Crock Pot Turkey Chili
Cooked low and slow, this Crock Pot Turkey Chili is not only easy and tasty but it is the perfect way to use up that leftover holiday turkey!
THE PERFECT LEFTOVER TURKEY RECIPE
Chili is one of my favorite comfort foods. There is something so warm and comforting about knowing a crock pot of chili is ready and waiting for you when you come home from work. If you are looking for a slightly different chili, then you need to try my Crock Pot Turkey Chili. Using leftover turkey is a great way to not let that delicious meat go to waste. This is gonna make that leftover turkey sing! Just set it and forget it and you will have yourself a winning dinner at the end of the day. So if you are looking for that perfect, tummy warming chili recipe, this Crock Pot Turkey Chili recipe is just what you need!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
This recipe is not too hot at all. It has just a very slight kick. If you prefer your chili hotter, just add more cayenne/chili powder or sprinkle in some hot sauce.
It is recommended to soak your beans at least overnight, but if you forgot to soak your beans, you can still use them, but you will need to add at least another 2 hours to your cooking time. Or you can just substitute with an undrained can of kidney beans.
Mexene chili powder can usually be found in the aisle where other Mexican products are located. I like to use Mexene Chili Seasoning because it has the perfect mix of spices, but if you can’t get find it, go ahead and use the following as a substitute:
*1 tablespoon chili powder
*1 tablespoon cumin
*1 teaspoon garlic powder
*1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Yes, this would be great with chicken as well. Just cook and shred your chicken and process in a food processor like in the instructions below. Ground beef and ground turkey could also be used. Cook and crumble the beef or turkey before adding to the crock pot.
I usually add a little at the end if I taste the chili and the tomatoes are coming across as very acidic. The sugar cuts some of that stronger acidity. You don’t taste the sugar though. Just about a tablespoon should do it. Another trick is to add a diced carrot. It gets another vegetable in there and carrots can also help cut the acidity.
No worries! Just chop it up into smaller chunks by hand.
After the chili has completely cooled, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This can also be frozen. To do this: place in a freezer safe container and store in the freezer where it will keep for up to 6 months. To defrost: remove to refrigerator overnight to defrost and then reheat on stovetop or in microwave until heated through.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- leftover roast turkey
- dry red kidney beans
- chopped tomatoes and chiles
- tomato sauce
- chopped tomatoes
- yellow onions
- green bell pepper
- celery
- garlic
- bay leaves
- creole seasoning
- Mexene chili powder seasoning
- salt
- pepper
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT TURKEY CHILI:
Add the turkey to a food processor and pulse a few times until the turkey is ground enough to small chunks.
Chop all vegetables.
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker (except the salt and pepper).
Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or low for 6-8 hours. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste and remove the bay leaves. If needed add a touch of brown sugar to cut the acidity.
Serve with favorite accompaniments (e.g. sour cream, avocado, cilantro, corn chips, cheese).
WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES?
Crock Pot Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups leftover roast turkey (any skin removed)
- 1 cup dry red kidney beans, soaked overnight
- 10 ounce can chopped tomatoes and chiles
- 14 ounce can tomato sauce
- 3 (14 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
- 2 yellow onions finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper finely diced
- 2 celery ribs finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 Tablespoon creole seasoning (or Season All)
- 2-1/2 Tablespoons Mexene chili powder seasoning (see below to make your own)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the turkey to a food processor and pulse a few times until the turkey is ground enough to small chunks.
- Chop all vegetables.
- Add all ingredients to the slow cooker (except the salt and pepper).
- Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or low for 6-8 hours.
- Taste and add salt and pepper to taste and remove the bay leaves. If needed add a touch of brown sugar to cut the acidity.
- Serve with favorite accompaniments (e.g. sour cream, avocado, cilantro, corn chips, cheese).
Notes
- You can substitute chicken for turkey if you do not have leftover turkey.
- One can of kidney beans can be substituted for the dry beans.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- You can add sugar to this recipe at the end if it tastes to acidic.
- If you can’t find Mexene chili seasoning powder, substitute with the following.
*1 tablespoon chili powder
*1 tablespoon cumin
*1 teaspoon garlic powder
*1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
What happened to the black bean chili recipe for the crockpot?
How long should it cook if you use canned beans?
Same amount of time. You could maybe reduce the time by about an hour but I think the longer chili simmers, the better it tastes 🙂