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Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

by Katerina Petrovska

5 from 3 votes

Updated Nov 10, 2026

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This slow cooker turkey chili is made with shredded turkey, white beans, corn, and poblano peppers in a creamy broth with a little heat. Put your leftover turkey to good use, then top each bowl with avocado, cheese, and jalapeños!

Slow Cooker Chili with Leftover Turkey

After Thanksgiving, I’m ready for a break from cooking, but I can only eat so many turkey sandwiches. This slow cooker turkey chili gives those leftovers a whole new flavor and makes them a new dinner. The crockpot handles the cooking, so there’s no need to spend another afternoon at the stove.

You can keep the chili mild or turn up the heat to suit your crew. I like to keep it on the milder side and set out sliced jalapeños and hot sauce so everyone can spice up their own bowl.

Why We Love This Turkey Chili Recipe

• Use up leftover turkey. A delicious way to use the extra turkey in your fridge.
• Meal prep recipe: This chili simplifies dinner. Set it up in the slow cooker in the morning, and by evening, you have a fully prepared meal waiting for you.
• Customizable: Whether you prefer mild warmth or a fiery kick, this chili suits all palates, and you can adjust the heat to match everyone’s preferences.

Turkey Chili Ingredients

• Turkey broth – You can also add the leftover cooking juices from your Thanksgiving turkey. Chicken broth is a good alternative.
• Great northern beans – Dried beans cook right in the slow cooker.
• Poblano pepper – Feel free to use green bell pepper.
• Fresh garlic – You can use 3 teaspoons of garlic powder instead.
• Seasonings – I use a mix of ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
• Shredded cooked turkey meat – This is a great place to use leftover roast turkey. Shred or chop it before adding it to the chili.
• Green chiles – Add a can of diced green chiles for a little extra heat and flavor.
• Sweet corn – You can use canned, frozen, or fresh corn kernels.
• Sour cream – Cream cheese or heavy cream are also okay to use.
• White cheddar cheese – Mild cheddar, Muenster, and even Pepper Jack cheese are great as well.
• Jalapeño – Feel free to use serrano instead.
• Toppings – Fresh cilantro and sliced avocado.

How to Make Turkey Chili in a Slow Cooker

• Combine the ingredients. Pour the turkey broth into a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in the beans, poblano pepper, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook it. Place the lid and cook the homemade chili on LOW for 6 hours or until the beans are tender.
• Mash the beans. Remove the lid and scoop out 1 cup of cooked beans. Don’t scoop out any broth. Transfer them to a bowl. Use a fork to mash them and then return the mixture to the crockpot.
• Add the turkey. Place the turkey and green chiles in the crockpot. Give it a good stir. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Cover the crockpot again and cook the chili on LOW for 10 minutes.
• Add the corn and sour cream before serving. Stir the corn kernels in. Add 1/2 cup of sour cream. Ladle it into bowls and add your favorite toppings.

What To Serve With Turkey Chili

To keep dinner easy, I serve this chili with leftovers sides and some bread for dipping.

• Vegetable sides: Warm up leftover parmesan carrots, roasted acorn squash, or make a quick batch of air fryer broccoli.
• Bread options: Try my focaccia, garlic breadsticks, no-knead bread, or warm naan for soaking up the creamy broth.

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5 from 3 votes

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

by Katerina Petrovska

This creamy homemade chili is an easy meal made with leftover turkey, poblanos, and beans. Topped with cheese and avocado, you'll love every spicy and creamy bite. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours hours

Total Time: 6 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 cups turkey broth, or chicken broth
• ▢ 2 cups dried great northern beans
• ▢ 1 poblano pepper, diced, you can also use green bell pepper
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ 2 to 3 cups shredded cooked turkey meat
• ▢ 2 cans (4 ounces-each) chopped green chiles
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
• ▢ 1 cup corn kernels
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream, divided
• ▢ 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese, for topping
• ▢ 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced, for garnish
• ▢ fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
• ▢ thinly sliced avocado, for garnish

Instructions 

• Combine the ingredients. Pour chicken or turkey broth into a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in the beans, poblano pepper, garlic, cumin, and chili powder.
• Cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or until the beans are tender.
• Mash the beans. Remove the cover, scoop out 1 cup of the cooked beans, and transfer them to a bowl. Mash the beans with the back of a fork. Return the mashed beans to the slow cooker.
• Stir in the turkey and green chiles. Add in the shredded (cooked) turkey meat and stir in the chopped green chiles, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 minutes.
• Add the remaining ingredients. Stir in the corn kernels and ½ cup of sour cream; continue to stir until the cream is well combined. Taste the chili for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly.
• Serve. Ladle your turkey chili into bowls and top with jalapeño slices, cilantro, cheese, remaining sour cream, and avocado slices.

Equipment

• Slow Cooker
• Measuring Cups and Spoons

Notes

• Turkey: I used cooked shredded turkey because I had lots of leftovers. However, you can swap the turkey for shredded (cooked) chicken. You can also use cooked ground turkey. 
• Sour Cream: I used sour cream for a creamy texture, but you can also use softened cream cheese or heavy cream. Do not use yogurt because it will curdle. To make it dairy-free, leave out the cream(s).
• Poblano Pepper: Poblanos aren’t generally eaten raw as the outer skin is a bit tough, so cooking these peppers in soups and chilis is a great way to enjoy them. The poblano is a mild to medium-heat pepper, so if you do not like spicy foods, reduce the amount of pepper or chili powder in the recipe to make it milder. You can use a green bell pepper if you can’t find or don’t want to use poblanos.
• Cheese: White shredded cheddar is my go-to for this chili recipe, but you can use any blend of cheese that you like; shredded mild or sharp cheddar cheese, shredded Mexican blend cheese, and shredded cheddar jack are all good options.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1477mg | Potassium: 970mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 497IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 245mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

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How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
• To reheat it, place it in the microwave for up to 2 minutes or until warm. You can also heat it in a pot over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes.

Delicious Leftover Turkey Recipes

• Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
• Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole
• Baked Turkey Tetrazzini
• Leftover Turkey Soup

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