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A bowl of slow cooker turkey chickpea chili topped with sliced green onions, avocado, and crumbled tortilla chips on a wooden surface

Slow Cooker Turkey Chickpea Chili

A hearty and protein-packed slow cooker turkey chickpea chili made with ground turkey, two kinds of bell peppers, petite diced tomatoes, and bold spices. Set it in the morning and come home to a ready dinner.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 portions
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 316
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 1 lb ground turkey 93 percent lean recommended
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1.5 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 0.5 tsp onion powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
  • 28 oz canned petite diced tomatoes undrained
  • 30 oz canned chickpeas two 15 oz cans, rinsed and drained
  • optional toppings sliced green onions, chopped red onion, crumbled tortilla chips, avocado, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • Slow cooker or crockpot
  • Wooden spoon or spatula
  • Ladle

Method
 

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and ground turkey. Cook, breaking the meat into crumbles, until fully browned with no pink remaining, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from the pan.
  2. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste to the skillet. Stir and cook for 1 minute until the tomato paste darkens slightly and smells richer.
  3. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the entire contents of the skillet to the slow cooker.
  4. Add the chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper, both bell peppers, diced tomatoes with their juices, and rinsed chickpeas to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
  5. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the peppers are tender and flavors are fully developed.
  6. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth if needed to loosen the texture. Swap chickpeas for black beans or kidney beans, add a diced jalapeno for heat, or stir in frozen corn during the last 30 minutes of cooking.