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I couldn’t think of a better 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.

overhead photo of Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili with beer bread and spoons in photo

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.

Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili slow cooker bowl

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 chili probably just as much.

side angled photo of Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili with spoons and towel in photo

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.

overhead photo of Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili with hand in photo dipping bread into chili bowl

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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
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.

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

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!
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Comments

  4. Very yummy! I’m wondering what the carbs are. I want to have my diabetic type 1 sister to be able to eat this. Thanks! Kathy

    Reply

    1. Hey Kathy,
      So sorry, I do not have that info available, just the estimated calorie count. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan

      Reply

  5. I think I’ve made this recipe 5 or 6 times now. Really good flavor and super filling. It is perfect to make on a Sunday and then freeze some portions for work lunches!

    Reply

  6. 4 stars
    Great solid recipe base! My husband actually prefers this to beef chili, doesn’t give him heartburn. Texans: subtract apple butter and cinnamon, add third chipotle pepper in adobo.

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    This chili recipe has quickly become our favorite. We seem to make it almost every or every other Sunday and it is even better the next day!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Second time making this and second time in a row that I added the beans right away and didn’t wait till the last hour :/

    Guess I’ll try a third time and be more careful!

    Reply

  10. Made this recipe today via a slow cooker. The only change I made to the recipe was less chili powder. My chili turned out fairly liquid, instead of thick. I did 3 cups of broth. Maybe that is my issue. Do you have a suggestion on how to fix it?

    Reply

    1. Hey Megan,
      Thanks for giving the recipe a try! Next time, I would start with 2 cups of broth, depending how you like your chili you can slowly add more broth or leave as is. I hope this helps! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. Hello! I just made this the other night and it was the best chili I’ve had by far!! Thank you so much for the recipe – it was warm, comforting and delicious!

    Reply

    1. Hey Sanah,
      Seriously amazing! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan

      Reply

  13. 5 stars
    This was so delicious. I had never made Turkey chili before but I followed the recipe exactly and our family really enjoyed it. Will definitely make this again! Great flavor!!
    Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Mercedes,
      I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. 5 stars
    this was INCREDIBLE!! I was scared of the turkey since it’s always so bland, but this was seriously the best chili i’ve ever had period. Everyone was a massive fan – I thought I was making enough for a few meals, but it was gone within the hour lol thank you!!

    Reply

    1. Hi Gloria,
      I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan

      Reply

  15. Going to cook this and bring up to the mountains, but question….I don’t have apple butter, would you sub with apple sauce or honey or just omit all together? This recipe looks amazing 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hey Joanna,
      You could totally do apple sauce or skip it. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      Reply