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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

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe came in a neighborhood flyer and it looked so good, I had to make it. I left out the chili pepper and the hot peppers, and used two tablespoons of apple butter. THE BEST Chili I ever made.

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    Made this for the first time tonight and my husband and I loved it! One of the best chilis I’ve ever made. I didn’t have any apple butter on hand so I substituted with a tablespoon of apple sauce and a tablespoon of maple syrup.

    Reply

    1. Hi Ingrid,
      Fantastic!! So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks a lot for making it. Have a great week!? xTieghan

      Reply

  4. The ingredients say 2 red peppers and the directions say red bell peppers. Just making sure this is red bell peppers?? Thanks

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    I’d love to make this recipe but don’t have a slow cooker or instant pot! Can I use just a regular pot on the stove top instead or would I need to make any modifications? Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hey Nicole,
      Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

        1. Hi Shelby,
          I would simmer on the stove top for 3-4 hours on low. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

          Reply

  6. 5 stars
    Have been using your recipe for almost 2 years and now my family calls to ask for “my chili recipe”. Truly is the most delicious. I even make it on hot days because it’s just so good.

    Reply

    1. Hey Malia,
      Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! ☀️xTieghan

      Reply

  7. The cinnamon made it have a weird flavor. Maybe it’s better without ??‍♀️
    Not sure, but sadly won’t be making this again.

    Reply

    1. Hey Chelsea,
      So sorry you did not enjoy this recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. 5 stars
    I made this tonight because we’re having a cold front in Western North Carolina. I had homemade apple butter from.thd fall. Definitely added a great flavor- a little sweetness. Hubby said it’s the best chili I’ve made!
    Another winner.

    Reply

    1. Hey Robin,
      Fantastic! I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy Friday:) xTieghan

      Reply

        1. Hey Jess,
          Happy Friday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan

          Reply

  9. Made this last night and it’s delicious, a nice blend of flavors (love adding red peppers). Think it will taste even better today since chili is always better the second day. I added four chilis since it needed more heat. When I make it again I’ll add another can of beans and less turkey. Ground turkey is pretty tasteless and a little chewy.

    Reply

  10. Can this be made on the stovetop on low simmer and if so how long would you cook for? I was gifted your cookbook for xmas from my sister and I am obsessed with all the recipes and love the beauty of the photos.

    Reply

    1. Hey Noelle,
      Yes, that will work well, I would cook on low for 2-3 hours. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    Go-to chili recipe! Also as a bonus for anyone on weight watchers, this recipe is almost no points on blue/purple plans. Great with ground chicken as well as turkey; sometimes I cheat on the apple butter and use apple sauce and a pinch of warming spices if that’s what I have. Can be made in the stovetop if you can’t handle smelling delicious chili all day and waiting on the slow cooker. 🙂 I’ve made this many times; it’s a crowd pleaser!

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    I like more beans so I ended up adding white kidney beans as that is what I had in the pantry and then a can of black beans and red kidney beans. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly. It was perfect. I look forward to leftovers today to see how the flavors might change.

    Reply

  13. Hi! This was delicious and I loved the addition of the cinnamon. Could this be adapted to a vegetarian version using beyond burger “meat” or something similar? Thanks!

    Reply

  14. 5 stars
    Just made this and followed the recipe exactly… we loved it!! Love the chipotle pepper and apple butter additions…it tasted a little different than any other chili I’ve ever had, in a really great way! Thank you for another delicious recipe ?

    Reply

  15. 5 stars
    Delicious turkey chili. I made a 1/2 recipe; I used applesauce instead of apple butter which adds a little sweetness that pairs with the chili seasonings beautifully-such a creative addition to the flavor mix. I followed the recipe exactly. I used a crock pot. The seasonings and ingredients were perfect. My new favorite chili. Thank you for yet another outstanding recipe!

    Reply