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Cozy Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Black Beans

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This slow cooker turkey chili is a hearty, healthy comfort food made with lean ground turkey, black beans, and a rich spice blend. It’s easy to prep in the morning and delivers deep, slow-cooked flavor that will make even chili skeptics ask for seconds.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey (93/7)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1.5 cups)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
  • 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
  • ½ cup frozen corn (optional)
  • Juice of ½ lime (optional)

Instructions

  1. Brown the turkey (5-7 minutes): Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and break it apart. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes to get color, then break into smaller pieces until no longer pink. Do not drain.
  2. Sauté the aromatics (4-5 minutes): Push turkey to one side of the skillet. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir together at the end.
  3. Bloom the spices (1 minute): Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne, salt, and pepper over the turkey mixture. Stir constantly for 60 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Deglaze the pan (30 seconds): Pour in about ¼ cup of the chicken broth and scrape up browned bits from the skillet. Pour everything into the slow cooker.
  5. Add remaining ingredients: Add fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato sauce, drained black beans, and remaining chicken broth to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add tomato paste or corn if using.
  6. Slow cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
  7. Finish and adjust: About 15 minutes before serving, stir in lime juice if using. Taste and adjust salt and seasoning.
  8. Rest before serving: Let chili sit in the slow cooker on warm for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Don’t skip the browning step—it builds layers of flavor. Season in layers and taste before serving. If chili is too thin, remove lid and cook on HIGH for 20-30 minutes. Chili tastes even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker chili, turkey chili, black bean chili, healthy chili, easy chili, comfort food, gluten-free chili, dairy-free chili

Find it online: https://novanosh.com/cozy-slow-cooker-turkey-chili-with-black-beans/