Turkey Chili (No Beans!)
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A Healthy Turkey Chili recipe that is made with no beans! Delicious and easy to make in the crockpot or instant pot. Paleo & Whole30 too!
Turkey Chili is one of the best crockpot meal you’ll ever make.
This recipe is on repeat in our house because it’s veggie and protein packed, loaded with flavor, low in fat and easy to make in your slow cooker! (You can make it on the stove top or instant pot too!)
It’s perfect for a week night dinner, meal prepping, or a game day snack!
Liz’s Tips for the Best Chili
- Cook the chili on low for at least 6 hours – chili really is best simmered low and slow. You can put this on high in the crockpot or make it on the stovetop, but I find a minimum of 6 hours in the crockpot is best.
- Use a food processor to chop your veggies– I put the carrots, onion and garlic in the food processor to make them super fine. It also saves a ton of time!
- If making in the instant pot: Make sure to scrape off any pieces of food on the bottom of the Instant Pot or you will may a burn notice during cooking.
Ingredients
Substitutions
Turkey: This turkey chili works with ground turkey, ground beef, or ground chicken! You can also use chicken breasts and make a shredded chicken chili. We also have a Healthy White Chicken Chili or Pumpkin Chicken Chili if you’re looking for other chili recipes, or this Gluten Free Chili Mac is a delicious twist on chili!
Veggies: You can use more or less of any of the veggies in this recipe. Feel free to use fewer peppers, more carrots, etc. It’s a pretty flexible recipe.
Beans: You can totally add beans to this chili. Black beans or pinto beans would be a great addition! Or check out our Ground Turkey Chili! I also love to add 1 cup of corn to this chili for sweetness.
Sweet Potatoes: I have made this with sweet potatoes. I cut them into large 1 inch chunks. I would recommend adding 2 cups of sweet potatoes if you’d like. I bet butternut squash would also be good, but I haven’t tried it. You could also check out our Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Chili.
Spices: You can add more and less spices if you like. It seems like a lot of seasoning but I promise it’s delicious!
How to Make No Bean Chili
- Heat oil in a pan. Cook turkey over medium high heat until browned, approximately 10 minutes.
- Form into ball Add browned turkey + all ingredients to the crockpot.
- Stir all of the ingredients together in the crockpot until thoroughly mixed.
- Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice.
The ground turkey in this recipe is way lighter than beef, making this the perfect protein and veggie packed dish (we also love it in shepherd’s pie)! Your family is totally going to love it.
Something to note – this recipe makes a pretty large batch of chili (an entire crockpot full).
However, it does freeze very well. It’s perfect for making one large batch, enjoying it for dinner + freezing it for later in the week!
Instant Pot Turkey Chili
Yes, you can make this turkey chili in the instant pot, crockpot OR on your stovetop!
If you are making this in the instant pot, make sure to scrape off any pieces of food on the bottom of the Instant Pot or you will may have a burn notice during cooking.
You also must make sure your Instant Pot pressure is set to sealing. See below for instant pot instructions in the recipe.
What to Serve with This Chili
- Rice/Quinoa: I like to put this over rice. I usually stir in 1/2 a cup of califlower rice for extra veggies too!
- Toppings: Guacamole, avocado, red onion, salsa, sour cream, or jalapeño are all great toppings for this recipe. You could add cheddar cheese or crushed tortilla chips
- Over a salad
- If you’re paleo or whole30: Serve this chili over cauliflower rice, Crispy Sheet Pan Roasted Potatoes, or with your own homemade roasted plantains.
Storage
Storing: This will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container
Freezing: You can freeze this turkey chili! This chili freezes very well. In fact, I usually get 3 or 4 small containers and divided the leftovers from the crockpot once we’re done eating it for dinner. We like these containers for freezing.
Reheating: Then, when you’re ready to enjoy, you can take a container out of the freezer and heat over the stove or in the microwave. It’s great for a quick meal!
If you LOVE healthy slow cooker recipes you should click here to get my healthy crockpot cookbook! If you love ground turkey, check out these Healthy Ground Turkey Recipes!
Other healthy crockpot dinners:
We love our crockpot! Here are some of our favorite healthy crockpot dinners:
Turkey Chili with No Beans
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup minced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup diced red bell peppers
- 1 cup minced carrots
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes low salt if necessary
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
Crockpot Instructions:
- In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil. Cook the turkey over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until somewhat browned.
- While the turkey is cooking, chop all vegetables and measure spices.
- Once the turkey has cooked for 5 minutes, add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked turkey/onion/garlic mixture to the crockpot. Stir in carrots, bell peppers, crushed tomatoes and dried spices.
- Stir all of the ingredients together in the crockpot until thoroughly combined
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. (Low is recommended) Stir every hour or so if you can. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice.
Instant Pot Instructions
- *Warning* The instant pot Is very finicky. We do not recommend making this chili in it unless you must as it may give you a burn notice. This chili tastes much better and is easier to make in your crockpot or on the stove.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode for 10 minutes. Cook the turkey over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until somewhat browned.
