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Crockpot Turkey and White Bean Chili

Browned ground turkey, cannellini beans, green chilies and cumin cook 6 hours on LOW into a light chili that needs no cream or cheese.

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Crockpot Turkey and White Bean Chili

Recipe by Iren Pavlenko
0.0 from 0 votes
Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

6

hours 

Browned ground turkey, cannellini beans, green chilies and cumin cook 6 hours on LOW into a light chili that needs no cream or cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 large onion, diced

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2 cans (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained

  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies

  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

  • 2 tsp ground cumin

  • 1 tsp dried oregano

  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

  • 1 tsp kosher salt

  • 1 cup frozen corn

  • Lime wedges and cilantro, for serving

Directions

  • Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the turkey for 6 minutes, breaking it up.
  • Add the onion and garlic to the skillet for 2 minutes.
  • Scrape everything into the slow cooker.
  • Add the beans, chilies, broth and spices.
  • Stir well, cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
  • Mash a ladle of beans against the side of the pot to thicken the chili.
  • Stir in the corn and cook 15 minutes more.
  • Taste for salt and add lime juice.
  • Serve with cilantro and a spoon of Greek yoghurt.

Notes

    Cooked beans are already tender, so do not add them in the first hour or they turn to paste. Leftovers keep 5 days and freeze well.

Why mash a ladle of beans

Cannellini beans are creamy, and mashing a few against the pot thickens the chili with no cream or cheese. Cooked canned beans are already tender, so they only need heat.

Browning the turkey first gives a base that plain stewing would miss.

Turkey and White Bean Chili: swaps

Great Northern beans work in place of cannellini. Ground chicken can replace the turkey. Do not add the corn early, or it goes soft and dull.

A little extra lime juice at the end brightens the whole pot.

Serving and freezing

Warm tortillas or cornbread suit this light chili. Cool leftovers, then portion into containers for the freezer. Reheat with a splash of broth if the chili has thickened.

A mistake to avoid

Putting the beans in too early, or stirring too much. Canned beans are already cooked, so long stirring turns them to paste. Mash only one ladleful against the pot wall, then leave the rest whole for texture.

Use a wide spoon to stir, and keep the lid on between checks so the heat stays steady.

Crockpot Turkey and White Bean Chili at a glance

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cooking time: 6 hours
  • Servings: 6 servings
  • Ingredients: 13, led by ground turkey, olive oil, onion, garlic cloves

Tips for Crockpot Turkey and White Bean Chili

Cooked beans are already tender, so do not add them in the first hour or they turn to paste. Leftovers keep 5 days and freeze well.

Crockpot Turkey and White Bean Chili FAQ

How long does Crockpot Turkey and White Bean Chili take?

Crockpot Turkey and White Bean Chili takes 6 hours of cooking after 20 minutes of prep.

How many people does Crockpot Turkey and White Bean Chili serve?

This recipe makes 6 servings.

What do I need to make Crockpot Turkey and White Bean Chili?

13 ingredients, led by ground turkey, olive oil, onion, garlic cloves. Amounts are in the recipe card above.

Iren Pavlenko

Iren Pavlenko

Hi, I'm Iren Pavlenko. I read the top-ranked slow cooker recipes for a dish side by side and write down what they disagree on and what they all leave out — the cut, the pot size, and both the LOW and HIGH times. I write these guides so your weeknight dinner doesn't turn into a dry roast because a recipe never said which of those four things mattered.

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