Clean Eating Turkey Chili Recipe (2024)

Home » Recipes » Dinner » Clean Eating Turkey Chili Recipe

posted by Crissy Pageon Oct 15, 2016 (updated Feb 21, 2024) 45 comments »

Jump to Recipe

I love healthy, clean eating recipes and I wanted to share one of my favorite quick clean eating meal ideas—this clean eating turkey chili recipe that you can make in your slow cooker!

Clean Eating Turkey Chili Recipe

I love using ground turkey in my chili because it contains less fat than ground beef but still gives carnivores a satisfying meal option. That said, you can always skip the meat and add extra beans!

I’ve tried so many different varieties of chili in my life. The thing I love about chili is how completely customizable it is. My clean eating turkey chili recipe is perfect for my family, but feel free to go wild and make it your own by adding or subtracting your favorite ingredients.

Whether you subscribe to a clean eating lifestyle or you just appreciate a delicious bowl of chili, you’re going to love this recipe. It is absolutely yummy on its own, but if you wan to send it over the top while still keeping it clean, you can add some diced avocado to the top.

It’s a great way to add some creaminess and an extra blast of nutrition.

Speaking of nutrition, you’re also going to want to bookmark or pin my amazing easy vegan chili recipe. If you’ve ever thought about incorporating more plant-based meals into your weekly routine, it’s a great recipe to start with.

Of course, certain members of my family won’t eat a bowl of chili unless it’s smothered in cheese and sour cream. That’s an option, too! :)

I hope you love my scrumptious clean eating turkey chili recipe. Be sure to let me know how it turned out for you in the comments below.

More Yummy Recipes

Clean Eating Marinara Sauce
Ground Chicken Chili

Ingredients

2 lbs. 99% fat free ground turkey breast
1 large yellow onion diced
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups water
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin

Instructions

Add olive oil, onion and garlic to a large skillet and saute 3 to 4 minutes until slightly tender. Add ground turkey and cook until done, crumbly and brown. It should not be necessary to drain.
Add the meat mixture to the crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients starting with the water. Stir until blended.
Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or 6 to 8 hours on low.

Dinner Soups

originally published on Oct 15, 2016 (last updated Feb 21, 2024)

45 comments Leave a comment »

« Previous Post Best Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Next Post » Chocolate Raspberry Bars

45 comments on “Clean Eating Turkey Chili Recipe”

