This Turkey Veggie Chili is so delicious! It includes lean ground turkey and is loaded with carrots and mushrooms. The flavors are spicy, smoky, with a touch of sweetness to balance everything out.
Make it for a weeknight dinner or save it for game day – it’s a real crowd pleaser. And don’t worry about leftovers, if there are any, because this healthy turkey vegetable chili recipe freezes perfectly.
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I love turkey chili recipes. My go to standard is this slow cooker turkey chili recipe – I lose count on the number of times I make this every winter. This sausage chili is another favorite.
However when I want a tasty turkey chili loaded with veggies I turn to this turkey veggie chili recipe!
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- It can cook all day and still taste amazing! If you’re looking for a slow cooker chili recipe that can cook while you work then this is it.
- Picky-eater approved. Everyone loves this chili recipe. It’s family friendly and a real crowd pleaser.
- Nutritious. This healthy chili includes lean ground turkey, beans, and lots of veggies! It’s high protein, fiber, and gluten-free.
- Make-ahead. Chili gets better by the day so keep it in the fridge for healthy dinners all week or freeze to have ready for later on.
Ingredients
- Chili spices. I put together a blend of chili powder, chipotle chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper to give this turkey veggie the perfect amount of heat and flavor.
- Ground turkey. For best flavor use a high-quality ground turkey breast that has a lean to fat ratio of 93/7. My favorite stores to purchase ground turkey are Wegmans, Whole Foods, and online from Butcher Box.
- Chicken broth. You only need to use a small amount to scrape up the spices and browned bits after you brown the ground turkey.
- Canned chili-ready diced tomatoes. Regular canned diced tomatoes will work but I like using chili-ready for extra flavor.
- Black beans. I always seem to have black beans in the pantry so that’s the variety I use most often in my chili recipes. However, red kidney beans or any bean will work.
- Tomato paste. This give the chili recipe a rich flavor and thick consistency.
- Coconut sugar. A little bit of coconut sugar is used to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. You can also use dark brown sugar or if you prefer no sugar then remove it completely.
- Carrots. Carrots can hold up to long cooking times in the slow cooker and also add a nice sweet flavor, a punch of Vitamin A, while bulking up the chili.
- White mushrooms. Mushrooms give the chili an earthiness while adding to the chunky texture.
Cooking Tips
I prefer using ground turkey in most chili recipes to keep the saturated fat low. However you can use lean ground beef too.
If you prefer a milder chili recipe then skip the chipotle chili powder. Or if you want it spicier then stir in cayenne pepper, some canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or chop up some jalalpenos.
Remember, the seeds are where the heat is coming from so the more seeds the hotter the chili.
You are not limited to the vegetables in this chili recipe. Keep in mind if you want the veggies to cook all day then I recommend heartier vegetables such as sweet potato, winter squash, celery, bell peppers, or onions.
It’s helpful to cut the potatoes or squash into smaller even pieces so they cook evenly.
If you want to use zucchini, spinach, kale or other delicate vegetables then add those in the last 30-45 minutes of cooking time.
One of the best slow cooker tips I’ve learned over the years is to salt recipes at the end. I say this in all of slow cooker recipe because it’s so helpful. Long slow cooker time can result in muted flavors. Adding salt at the end helps those flavor come alive again. Depending ont he recipe I’ll use about 1 teaspoon salt and sometimes more, you just need to taste it as you add. Trust me, it works!
How to Make Turkey Veggie Chili
- In a small bowl, mix together both chili powders, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Set it aside for a moment.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook until brown but still a little pink. Break the turkey into small pieces as it cooks. This does add some extra prep time to the recipe, but it helps enhance the flavor of the ground turkey.
- Stir the spices in with the turkey and cook for another 2 minutes or until the spices are fragrant.
- Place the turkey into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Place the skillet back on the stove over medium low heat and Add ½ cup of the chicken broth to the pan and cook for 1 minute or until all the little bits are released from the bottom of the pan. Pour this into the slow cooker on top of the turkey.
