Slow Cooker Turkey Quinoa Chili
A hearty, thick chili with lean ground turkey, kidney beans and fluffy quinoa that simmers all day in the slow cooker. The quinoa goes in near the end so it stays tender instead of turning mushy.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 6 hr 59 min
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 7 hr 24 min
- Makes
- About 9 cups (6 generous bowls)
Steps
Before you start
- Plan on about 7 hours from start to finish: 6 hours on LOW, then 45 minutes on HIGH once the quinoa goes in.
- Use a 6-quart (5.7 L) slow cooker. A smaller one will be too full to stir safely.
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer for 30 seconds under cold running water to remove its bitter natural coating (saponin).
- Choose 93% lean ground turkey. Extra-lean turkey can turn dry and crumbly in chili.
Prep the ingredients
- Dice the onion and red pepper into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces and mince the garlic.
- Drain and rinse the kidney beans in a colander until the water runs clear.
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water for 30 seconds, shake off the excess water, and set it aside.
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Ready when: Vegetables are evenly diced and the rinsed quinoa has been drained.
Tip: Keep the quinoa separate. It does not go into the slow cooker until the end.
Brown turkey and vegetables
- Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add the onion and red pepper and cook, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion turns translucent at the edges.
- Add the ground turkey, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon.
- Cook for 6 to 7 minutes.
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Ready when: The turkey is in small crumbles with no pink remaining and just starting to brown in spots.
Tip: Don't crowd the pan. If liquid pools and the turkey steams instead of browning, let it cook off before moving on.
Bloom the spices
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Push the turkey to one side, then add the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano.
- Stir everything together constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.
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Ready when: The spices smell toasty and fragrant and the tomato paste darkens slightly to brick red.
Tip: If the spices begin to stick or smell scorched, splash in 2 tablespoons of the broth and scrape the pan.
Load the slow cooker
- Scrape the turkey mixture into a 6-quart (5.7 L) slow cooker, including any browned bits.
- Add the crushed tomatoes with their juices, the rinsed kidney beans, the chicken broth and the chipotle, if using.
- Stir well to combine.
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Ready when: Everything is evenly mixed and the liquid sits just below the top of the beans and meat.
Tip: Add chipotle gradually the first time. It adds smoky heat, and 1 tablespoon makes a medium-spicy chili.
Slow cook the base
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- Don't lift the lid during this time, because each peek adds 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time.
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Ready when: The chili is bubbling gently around the edges and smells rich and spiced, and the peppers are very soft.
Tip: No time for 6 hours? Cook on HIGH for 3 hours instead, then continue with the next step.
Add the quinoaOven 165°F / 75°C
- Stir the rinsed quinoa into the chili, making sure all the grains are submerged.
- Turn the slow cooker to HIGH, cover, and cook for 45 minutes.
- Insert an instant-read thermometer into the turkey crumbles to confirm they read at least 165°F (74°C).
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Ready when: The quinoa grains are tender, translucent, and show a little curly white tail. The chili is thick, not soupy.
Tip: If the chili looks too thick before the quinoa is tender, stir in ½ cup (120 ml) hot water or broth.
Finish and rest
- Turn off the slow cooker.
- Stir in the lime juice, then taste and add more salt, up to ½ teaspoon, if needed.
- Let the chili stand uncovered for 5 minutes so it thickens slightly.
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Ready when: The chili mounds on a spoon and is bright and well seasoned.
Tip: Acid added at the end keeps the flavor bright. Adding lime early dulls it.
Serve
- Ladle the chili into bowls and sprinkle with chopped cilantro, if using.
- Serve hot with your favorite toppings, such as shredded cheddar, sliced avocado, sour cream or lime wedges.
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Ready when: The chili is steaming hot throughout.
Good to know
Tips
- Add the quinoa late. Cooking it for the full 6 hours breaks it down and makes the chili gluey.
- Browning the turkey and blooming the spices takes 15 extra minutes, but it builds much deeper flavor than adding them raw.
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly. Skipping this step can leave a slightly bitter or soapy taste.
- Slow cookers vary. If yours runs hot, check the chili at 5 hours and stir in a splash of broth if the edges look dry.
Make ahead
"Brown the turkey and bloom the spices up to 24 hours ahead, then refrigerate in an airtight container. Dice the vegetables the day before as well. In the morning, put everything except the quinoa and lime juice into the slow cooker and cook as directed."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers, leaving ½ inch of headspace. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, stirring often, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C). Add a splash of broth or water, because the quinoa continues to absorb liquid and the chili thickens as it sits."
Substitutions
- 93% lean ground turkey → Ground chicken or lean ground beef. Cook ground beef to 160°F (71°C). Ground chicken should reach 165°F (74°C).
- canned kidney beans → Black beans or pinto beans. Use the same amount, drained and rinsed.
- white or tricolor quinoa → Brown rice (par-cooked) or ½ cup (100 g) small dried pasta. Texture changes. Add cooked rice at the end just to heat through, or stir in pasta for the last 30 minutes.
- low-sodium chicken broth → Vegetable broth. Gives the same volume and keeps the flavor slightly lighter.