This slow cooker turkey chickpea chili is one of our favorite easy dinners! With ground turkey, chickpeas, veggies and chili spices, it’s packed with protein and flavor.
Slow Cooker Turkey Chickpea Chili Makes Dinner Easy
This slow cooker turkey chickpea chili has been a staple in our dinner rotation lately! I consider myself somewhat of a chili expert, with my classic Chili Recipe being one of my most popular with readers like you. The flavor of this slow cooker turkey chili is spot on, with just enough mild spice to please both the adults and kids around our table. Plus, it has about 30 grams of protein per serving to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
I start this chili with a few stovetop steps to give it the best flavor and texture. We brown the ground turkey and onion, then add tomato paste and garlic and sauté for a minute to cook off the raw tomato and garlic flavors. These simple steps make such a big difference in the flavor of the slow cooked chili. Then your slow cooker does the rest, and you’ll have a hot meal ready to enjoy at dinnertime.
How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Chickpea Chili
Build flavor on the stove: Cook the onion and ground turkey in a skillet until the meat is browned. Then add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Stir in the chicken broth.
Add everything to the slow cooker: Transfer everything in the skillet to your slow cooker. Then add the chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper, bell peppers, diced tomatoes and chickpeas. Stir to distribute the ingredients. The mixture will be very thick, but the chili will thin out a bit as it cooks.
Slow cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Then serve and enjoy, with chili toppings as desired.
Recipe Variations
Try these simple ideas to adapt this recipe to your tastes:
- More meat, less beans: Use 2 pounds of ground turkey and 1 can of chickpeas.
- Other beans: To make this recipe more of a classic Turkey Chili, swap the chickpeas for pinto beans, black beans and/or kidney beans.
- You can swap the ground turkey in this recipe for ground beef, or try my Slow Cooker Chili if you’re looking for a more traditional crockpot chili recipe.
- More veggies: Try adding diced carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash or celery. If you want to add canned or frozen corn, stir it in during the last hour of cook time.
What to Serve with Chili
Here are my favorite easy side dishes for chili:
- Cornbread or Cornbread Muffins are a classic chili side.
- A simple Green Salad brings more vegetables to the meal.
- Garlic Bread and Homemade Biscuits are always a hit with the whole family.
More Easy Crockpot Meals
- Slow Cooker Taco Pasta – This make-ahead meal is made with ground beef, pasta shells, seasonings and cheese.
- Tuscan Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs – Boneless chicken thighs, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach in a creamy sauce.
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup – The easiest way to make chicken noodle soup!
- Slow Cooker Butter Chicken – Easy to make with accessible ingredients, this dish has tender chicken in a tomato-based curry sauce made with garlic, ginger and spices.
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili – An easy dump and go crockpot meal.
Did you make this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Slow Cooker Turkey Chickpea Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 (15 ounces each) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- Optional toppings: sliced green onions, chopped red onion, crumbled tortilla chips, avocado, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and ground turkey and cook, breaking up the turkey, until meat is browned. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth, stir and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion, 1 pound ground turkey, 3 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- To the slow cooker, add the chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper, bell peppers, diced tomatoes and chickpeas. Stir to combine.1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, 2 (15 ounces each) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Serve with toppings as desired and enjoy!
Notes
- Storing Leftovers: Store leftover chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- More meat, less beans: Use 2 pounds of ground turkey and 1 can of chickpeas.
- Other beans: To make this recipe more of a classic Turkey Chili, swap the chickpeas for pinto beans, black beans and/or kidney beans.
- You can swap the ground turkey in this recipe for ground beef, or try my Slow Cooker Chili if you’re looking for a more traditional crockpot chili recipe.
- More veggies: Try adding diced carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash or celery. If you want to add canned or frozen corn, stir it in during the last hour of cook time.
I originally shared this recipe in March 2016. Post updated January 2026 with a retested and improved recipe and new photos. (I added 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and reduced the broth by 1/2 cup to make the chili thicker/less brothy and more flavorful.)
I think this would become my new favorite chili, too! I love the ingredients in here, Kristine! I’ve never made a chili with ground turkey before, and I’m loving the addition of chickpeas and veggies. Sounds just perfect!
Thank you, Gayle! Turkey chili is SO good, you have to try it!
I LOVE turkey chili — it’s my favorite! And this has so many wins that it has to be made! The chickpeas are such a nice addition with all those veggies, making this a perfect one pot stop!
Thank you, Marcie! Turkey chili is my favorite too!
We’re having a lot of rainy days here, too! This looks so hearty and perfect!
Thank you, Kelly! I guess we should enjoy the rain while we can. 🙂
This looks absolutely perfect for the weather we’ve been having here…it’s almost warm, but the wind is still SO cold. Love how healthy this is!
Our weather here can’t decide if it wants to be warm or cold, either. While I’m looking forward to spring, I am glad to be able to enjoy all of the warm comfort foods still!
Mmm slow cooker recipes are the best, and this chili looks fantastic! Love that you added chickpeas. This is so perfect for today’s rainy weather.
Thank you, Rachel! Yes, LOVE slow cooker recipes!
Have it in the crock pot now ?? can’t wait to see how it turns out
Thank you again for another delicious recipe! I love chickpeas but unfortunately I didn’t realize that we were out so I had to use what I had and that was Great northern beans. Can’t wait to make this again with chickpeas! I would, however, prefer it to be a little less soupy. Any tips? Less broth?
Yes, using less broth will make it less soupy. I’m glad you enjoyed this!
I’ve recently retested this recipe and made a few small changes to make it less soupy. I added 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and reduced the broth by 1/2 cup to make the chili thicker/less brothy and more flavorful. I think you’ll love the new updated recipe!
I made this tonight and it went down a treat, tasty without being spicy for my youngest.
Delicious the night cooked, and leftover. I cooked it on the stove in a dutch oven. Only changes were adding a few slivers of jalapeno pepper to the post, and adding 1/4 cup purple onion. Served it with cilantro and gree onions, chopped, and a squeeze of lime juice.
This chili was good but I agree with another reviewer who thought it was soupy. Would a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste thicken it up a bit or will that substantially change the flavor?
I’ve recently retested this recipe and made a few small changes to make it less soupy. I added 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and reduced the broth by 1/2 cup to make the chili thicker/less brothy and more flavorful. I think you’ll love the new updated recipe!
I have been making this for years, and I love it. I was wondering if it’s possible to cook it on high, and if so, for how long?
I’m glad you’re enjoying this recipe! You can cook it on high for 3-4 hours.
Can I use lean ground beef instead of ground turkey?
Yes, you can. Enjoy!