Name: Turkey & Bacon Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 h
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb ground turkey meat; 8 oz bacon (I used Applegate Farms Good Morning Bacon); 2 cups baby carrots or carrot slices; 2 cups frozen pepper stripes or fresh peppers, diced; 1 medium onion (diced); 2 medium Garlic Cloves (minced); 2 stalks Celery (thinly chopped); 2 cups frozen spinach; 1 28 oz can stewed or crushed tomatoes (preferably without any basil added); 2.5 cup Kidney beans (pre-cooked or canned (and rinsed)); 1.5 cups Frozen peas; 1 tbsp sea salt; 1 tsp black or white ground pepper; 1.5 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp chili powder; 1 tbsp olive oil

Did you know that your crock pot is perfect for making chili? I had no idea until recently when I came across a slow cooker chili recipe online.

Make it was incredibly simple and I didn’t have to worry about it overcooking on the stove all day.

But then I got to thinking… could I make a something that’s super flavorful, yet loaded with veggies?

And that’s how my Turkey & Bacon Slow Cooker Chili Recipe came to be — and it’s perfect if you’re a lazy home cook just like me!

It’s incredibly hardy and definitely sticks to your bones all day! Paired with some brown or white rice and avocado, this is a delicious meal.

To be honest, my husband was REALLY skeptical of the spinach.

He hates spinach.

However, it cooks so long that you don’t even notice that it’s in there.

Instead, you get this incredibly veggie-dense meal that feels meaty (even though it’s really not). That makes it perfect for Superbowl Sunday (go Eagles!! — I’m from Philly) or just a super hectic week where you don’t have any time at all to cook.

We actually got 10 servings out of this recipe between the two of us (so some is frozen in our freezer for when I don’t have time to cook).

Either way, this is soon to become a household favorite that’s great for the cooler months or when you’re itching for some chili.

Turkey & Bacon Slow Cooker Chili Recipe (for Lazy People)

A couple of points to keep in mind when making Turkey & Bacon Slow Cooker Chili recipe —

1. Don’t overcook the turkey. Only cook it until it isn’t pink anymore. It will cook the rest of the way in the crockpot.

2. You can use either turkey breast or dark meat. I personally prefer dark meat for a variety of reasons, but I happened across a sale of ground turkey breast and so that’s what I used. It was not dry at all!

That said, I would highly encourage you to try dark meat (even if you think you don’t like it). I talk about the many reasons why dark turkey meat is the better option for cooking here.

3. The bacon should not be cooked until it’s crisp. I’m all about crispy bacon, but that’s not what will work here.

As you can tell, the theme here with the turkey and bacon is not to overcook it. And of course, you can use any type of bacon you want in this… I just used what I had in the freezer.

4. Though the recipe below calls for kidney beans, you can use any type of cooked or canned beans you want. (Or omit them all together if you don’t eat beans.)

Always rinse off your canned beans well before adding them to reduce that “fart factor.”

5. As I said, you will not notice the spinach at all. So don’t avoid using it because of people in your life afraid of green stuff in their food.

Don’t like spinach? You could certainly add other greens like kale, collard greens, or swiss chard. Just make sure that it’s chopped up (not in strips) so that no one chokes on long stringy pieces.

Yummy Sides to Make For the Turkey & Bacon Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Aside from tortilla chips, you may not know what else to pair this with.

If you’re looking for a fun mix of Super Bowl ideas, I’ve got a bunch HERE that will make sure that no one feels left out.

You can also make my amazingly addictive Guacamole. Add a big tablespoon to each bowl just before eating… mmm!

Fried plantains would also be fun to add and could be used in lieu of rice if you’re looking to go grain-free. They would certainly add a sweetness to your bowl.

And lastly, to get in some additional greens, I’d make my Apple Cashew Crunch Salad that would be great as a starter.

Of course, you can have additional toppings on hand —

1. Siete Foods Grain Free Tortilla Chips – definitely worth trying!

2. Daiya pepper jack cheese shreds (if you can’t do dairy)

3. Freshly chopped cilantro – I’d definitely have this as an optional side since some people think that it tastes like soap.

4. Slices of jalapeño peppers (with the seeds removed) – Perfect for those who love an added kick!

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Turkey & Bacon Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Servings	Prep Time	Cook Time
8servings	15minutes	8 - 10hours

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Gluten Free Courses Gluten Free Crockpot Recipes, Gluten Free Mains

Servings	Prep Time
8servings	15minutes

Cook Time

8 - 10hours

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey meat
8 oz bacon I used Applegate Farms Good Morning Bacon
2 cups baby carrots or carrot slices
2 cups frozen pepper stripes or fresh peppers, diced
1 medium onion diced
2 medium Garlic Cloves minced
2 stalks Celery thinly chopped
2 cups frozen spinach
1 28 oz can stewed or crushed tomatoes preferably without any basil added
2.5 cup Kidney beans pre-cooked or canned (and rinsed)
1.5 cups Frozen peas
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp black or white ground pepper
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp olive oil

Servings: servings

Units:

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey meat
8 oz bacon I used Applegate Farms Good Morning Bacon
2 cups baby carrots or carrot slices
2 cups frozen pepper stripes or fresh peppers, diced
1 medium onion diced
2 medium Garlic Cloves minced
2 stalks Celery thinly chopped
2 cups frozen spinach
1 28 oz can stewed or crushed tomatoes preferably without any basil added
2.5 cup Kidney beans pre-cooked or canned (and rinsed)
1.5 cups Frozen peas
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp black or white ground pepper
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp olive oil

Servings: servings

Units:

Instructions

Add oil to a sauté pan and heat over medium for a minute or so. Then add ground turkey meat and start to work your spatula through it. Break it up as it cooks into small pieces. Cook until it's white (not pink).
Meanwhile, start assembling your crockpot. Add carrots first to the bottom of your slow cooker. They require the most direct heat for the longest period of time.
Next add the pepper stripes, onion, garlic, celery, garlic, and frozen spinach in this order layered on top of each other.
When the turkey is cooked, add it directly on top of the veggies.
Start cooking the bacon in the sauté pan. Do not cook until crispy. You only need to cook it until it starts to brown. Then remove it from the pan and cut into 1/4" strips. Add them on top of the turkey meat.
Pour the canned tomatoes evenly over top. Don't worry if the crockpot is quite full. Just shift the contents around to help the tomato sink into the crockpot around the veggies. If you think you may need more liquid, add about 1/2 cup water.
Add the spices evenly over top. If you'd like to mix it up a bit, that's fine. But do not pull the veggies up in the process.
Set your crockpot to cook for 8 to 10 hours on low. About an hour before you are ready to serve it, add the frozen peas.
When it's done, add the cooked kidney beans to the crockpot and combine.
Adjust spices to taste and serve.

Recipe Notes

You can use any type of bean you'd like. I only had kidney beans the last time I made this chili and it came out great! However pinto or black beans would work well too.