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I couldn’t think of a better chili recipe to kick the month off than this healthy slow cooker turkey and white bean chili. Nothing beats a slowly simmered chili on a cold October day. Made with ground turkey, bell peppers, smoky chipotle peppers, white beans, and served with sharp cheddar cheese and avocado. This bowl of chili is a hearty, healthy and cozy dinner that you can feel good about eating.
Happy October first! It’s the month of all things Halloween and as you can tell from Saturday’s “spooky” Poison Apple Martini I am very, very excited! I love the month of October so much, and I’m looking forward to all that is to come!
I spent the weekend finally getting caught up with work. And while I’m still not where I’d like to be, I am entering the month feeling a little more on top of things and a little more confident. It feels good. My goal for this month is just to take things one day at a time. In an effort to not feel like I’m being pulled in a million different directions, I also want to focus my energy on one project at a time. I put my new mantra into practice over the weekend and so far so good. Fingers crossed I can’t stick with this. My mom always says it’s best to take things one day at a time, so I’m listening to her words of wisdom. After all, it’s true what they say, moms know best.
No real reason in sharing all that, other than a little positive Monday pep talk for us all…
Ok, I’ll go back to writing about what I am good at now, the food.
How much do you guys love chili?
It’s always been one of my favorites come the fall, but growing up the only chili I ever knew was Cincinnati style chili. If you’ve never experienced Cincinnati chili, it’s just a thicker chili served over angel hair pasta. It is my mom’s favorite. To this day, the only way she will eat chili is over pasta and topped with cheddar. The only way…so yes, when I gave the family this chili to try, she indeed ate it over pasta.
Anyway, point is, I didn’t grow up eating bowls of chili. So making a soupy style chili feels like something completely new and different to me. I’ll always love Cincinnati chili, but I also love today’s healthier turkey chili probably just as much.
On to the details…
To start, you’ll want to brown the ground turkey on the stove-top. You can also use ground chicken, both will work equally great. I know that this extra step is a bit of a pain, but trust me, when working with ground meat it’s a step you have to take. On that note, I recently got a slow cooker that can also brown meat before you begin slow cooking. It’s a game-changer. I highly recommend investing in an all in one browning slow cooker if you love slow cooking.
Brown the meat, add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and set for six or so hours. Then come home to the most delicious smells and dinner that’s ready for eating. Does not get better than that.
To bump up the flavors of my chili, I used a mix of chipotle chili peppers, chili powder, and my secret ingredient, apple butter. I know it may seem weird to use apple butter in chili, but the sweetness balances out the spice of the chili. Go with me on this, promise it takes the chili to a who would have known delicious level.
Finish each bowl off with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, and green onions. AND serve with the 5 Ingredient Honey Butter Beer Bread from the cookbook. A bowl of chili is not complete without beer bread.
Also, while I am providing you guys with Instant Pot directions, I much prefer this recipe to be made in the slow cooker if time allows. No matter how much pressure cooking you do, nothing will be the same as slow cooking a chili all day long. It gives the chili time to develop flavor and creates the most wonderful smells throughout your house.
I highly recommend making this for Sunday night dinner and then enjoying the leftovers throughout the week. Perfection.
If you make this Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 849 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small yellow onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 pounds ground turkey or chicken
- 2 red peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped (use 1 pepper for less heat)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2-3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (28 ounce) crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon apple butter
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 can (14 ounce) white beans, drained
- cheddar cheese, avocado, green onions, and cilantro for serving
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook about 5 minutes or until it begins to caramelize around the edges. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute. Add the turkey and brown all over, breaking up the meat as you go, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.2. Transfer the turkey to the bowl of your slow cooker. Add in the red bell peppers, chipotle peppers, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in 2 cups chicken broth, the tomatoes, tomato paste, apple butter, and bay leaves, stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. During the last hour of cooking, stir in the beans. If your chili is too thick, add the remaining broth to thin as desired. 3. Remove the bay leaves and ladle the chili into bowls. Top with cheddar cheese, avocado, and green onions. Eat!