- While the turkey is cooking, chop all vegetables and measure spices.
- Once the turkey has cooked for 5 minutes, add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
- Important: Make sure to scrape off any pieces of food on the bottom of the Instant Pot or you will get a burn notice during cooking.
- Stir in carrots, bell peppers, crushed tomatoes and dried spices. Important step only for the instant pot: Add 1 cup of water, then stir again.
- Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 10 minutes on high pressure. Make sure the pressure release is set to sealing (on older models). When finished cooking, allow pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Serve over rice or cauliflower rice.
Stovetop Instructions:
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Cook the turkey over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until somewhat browned.
- While the turkey is cooking, chop all vegetables and measure spices.
- Once the turkey has cooked for 5 minutes, add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
- Stir in carrots, bell peppers, crushed tomatoes and dried spices until thoroughly combined.
- Turn the heat to medium and bring the chili to a simmer. Cook over low-medium heat for 30 minutes to 2 hours stirring every 10-15 minutes.
- Serve over rice or cauliflower rice.
Video
Notes
- Make sure to scrape off any pieces of food on the bottom of the Instant Pot or you will may a burn notice during cooking.
- Make sure your Instant Pot pressure is set to sealing.
I made the Clean Eating Couple’s paleo turkey chili and it is to die for! The little bit of cinnamon was something I had never done before but added a great flavor to the chili. My husband loves spicy food so I did add some jalapeños as well so the spicy/cinnamon combo was unreal!
Thank you so much Alyssa! Love the addition of jalapenos – that sound SO good!!
This turkey chili recipe has become a staple in my house! After having my second son I stumbled on The Clean Eating Couples Instagram and found this recipe by accident! I make the turkey chili at least once a week and what I love is that my 2 toddlers and husband eat this right up. I also think this recipe is great for meal prepping. I have 2 active toddlers and I’m non stop so this is something I can easily warm up and get a healthy meal in on those crazy days.
So glad you like the recipe, Kristin! It makes me so happy to hear that your whole family likes it too 🙂 The chili also freezes SO well if you ever want to prep it in advance and freeze it for another night when you need an easy dinner!
We enjoyed this recipe a lot! It’s so nice to prep it in the morning and then let it cook in the crockpot until dinner. We serve our chili over baked sweet potatoes. So good!
So glad you liked it, Allie! I love this chili over sweet potatoes – SO good!
This is fantastic! I am currently doing a whole 30 and I have two teenage boys so cooking for us all can be a challenge sometimes. They loved it as well!
I will definitely be adding this to my weekly menu.😊
Thanks, Angie!! Makes me happy to hear that you and your family enjoy it 🙂 I know it can be tough to share W30 recipes with a family!
Best. Chili. EVER!!!! Chili always made my stomach upset but not this recipe. My hubby and I make it at least once a month – yes, all year round. The plus side? Have random veggies in your fridge you don’t know what to do with? Use them in this chili. It’s a win-win. You’re welcome.
Thank you so much, Abby! I’m with you – I love making this because it’s an easy way to use up all the veggies in my fridge AND it makes a huge batch! So glad you like it!
I love chili year-round, and this is a perfect recipe to make anytime! A delicious and healthy alternative. Not to mention soooo easy to make 🙂
So glad you like it, Jen!! Thanks so much!
I am doing Whole30 this month, and I was looking for something new to try. I was so excited to come across this recipe, and it did not disappoint! It’s super easy to make, and it is hearty and delicious! You don’t miss the beans at all. My husband is not a veggie guy, and he went back for seconds! This one is becoming a regular part of my meal prepping for sure!
I’m so glad you liked it, Karen!! And that your husband liked it too 🙂 It definitely is a sneaky way to hide veggies!
Love this chili! My family ate this over baked potatoes! 🙂
Thank you so much!! Love that idea- I’m totally trying that!
I made this yesterday. Seriously people, you NEED this chili in your recipe rotation, NOW! It is cowboy and toddler approved and is amazing re-heated. SO GOOD! I used half lean ground beef, half ground turkey breast and snuck the veggies in without either picky eater complaining – in fact they both asked for more. Make this, you will be happy you did!!
Thank you so much, Abbi! It makes me so happy that your WHOLE family loved this!! And yay for sneaking in veggies 🙂
So delicious!! I made it with ground beef too Yummy! Easy prep!
Glad you like it, Kate! This chili is one of my favorites!
I live for quick, minimal ingredients, and delicious- this has all 3 and more!! I’ve made this even in the summer and it never disappoints- full of flavor with no guilt.
I’m so glad you like it, Jennifer! It’s one of our favorites too – even in the summer!
This was the first crockpot recipe from The Clean Eating Couple I tried and I was SO impressed! It was easy to follow, the chili came out perfect and tasted delicious. Definitely try it out!
I’m so glad you liked it, Whitney!! Can’t wait for you to try other recipes 🙂
Hands down the best Turkey Chili recipe I have tried. Had made it as a meal prep for my dinners for the week and it was good EVRY night! Served it over mashed cauliflower instead of cauli rice or noodles and it was delicious! Highly recommend!
