Gluten-Free Turkey Chili: Hearty Slow Cooker Recipe

This hearty and healthy Gluten-Free Chili requires minimal prep and simmers for hours in your slow cooker. It’s the perfect cozy-yet-healthy, comfort food meal on a cold evening.

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Is Chili Gluten-Free?

Chili is often naturally gluten-free, but not always. Gluten can be hidden in some of the ingredients.

Some recipes call for McCormick’s Chili Seasoning, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and wheat flour to thicken the recipe. All of the above have gluten-containing ingredients unless you specifically use gluten-free versions: McCormick’s Chili Gluten-Free, Stubb’s BBQ Sauce (with certified gluten-free label), Worcestershire Sauce by Lea & Perrins (labeled gluten-free), and gluten-free flour or cornstarch.

This delicious gluten-free turkey chili recipe uses none of the above ingredients, but there are a few gluten-free considerations that we’ll go over in the ingredient list below.

Equipment

• Slow Cooker: A standard, round 4-quart Crockpot is big enough for this slow cooker chili recipe recipe. I use my 7-quart oval Crockpot, which is also perfect for doubling the recipe.
• Large Frying Pan: 12-inches is ideal

Ingredients

As a celiac, I love making family dinners that are naturally gluten-free and full of nutrient-rich, healthy ingredients.

This gluten-free chili is packed with multiple sources of protein, fiber, and vitamins.

Olive Oil

Vegetables: Step one of this recipe is sauteeing fresh garlic, onion, bell pepper, and carrots in olive oil for optimal depth of flavor. All four of those veggies (along with tomatoes, which are added later) make this list of the 15 Healthiest Vegetables from Medical News Today.

In a pinch, you can use ¾ tsp dried garlic powder instead of the 3 garlic cloves.

Ground Turkey: You can substitute the ground meat of your choosing.

In my home, we almost always opt for ground turkey over ground beef, due to the overall health advantages. This switch is easily made in flavorful dishes like this easy chili recipe or my husband’s gluten-free turkey meatballs.

That said, if I were making this recipe for a Super Bowl party or for guests who typically opt for red meat, I wouldn’t hesitate to substitute organic ground beef.

Spices: chili powder, cumin, and sea salt. Add optional cayenne pepper for a little kick!

Quinoa: I love quinoa and am always looking for easy ways to add gluten-free grains to my diet. Quinoa is an excellent source of protein and fiber.

This ingredient is optional, and quantities can be adjusted up and down depending on your preference. The recipe card includes instructions to change the amount of quinoa.

Make sure your quinoa is labeled gluten-free. While naturally gluten-free, it can be cross-contaminated during production. The gluten-free label provides extra reassurance that your quinoa is safe to consume on a gluten-free diet, especially if you have celiac disease and need to avoid gluten cross-contact.

I used Lundberg Tri-Color Organic Quinoa, which is certified gluten-free.

Black Beans: I’m not a fan of kidney beans, so I use my favorite bean, black beans in this chili. Feel free to use your favorite beans.

While beans are naturally gluten-free, they also can be cross-contaminated. Canned beans are a lower risk as they have been well-cleaned. If you feel safer using a brand with a gluten-free claim, Bush’s Black Beans are labeled gluten-free.

Tomato Paste

Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Chicken Broth: Not all chicken broth is gluten-free. Always verify ingredients or look for a gluten-free claim on the label. I use Pacific Foods Chicken Broth, which is labeled gluten-free.

Topping Ideas

Top your big bowl of chili with:

• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Fresh Cilantro
• Green Onions
• Avocado
• Red or White Onions
• Jalapeños
• Crushed Tortilla Chips: Check the label to be sure the tortilla chips you purchase are gluten-free.
• Fritos (labeled gluten-free): These sturdy chips are perfect for scooping chili!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. I use a 12-inch skillet, so there is room to add the ground turkey later.