Instant Pot
- 1. Set the instant pot to sauté. Add the olive oil and onion and cook about 5 minutes or until it begins to caramelize around the edges. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute. Add the turkey and brown all over, breaking up the meat as you go, about 5 minutes. Turn the instant pot off.2. Add in the red bell peppers, chipotle peppers, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in 2 cups chicken broth, the tomatoes, tomato paste, apple butter, and bay leaves, stir to combine. Cover and cook on soup/chili for 25 minutes.3. Once done cooking, use the quick release and release the steam. Stir in the beans. Remove the bay leaves and ladle the chili into bowls. Top with cheddar cheese, avocado, and green onions. Eat!
This post was originally published on October 1, 2018
I’ve been making this for some time now and it’s always a family favorite. If you don’t have Apple butter, I use Apple sauce. I love to serve this with a warm fresh tortilla on the side.
I appreciate that it has an instant pot version when I forget to set the crock pot.
Hey Edward,
Fantastic! Love to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for making it!
Have a great weekend!
Can’t wait to try this! Can I skip the apple butter? I couldn’t find it anywhere!
Hi Katie,
Sure, that would be okay for you to do. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
This is my go to chili recipe in the colder seasons! Love!!!
Hey Jasmine,
Really appreciate you making this recipe and reporting back. Thrilled it turned out well!
This was SO delicious- very healthy and satisfying. Thank you for sharing!
Had a guest for dinner who’d never had chili of any kind before, and they went back for seconds.
Hey Courtney,
Thanks so much! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Have a great weekend! xx
Love this tasty chili!
Hi Jennifer,
Lovely!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, I love to hear it was enjoyed! Happy New Year!🥳🥂
This turkey chili was fantastic, I only used one chipotle pepper because I was afraid it would be to spicy, but next time I will definitely use two
Going to be a great recipe for the winter !
Hey Tina,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! Happy Halloween! 🎃
Love this recipe. It has become a staple in our house. I started making it with shredded chicken and it is equally as delicious !
Hey Jessica,
Awesome! Thanks so much for making this recipe so often and sharing your feedback! So glad it is always enjoyed! Have a great autumn Friday! Xx
Your receipts says it’s for 8 servings at 849 calories/ serving for a healthy chili? I actually think that this is a mistake. I would make this using my own macro calculator, but I do glance at calories / serving and consider macros when deciding if a meal would suit my family.
Hi there,
I always recommend that if the nutritional information is important to you, you use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! Hope you enjoy the recipe! xT
I did my own estimate on myfitnesspal for the calories and it came out under 300 calories per serving in case anyone was taken aback by the automatic estimation on the recipe
Besides bread what do you like to serve as side ?
Hi Nancy,
A side salad is great to serve with this:) Otherwise, I feel like it’s a pretty well rounded chili that doesn’t need much! I hope you love this recipe! xT
Could you use applesauce instead of apple butter if you don’t have any?
Yes!!
We love this recipe. So hearty and delicious! Perfect for a cool fall day to come home to. Pulled out my crockpot for the first time in a couple years to make this and it didn’t disappoint. We like a thicker chilli so I cut back on the liquid a bit. This is GOOD!
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! I appreciate you leaving a comment! 🙂 xT
Can you freeze this chili? If so, how long do you think it can be stored in the freezer?
Hey Alexandra,
Totally, that will work well for you! You can freeze for 3 months. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Thanks T!
I have made this chili a few times and it never disappoints!
Thank you so much Danielle! xT
Can you make this on the stovetop?
Yeah, that should work fine! xT
If using dried beans would you soak overnight and add for the entire cooking time or would you not recommend?
This has easily become our favorite chili recipe. It’s perfect for an easy fall dinner and for hosting friends. The apple butter and cinnamon make this so warming and delicious. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Thank you so much! Hope you have a great fall season! 🙂 xT