Amie — January 21, 2024 @ 7:36 pm Reply
This is such a tasty chili recipe. It is my go to for a crock pot chili! I used this recipe with venison instead of turkey and it was delicious!
Rating: 5
- Crissy Page — January 21, 2024 @ 7:50 pm Reply
  Yay, I’m glad you love it! It’s funny, I was just telling my husband that if he hunted more often I could probably benefit from creating some venison recipes for my blog! :)
Lila — January 8, 2023 @ 9:44 am Reply
See Also
Vanilla Bean Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Recipe Instant Pot Ribs Recipe (VIDEO)Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff Recipe (Dump and Go)12 Healthy Energy Ball Recipes
Wondering about potasium per serving.
Samantha C — December 1, 2022 @ 12:37 pm Reply
Is this freezable?
Kristin — January 10, 2022 @ 9:07 am Reply
Love this chili it something I can eat days in a row and not get tired of it.
Courtney — December 2, 2021 @ 6:33 pm Reply
Can I make this stovetop instead of crockpot?
Stacee M Banko — January 8, 2021 @ 9:15 am Reply
I am tracking calories for a health condition. Can someone provide the serving size and calories per serving? Thanks!
- Darlene — November 13, 2022 @ 1:30 pm Reply
  Yes I do all the time!
Josee Soucy — April 26, 2020 @ 2:37 pm Reply
Hello, just so you know this is my favorite recipe for chili, always. My question is, how many servings and calories per serving?
Thank you in advance
JOSEE
- Lauren — October 20, 2020 @ 9:20 am Reply
  I made it with 1.75 lbs Turkey (package from Costco) minus the corn and with 6 servings my fitness pal came out to 413 calories 47g carbs 9.5g fat and 37g protein. This may vary slightly on ingredients used.
Noelle — January 17, 2020 @ 10:41 am Reply
Hello,
I would like to make this next week but we’re a family of 2 and my husband doesn’t eat chili. Can I cut this recipe in half? Do I need to adjust cooking times by much?
Thanks!
Dana — January 5, 2020 @ 12:29 pm Reply
Are there updated cooking instructions to make this recipe in the instant pot?
Mary Regini — April 25, 2019 @ 6:14 pm Reply
Saw this recipe today and made it for dinner tonight. YUMMY, YUMMY,YUMMY‼️?? I have to tell you I was a little hesitant to use cumin. Would not change a thing. The flavor of this chili was fabulous‼️ 5 stars for me?? Looking forward to trying more of your dishes?
Rating: 5
Crystal — January 13, 2019 @ 6:38 pm Reply
I made this delicious chili for meal prep this week!!!! I can’t find the nutritional valies. Please advise.
Rating: 5
- Jean-Marie Carroll — December 1, 2019 @ 3:45 pm Reply
  Did you ever find out the nutritional value?
Kathy Harris — November 12, 2018 @ 12:29 pm Reply
Love it!!! Delish??. What is serving size and calorie count?
See Also
Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe
Joanie — November 11, 2018 @ 11:47 am Reply
should I reduce water amount if I plan to add beans after crockpot cooking and eliminate the corn all together?
Nolan — November 1, 2018 @ 4:13 pm Reply
I added 8 jalapenos. 2 habs turned out great!
Rating: 4
Tara — October 30, 2018 @ 6:46 pm Reply
Made this and trust I am not a cook – easy and very tasty – added some hot sauce :) Thank you for sharing!
Rating: 5
Sharyce — September 21, 2018 @ 1:10 pm Reply
I made this and we have 6 people in our family and there were left overs for all 6 of us again! It’s so yummy. I cooked on stovetop on medium for about an hour and used extra can of black beans.
Rating: 5
Whitney — September 10, 2018 @ 8:00 pm Reply
Did we find or how many this serves? Can’t seem to find an answer.
- Rosemary Smaglick — January 28, 2020 @ 9:31 am Reply
  Same question. How many servings is this recipe?
- Marc — January 28, 2020 @ 5:15 pm Reply
  How would this cook on the instant pot? How long?
  - Gigi — February 8, 2020 @ 9:38 pm
    Same as a slow cooker. Hit the slow cook feature and adjust time. You would sauté the meat first to brown and the veggies, etc.
Sharyce — May 31, 2018 @ 7:43 pm Reply
Can I cook this faster on the stovetop??
jen — February 15, 2018 @ 10:03 am Reply
hi! instead of using tomato paste, can I used red sauce?
- Crissy — February 15, 2018 @ 11:11 am Reply
  Should be fine, maybe not as thick, but the flavor will be good. :)
Melissa — January 26, 2018 @ 10:00 am Reply
I made this recipe, wow it was so amazing!! My whole family loved it!! Can you tell me the nutrition facts?
Rating: 5
Amanda — December 27, 2017 @ 12:05 pm Reply
How many servings is this?
Sandra Ramos — December 15, 2017 @ 9:25 pm Reply
Made this for my husband and I and had enough to take some to a home bound neighbor. Big Hit!
Rating: 4
Scooby — December 9, 2017 @ 3:14 pm Reply
Making this today Thank You!!
Alex — November 1, 2017 @ 1:27 pm Reply
Do u have to cook the turkey first or can u just throw it all in the crock pot?
- Crissy — November 2, 2017 @ 10:48 am Reply
  You need to cook it first, per the instructions! :)
Gabby — February 18, 2017 @ 2:54 pm Reply
Would it make a huge difference if I used canned corn instead of frozen corn?
- Crissy Page — February 19, 2017 @ 6:09 pm Reply
  not at all!
Rexanne — December 30, 2016 @ 6:43 pm Reply
I would also like to know how many this serves…..?
Rebecca Baron — October 27, 2016 @ 1:13 am Reply
This recipe looks really good because I love ground turkey. I forget about using it, but I always like it when I use it because it’s has a light flavor . I definitely need to try this recipe!
Jana — October 16, 2016 @ 2:08 pm Reply
I’m making this for meal prep for the week & for dinner. Can you tell me the serving size please? Thank you
Jessica — October 1, 2016 @ 8:39 pm Reply
I made this tonight and with some modifications, it was the best chili! I halved the recipe, except for the corn and the spices. I used an entire can of corn and doubled the spices. I cooked it on the stove top due to time and it was so, so good! Will make again.
Jess — September 2, 2016 @ 10:22 pm Reply
I made this for dinner and it was awesome. I only had a pound of turkey so I halved it and it still made about 3 servings. I added fresh cut avocado and it was delicious! Thanks!!
Ashley — August 15, 2016 @ 8:31 pm Reply
How many does this serve?
Pingback: Home Cooking: Is it Really That Hard? - Attainable Sustainable
Pingback: Slow Cooker Soups - Dinner with the Rollos
Jennifer — March 23, 2016 @ 3:49 pm Reply
Hello, can you tell me how many servings this makes?
Thanks!
Janelle Carlson — February 22, 2016 @ 1:14 pm Reply
DearChrissy,
I made your chili on Saturday and it turned out great! It didn’t look quite as pretty as yours but it sure tasted fantastic.???? I’m usually not a big chili fan but my hubby is, so I thought he’d like it (and he did!) To my surprise I loved it – so much lighter than traditional!!????
Thx for the awesome recipe!

