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.
My husband and I are trying to get back on track withl eating better and this recipe is perfect for that! I don’t even miss the beans. It does make a big batch so I froze half of it for easy meals down the road. Thank you for another great recipe!
So delicious, and my family cannot even tell it’s “healthy chili”!
I made this in a Dutch oven on the stove top. It came together very quickly and was delicious. I cooked the turkey, added the veggies (sweet potatoes were nice addition) and cooked until almost soft. I added the spices, cooked a few more minutes and then added diced tomatoes and a can of beans with liquid (I’m not paleo). I brought it to a boil and simmered with top on until I was ready to eat it. This recipe is a keeper. I can’t wait to eat leftovers tomorrow.Thank you!
This chili was delicious and made my house smell amazing! Thank for for such a fresh tasting chili recipe that is healthy! Will definitely make again and will be freezing some for future meals.
Glad you liked it, Catie! It freezes so well!
I used only one pound of ground turkey, and kept everything else the same; so delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you liked it, Anna! Thank you so much!
Yummy…thank you
Easy, healthy, and the whole family will eat it. I LOVE all the sub options and how you break out cooking by different methods. We aren’t a paleo family but you absolutely don’t need to be to enjoy this!!
So glad you like it, Kristen! Thank you!!
This was excellent. I added a whole sliced jalenpenos, mushrooms and 1/2 red onion. It was sooooo good! a bit spicy for some members of my family but that was was likely my fault for adding the jalenpeno!
Love those additions! This chili is not spicy, so it definitely was a result of the jalapenos 🙂
I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve made this recipe. We love love love it. It’s the only chili recipe that doesn’t hurt my stomach (since sans beans) and this recipe never gets old. Usually I will prep it all in a freezer bag and then have it on hand at all times. I take it out the day before to thaw in fridge and pop it in the crockpot the next day. So good.
I’m so glad you like it!! Have you tried this ? It’s equally delicious and no beans!!
Loved this recipe, and meant to use the sweet potatoes however I forgot them at the store so I used a butternut squash I had at home and just tossed them in the crockpot.
So glad you liked it, Nicole! Thank you!!
Super easy to make in the crockpot and even had some leftover to freeze! I also added zuchinni because I had some to use up in the fridge. Very delicious!
Thanks, Hannah! Glad you liked it!
I am not a huge fan of beans in my chili, so this recipe was perfect! So full of flavor and filling.
Thanks, Alison! Glad you liked it!!
YUM perfect for this snowy week I’m having. I doubled the veggies and did half beef/half turkey. So good. Thank you for this.
So happy you liked it! Stay warm 🙂
Chili is my ultimate comfort food. I usually have a hard time deviating from my less healthy version. Liz made this look so delicious, I just had to give it a try! I’m go glad I did!! I feel like I got all the flavor and comfort I wanted without feeling guilty about the ingredients. So good!!
Thank you so much! Glad you like it! It is total comfort food for us too, filling, hearty + delish!
Can’t wait to try this! I could use some clarification on the ingredients. I have been unable to find a can of crushed tomatoes bigger than 28 oz, but the recipe calls for a 40 oz can. The link in the recipe takes me to a 28 oz can. I am wondering if you could point me in the direction of the 40 oz can you use. Thank you!
Hi Jenna – I don’t know if there are 40 oz cans. You can use just under 2 of the 28 oz cans and it shouldn’t be an issue. That’s what I usually do.
Amazing flavor for very little time and effort! Loved it and will be adding into the rotation – thank you!
Thank you so much, Mary!
So easy and flavorful. My husband loved as leftovers. The carrots added a yummy heartiness. Definitely adding this to my rotation of recipes!!!
So glad you + your husband liked it, Erin! It’s perfect for leftovers 🙂
Loved how easy and simple it was to make! Will definitely keep coming back to this Chilli recipe 👍🏼
Thank you so much, Dess! I really appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Making this tonight for the 4th or 5th time! My 10 yo likes to bring it in her lunch for school, so I make it and freeze it in batches. This will be a great surprise for her 1st lunch back to school!! (And I love the sneaky veggies)
So glad you like it, Melissa! We do the same thing – it’s so nice to pop a small container out of the freezer and have your lunch ready to go. I love that your kids love it – that makes me so happy to hear!
This chili was so easy in the crockpot. I cooked at night and woke up to the amazing smell of deliciousness. This chili was simple and was tasty on a cold night. This made dinner easy and filling. Honestly we were fine just eating the chili alone. We did t serve it over anything and was delicious.
Thanks, Laura! Glad it was easy for you to make! It’s so filling you really don’t even need to serve it over anything!
I’ve made this a few times already this fall, and it’s just so so good! I shared it with my daughter who loves the flavor especially the spices that include both cinnamon and Turmeric. It’s so easy for her to have a delicious meal waiting for her and her husband after a long day at work. The meal prep is honestly really quick too!
Thank you so much, Lisa! I’m so glad you both like it!
Great recipe! I made it in my instapot! Easy, fast and delicious!!
Thank you so much, Candy! Glad it works for you in the instant pot 🙂
This chili is so yummy and perfect for serving to large groups and for cold weather! Such a versatile and easy W30 recipe that everyone can love! I love it served over a baked potato or salad!!
So glad you like it, Hayley! You’re totally right – it’s great for big groups, and I’ve served it to a bunch of people who don’t even realize it’s healthy/Whole30 Friendly!
Love the flavors in this recipe! It was a hit for my family!
Thanks Tina! So glad you liked it!
Made the stove top version of the chili and even my neighbors could smell it simmering! Added beans and it was fabulous! Great leftovers, too!
So glad you liked it, Linda! The beans are a great addition! I think the chili is even better the next day as leftovers 🙂