Thank you Stephanie!! I’m definitely tryin git over mashed cauliflower rice – that sounds yummy!
I made this in the crockpot and loved it. Tried it in the IP today cause I got started late and it keeps burning. I looked back at the IP instructions and they mention adding water with the crushed tomatoes, but I don’t see water anywhere on the ingredients list, so I’m confused. Is this why it keeps burning? I washed the whole pot, put the chili back in and added almost 2 cups of water and it still burned again :(.
Hi Amy – I’m really sorry to hear this. Did you really scrape the pan before adding in the tomatoes/water? There can’t be anything stuck or you’ll get a burn notice. The water is listed in step #5 – 1 cup. The instant pot is super finicky. I rarely make chili in it for this reason. But I would think that the lack of water the first time around is what gave you the notice. I just added a note to the recipe about this.
could i make this on the stove ??
Yes! You probably could! I would follow the steps and instead of putting in the crockpot, cook it on the stove on medium high heat for 2 hours or so. Make sure you stir it frequently! It definitely tastes better in the crockpot because it cooks low and slow 🙂
I’m making this for dinner right now – I’m using beef as Ground Turkey/Turkey mince isn’t something readily available in NZ. I’m also using the stove top because I left it too late in the day to get it into the crockpot. However, should there be liquid for the stove top method also? Without adding any liquid, there doesn’t seem to be enough water to cook the chilli for 2 hours without it burning dry. Tx, Jo
Hi Jo – Sorry I’m just seeing this. It should be fine on the stove without any liquid, but you can always add chicken stock if you find it needs it! Hope you enjoyed it!
This is such a delicious recipe! I halve the meat, as we don’t eat much meat (I also added some red kidney beans). I especially love the turmeric, and the veggies! This is going on my meal rotation. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you so much, Susanna! You totally can add beans and serve over rice to bulk this up instead of using all the meat! I’m so glad you love this recipe as much as we do!
Super easy and delicious chili! Make a double batch, you won’t be sad you did!
Thanks, Diane! So glad you liked it!! I usually make a double batch and freeze it so I always have some! 🙂
This is very timely as I got myself a new crockpot. Will try this turkey chili on Sunday. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
This looks so good! The portion is huge for me, though. If I cut all the ingredients in half, will the cooking time be the same?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Marina – I’m sorry but I’m really not sure. I would still recommend cooking this for the same amount of time because it allows the veggies to get tender + the flavors to marinate together. However, I would keep a close eye on it. I’ve only made the recipe per the instructions. If you’re concerned about portion size you can always make this + freeze half of it – that’s what I do!
This was really good. It did not make 20 servings. It only made 12 servings at a cup each. Still only 2 points. Tqank you for sharing.
Oh my goodness! That was a total typo on my end. I’m so sorry! I just edited the recipe to 12 servings. I’m so glad you enjoyed it + thanks for pointing out my mistake!
Overall, really good! My typical chili is full of beef, bacon and beans, so I knew this would be different. It was but we really liked it. I found the meat to veggie ratio to be a bit high. Next time I would either add beans and a bit more veggies or pull back on the meat. It was a tad soupy in consistency but ate nicely. Could add a few more tomatoes in place of some of the broth? I did double the chili powder and cumin and added minced garlic. I also used smoked paprika instead of regular. All tasted great! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it! This recipe doesn’t have beans or garlic in them because I try to follow a low FODMAP diet. Both beans and garlic tend to irritate my stomach, so I stay away from them. If you like them/can tolerate them I’d definitely add them in!
It doesn’t have garlic? Garlic is one of the ingredients?
Please reread the recipe. Garlic is listed right under onions: 1 tablespoon garlic minced
Hi! This sounds delicious! I was wondering if it were possible to add some sweet potatoes in the chili itself?
Thanks!
Hi Tori- I’ve never tried this, but I think it might work. I would probably add chopped sweet potatoes in after everything has been cooking in the crockpot for about 203 hours… I wouldn’t want them to get too mushy! Let me know if you try it.
Just came across this recipe and it sounds amazing! Can you possibly tell me the macros for it?
Hi Adrienne- So happy you found the recipe! I unfortunately don’t have the macros on this, but it’s pretty high in protein and low in fat/carbs. I would try to calculate based on whatever meat/veggies you use and your portion size. Sorry! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
This looks delicious!! How long do you cook the sweet potato noodles for?
Thank you, Kristy! i typically just microwave them for 2-3 minutes. I prefer them to be firm, but you could microwave for longer if you’d like them softer
Right?! Chili is my FAVORITE!
bring on the fall flavors! this chili looks awesome, & anything that simplifies my life by going in the crock pot is a sure winner. LOVE the idea to serve over sweet potato noodles – definitely stealing that trick soon!
I’m SO ready for fall, Jess!! The crockpot is my favorite + serving this over sweet potato noodles is SO yummy!! 🙂