FAQs

Is chili considered clean eating? ›

Chili can be healthy, with qualifiers. The iconic dish—typically made with ground meat, tomatoes, kidney beans, and seasonings—is packed with protein, fiber (thanks, beans!), and iron. This makes chili relatively healthy, provided you don't get too carried away with high-fat toppings like sour cream and cheddar cheese.

Tell Me More ›

What is the secret to good chili? ›

Only Add Flavorful Liquids

Instead of adding water to your chili, add some more flavor with chicken or beef broth, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or even beet or wine. Each one of these options brings out different notes and levels of sweetness that will enhance your culinary creation.

Get More Info ›

What to add to chili to make it healthy? ›

Add cutup carrots and celery, chopped cauliflower, green beans…. BTW beans are pretty healthy and good for you. Homemade chili has all natural ingredients.

Learn More ›

Is turkey chili healthier than beef? ›

Turkey chili is much lighter and lower in calories. Most recipes call for ground turkey, which doesn't have nearly the fat content of beef. The turkey meat you'll find at the grocery store contains 15%, 7%, or even no fat.

Get More Info Here ›

Which chili is the healthiest? ›

Best: Pacific Foods Plant-Based Fire Roasted Vegetable Chili

This is because the vegetarian ingredients pack loads of fiber and still meet our minimum protein recommendations. Although this option falls a little short at 8 grams of fiber per cup, eating a full can will fill you up with 15 grams and only 360 calories.

Show Me More ›

What meat is clean eating? ›

MEAT & SEAFOOD

Organic and grass-fed beef, organic poultry, and wild-caught or sustainable seafood. Grass-fed beef is much healthier, is better quality, and is better for the environment.

What is the best meat for chili? ›

Ground beef is an immensely versatile, excellent addition to any chili and happens to be one of the quickest to cook and least expensive options of them all. That means you could cook a large amount of chili to feed your entire family for less.

Know More ›

Can I eat ground turkey everyday? ›

Protein is a macronutrient, which means that your body needs a lot of it. Your body can't store protein, so you need to consume it every day. As long as you don't eat too much turkey, it is a healthy way to get the protein you need. It's also a good source of beneficial vitamins and minerals like magnesium and niacin.

Learn More ›

What is the healthiest meat to eat? ›

5 of the Healthiest Meats

Sirloin Steak. Sirloin steak is both lean and flavorful – just 3 ounces packs about 25 grams of filling protein! ...
Rotisserie Chicken & Turkey. The rotisserie cooking method helps maximize flavor without relying on unhealthy additives. ...
Chicken Thigh. ...
Pork Chop. ...
Canned Fish.

Jan 6, 2020

Explore More ›

Is turkey chili good for cholesterol? ›

Make Chili With Ground Turkey

The lower the saturated fat, the less detrimental it is to your cholesterol level. Even better, "No one can tell the difference," says Gebo, who uses ground turkey all the time to make chili. Ground turkey also makes a great substitute for ground beef in dishes like meatballs or meatloaf.

Tell Me More ›

What is not considered clean eating? ›

Eating cleaner means limiting processed foods like bologna, salami, pepperoni and hot dogs. These—and other processed meat products—are usually high in sodium and may contain artificial colors as well as preservatives. Choosing environmentally sustainable protein when possible can help you with clean eating, too.

Read On ›

What food category is chili? ›

Though many people think of chili as its own category, it is technically just a type of stew, with origins in Tex-Mex cuisine. Chili isn't a soup mostly because it usually is more solid than it is liquid, with most chili recipes containing majority meat and/or vegetables that are simmered in a tomato sauce.

Is chili high in carbohydrates? ›

Traditional chili recipes usually include beans, which are high in carbs and not very keto-friendly. However, you can easily make a keto-friendly version of chili by replacing the beans with low-carb vegetables like bell peppers and zucchini. You can also add some ground beef or pork for protein and healthy fats.