 5 minutes, until just softened. Season lightly with salt and pepper while sautéing. Add sweet potato mixture to slow cooker insert.
- Turn up heat to medium-high. In same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté the onions, jalapeño pepper, garlic and ground turkey, stirring and breaking up the meat. Cook until meat is cooked through (no longer pink) and onions softened, about 4-5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper while sautéing. Drain off any grease. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Add the following to the slow cooker: meat mixture, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and black beans. Stir until well combined.
- Slow cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper amounts. Add hot sauce to increase heat at the end, if desired. Serve topped with your favorite chili toppings (diced avocado, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, shredded cheddar, diced onions, etc.).
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 chili is not only hearty and absolutely delicious, but it’s also chock full of fiber, protein, and nutrients. 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
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil, divided
- 3 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 –2 teaspoons jalapeño pepper, minced (sub: a good pinch of cayenne)
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1–2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (15-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, liquid and all
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 can (15-ounce) cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
- Topping for serving: hot sauce, diced avocado, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheddar, diced onions, salsa, thinly sliced green onion, etc.
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- In a large pan over medium to medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté diced sweet potatoes for about 5 minutes, until just softened. Season lightly with salt and pepper while sautéing. Add sweet potato mixture to slow cooker insert.
- Turn up heat to medium-high. In same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté the onions, jalapeño pepper, garlic and ground turkey, stirring and breaking up the meat. Cook until meat is cooked through (no longer pink) and onions softened, about 4-5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper while sautéing. Drain off any grease. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Add the following to the slow cooker: meat mixture, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and black beans. Stir until well combined.
- Slow cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper amounts. Add hot sauce to increase heat at the end, if desired. Serve topped with your favorite chili toppings (diced avocado, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, shredded cheddar, diced onions, etc.).
Freezer For Later: Complete recipe through Step 2. Add the cooked and cooled meat and vegetables to a gallon-sized freezer bag or container. Then, add the remaining ingredients (chili powder through black beans) to the same bag. Seal, toss gently to mix, and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw for 24-48 hours in the refrigerator. Cook according to instructions beginning with Step 4.
Notes/Tips
- Instant Pot Instructions: Follow steps 1-2 in the recipe, sautéing the sweet potatoes, onion, jalapeño, garlic, and ground turkey directly in the Instant Pot (using the Sauté function). Press Cancel. Then, stir in the remaining ingredients (chili powder through black beans). Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes with a quick release of the pressure when done.
- Stovetop Instruction: Follow Steps 1-2 (except use a large stock pot instead of a pan). Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and black beans. Bring to a low boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and crack the lid. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, just until the sweet potatoes are soft. Follow Step 5.
Try These Slow Cooker Soups & Chilis
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!