Add the chopped onions, bell pepper, carrots, and minced garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes. The onions will start to become translucent, a process that continues as they are cooked with the turkey and spices.

Sautéing the vegetables will make them a much more fragrant addition to your chili. Plus, the recipe has no added sugar, because these veggies provide just the right amount of sweetness, especially when sautéed. I don’t recommend skipping this easy step.

Add the ground turkey. Break up the meat with a spatula, and cook until the ground turkey is no longer pink and is lightly browned, approximately 5-6 minutes.

Stir in chili powder, cumin, and salt. For a little extra spice, include the optional cayenne pepper. Cook the mixture for another 2 minutes.

Transfer the turkey mixture to the slow cooker.

Add quinoa, beans, tomato paste, fire-roasted tomatoes, and 2 cups of chicken broth. The remaining 1-2 cups of broth are reserved until the chili is fully cooked.

Stir until all the ingredients are evenly combined.

Set the crockpot to low for 6 hours (or high for 3 hours).

The quinoa needs two hours to cook, but everything else is already fully cooked. You are giving the chili all those hours in the slow cooker simply for the flavors to mingle, creating the magic of chili.

The quinoa will absorb a lot of liquid. Prior to serving, add 1-2 cups of broth until the chili is your preferred consistency, and stir to combine.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to six months.

Reheat leftover chili on the stovetop on medium-high heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally until fully reheated. If frozen, defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheating in the slow cooker presents a couple of challenges: 1) your ceramic bowl could break if it goes from the fridge to the slow cooker’s heating element, and 2) the chili may remain at an unsafe temperature while reheating from refrigeration.

If you want to serve reheated chili in the crockpot, the USDA recommends first heating it on the stovetop and then transferring it to a preheated slow cooker, and making sure it maintains a temperature of 140 degrees.

Next-Day Chili: Homemade chili is always better the next day. If you have time, make this easy recipe the day before, but don’t add the extra broth, yet. Let the flavors meld in the slow cooker for six hours and then overnight in the fridge. The chili will thicken more overnight. Add 1-2 cups of broth, reheat, and serve.

Variations

Gluten-Free Beef Chili: Simply substitute ground beef for the ground turkey.

Beans: Substitute a can of your favorite beans. If you are Texan and subscribe to the motto, “If you know beans about chili, you know chili ain’t got no beans!”, feel free to omit them entirely.

More Veggies: I often use my chili as a catch-all for leftover veggies. Sweet potatoes and spinach are both wonderful additions to this hearty meal.

Quinoa Options:

My family and I are at odds over how much quinoa should be in chili. I have a couple in the “no quinoa camp” and I want as much as possible. Here are easy instructions to adjust the quantity of quinoa in this dish up or down:

• More Quinoa: Increase quinoa to 1 cup and use a 28-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes, instead of a 14.5-ounce can.
• Subtle Quinoa: Tip! If you are hiding quinoa from picky eaters, add it to the slow cooker during the last two hours of cooking. It will not absorb as much liquid and will be less prominent in the dish.
• No Quinoa: Omit quinoa from the recipe and reduce total broth to 1½ cups.  You do not need to add extra broth during the final step.

Double the Recipe: Double all ingredients to make enough for a crowd. Cook the vegetables, ground turkey, and spices in two batches, so they fit properly in the pan. Then add everything to a large 7-quart slow cooker and cook according to the recipe card.

What to Serve with Gluten-Free Chili

• Gluten-free Honey Cornbread
• Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
• Gluten-Free Garlic Knots
• Mediterranean Cucumber Salad (with Greek Yogurt & Honey Dressing)

Or turn this hearty chili into an optional topping for a baked potato bar (or even sweet potatoes for a vitamin-packed base), hot dog bar, or nacho bar at your next party!

More Guten-Free Meals for Easy Weeknight Dinners

• Easy Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (Flaky Crust)
• Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup Recipe
• 65 Cheap Gluten-Free Meals: Affordable & Easy Recipes

If you make this recipe, please comment and review it!