- To the slow cooker add the diced tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, and coconut sugar Stir a couple times until the sugar is dissolved.
- Then stir in the carrots and mushrooms.
- Tightly place the lid onto the slow cooker and set the cooking time for 8-10 hours on low or high 5-6 hours.
- Stir in the salt and lime juice.
- Serve hot with your favorite chili toppings and tortilla chips. We love sour cream or plain greek yogurt, avocado, cilantro, sliced jalapenos, and shredded cheddar cheese.
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Stove-top Instructions
If you don’t want to wait all day for this chili recipe to cook in the crockpot then make it on the stove top. Use a 5 ½ quart dutch oven or soup pot to brown the turkey, add the spices, and then stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 45 minutes or so.
Storage tips
This turkey and vegetable chili recipe gets better by the day so it’s perfect for meal prep or freezer cooking.
For the week.
After the chili cools, place into airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. I always recommend portioning it out into individual servings because this makes it easier to grab for work lunches or stay on track at dinner time.
For the freezer.
Chili is a freezer cooking superstar! After the turkey vegetable chili cools place into airtight containers, or use silicone freezer trays like Souper Cubes, and freeze up to 3 months. To make it easier to thaw and reheat it I recommend freezing into smaller portions. Again, this also helps if you want to portioned out meals for lunch or dinner.
Other healthy chili recipes
See all of my chili recipes and healthy slow cooker recipes.
Turkey Veggie Chili
This Turkey Veggie Chili is so delicious! It includes lean ground turkey and is loaded with carrots and mushrooms. The flavors are spicy, smoky, with a touch of sweetness to balance everything out. Make it for a weeknight dinner or save it for game day – it’s a real crowd pleaser. And don’t worry about leftovers, if there are any, because this healthy turkey vegetable chili recipe freezes perfectly.
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Print Pin Rate
Servings: 8
Calories: 300kcal
Equipment
-
5 1/2 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey breast 93/7 lean to fat ratio
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 15.5 ounce canned diced chili-ready tomatoes
- 2 15.ounce cans black beans drained
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar can use dark or light brown sugar
- 1 pound carrots peeled and thickly sliced
- 1 10 ounce package slice white mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
- juice from one lime
Instructions
-
In a small bowl, mix together both chili powders, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Set it aside for a moment.
-
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook until brown but still a little pink. Break the turkey into small pieces as it cooks.
-
Stir the spices in with the turkey and cook for another 2 minutes or until the spices are fragrant.
-
Place the turkey into the bottom of the slow cooker.
-
Place the skillet back on the stove over medium low heat and add ½ cup of the chicken broth to the pan and cook for 1 minute or until all the little bits are released from the bottom of the pan.
-
Pour the broth and bits into the slow cooker on top of the turkey.
-
To the slow cooker add the diced tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, and coconut sugar. Stir a couple times until the sugar is dissolved.
-
Then stir in the carrots and mushrooms.
-
Tightly place the lid onto the slow cooker and set the cooking time for 8-10 hours on low or high 5-6 hours.
-
Stir in the salt and lime juice. Serve hot with your favorite chili toppings and tortilla chips. We love sour cream or plain greek yogurt, avocado, cilantro, sliced jalapenos, and shredded cheddar cheese.
Notes
This turkey and vegetable chili recipe gets better by the day so it’s perfect for meal prep or freezer cooking.
For the week.
After the chili cools, place into airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. I always recommend portioning it out into individual servings because this makes it easier to grab for work lunches or stay on track at dinner time.
For the freezer.
Chili is a freezer cooking superstar! After the turkey vegetable chili cools, place into airtight containers, or use silicone freezer trays like Souper Cubes, and freeze for up to 3 months. To make it easier to thaw and reheat it I recommend freezing into smaller portions. Again, this also helps if you want to portion out meals for lunch or dinner.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 741mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 11g
Did you make this recipe?
Have you tried this Turkey Veggie Chili? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it!
