Happy Monday, everyone – I hope you had a wonderful weekend!
I had a “me day” on Saturday which included getting together with some girlfriends in the morning then spending what felt like 2 hours at Whole Foods. Like I said – a “me day”! Grocery shopping is one of my favorite things to do, and when I get to leave the sweet babe at home and do it leisurely – umm, even better. ;)
We also grazed on Crock Pot Sweet Potato and Quinoa Turkey Chili all weekend long. I made a huge batch of it Thursday evening and it just got better and better each time I reheated a bowl!
Crock Pot Sweet Potato and Quinoa Turkey Chili packs a double protein punch from the addition of both lean ground turkey breast and quinoa. A little sweet from chopped sweet potatoes and a can of baked beans, plus a little heat from classic chili spices makes this dish ultra-tasty, healthy, and filling.
Plus, how you gonna hate on any recipe that calls for topping it with shredded cheese and tortilla chips? I must confess, making chili always gets me a little giddy as it’s basically an excuse to eat nachos. As if I needed an excuse, but you know what I mean!
Start by browning 1lb ground turkey breast with 1 chopped shallot in a large skillet over medium-high heat. I KNOW – I usually hate crock pot recipes that require cooking steps ahead of time, but it’ll only take a few minutes. Promise! Season liberally with salt and pepper then stir in 3 cloves minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
Add the cooked turkey to the bottom of a 6 quart crock pot then add 1 large peeled then chopped sweet potato (about 1lb) and a bevy of chili-inspired spices including chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and red chili pepper flakes.Â
Next add a 15oz can of baked beans (I like ’em sweet) plus 28oz crushed tomatoes.
Finally add 3 cups chicken broth and 1 cup uncooked, rinsed quinoa. The quinoa will continue to absorb chicken broth as the chili cools, so make sure you have some extra on hand for re-heating.
Mix the ingredients together then pop the lid on top and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours. That’s it!
Ladle the hot and hearty chili into bowls then top with lots of shredded monterey jack cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and fresh avocado.
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Crock Pot Sweet Potato and Quinoa Turkey Chili
Description
Gluten-free Crock Pot Sweet Potato and Quinoa Turkey Chili packs a double protein punch with the addition of both lean ground turkey breast and quinoa.
Ingredients
- 1lb ground turkey
- 1 large shallot or 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth (plus extra for reheating)
- 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 15oz can baked beans (I like sweet baked beans)
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1 large sweet potato (about 1lb,) peeled and chopped small
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- Toppings: shredded Monterey Jack cheese, chopped avocado, tortilla chips, green onions
Directions
- Add ground turkey and shallot to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season liberally with salt and pepper then cook until no longer pink, breaking turkey up as it cooks. Add garlic then cook for 30 more seconds then add to a 6 quart crock pot. Add remaining ingredients, except toppings, into crock pot then cook on high for 3 hours, or low for 5-6 hours, or until sweet potatoes are tender. Serve with toppings. May need to add more chicken broth when reheating.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Warm, and ultra-filling – I hope you’ll love this chunky chili with loads of good-for-you ingredients!
[…] CROCK POT SWEET POTATO AND QUINOA TURKEY CHILI from Iowa Girl Eats […]
If it’s your first time making chili, this is a really wonderful base recipe to springboard off of. I personally like to make this recipe with ground beef and add hot sauce to increase the heat and acidity. Additionally, I like to roast the sweet potatoes on the side instead of adding them directly into the chili.
[…] Crock Pot Sweet Potato and Quinoa Turkey Chili: (recipe from Iowa Lady Eats) Recipe stumbled on HERE. […]
My family and friends all love this recipe! It’s delicious! We often substitute ground beef and still love it. Perfectly warming on a cold day, and leftovers freeze well.
Thanks for your feedback, Julie! So happy to hear this is a hit with friends and family! :)
Hi! Would it work to use already cooked quinoa?? Thanks!
This was easy and is much better the next day. It’s a keeper!
[…] Sweet Potato and Quinoa Turkey Chili […]
Such an simple and delicious dish to prepare. I love that almost all I need to do is chop, measure and stir. The dish was a hit!
Oh I’m so glad to hear it, Patricia! Thanks so much for your feedback!
This is one of my absolute favorite recipes- it’s been in my rotation for almost 3 years now! I have an Instant Pot, and I’m wondering if you’ve made this with a pressure cooker?
I just tried this in the Instant Pot. I put it on sauté, added oil and the onions, once they soften, add garlic for a minute. Add the spices and turkey and cook until the pink is gone. Add the other ingredients and mix. Put the lid on and seal. I cooked for 12 minutes on high pressure, I did QR. the potatoes were cooked, but not mushy.
[…] Sweet potato and quinoa turkey chili from @iowagirleats I know that this isn’t a soup or stew, however this is a great recipe! […]
[…] can choose between two varieties of this hearty and healthy chili: quinoa or chorizo and poblano. They are sure to fill you up on a chilly […]
[…] http://iowagirleats.com/2014/01/13/crock-pot-sweet-potato-and-quinoa-turkey-chili/ […]
[…] Turkey sweet potato chili from @iowagirleats (This is a super easy crock pot meal) Beer chili from @howsweeteats Super Bowl chili […]
This chili is delicious!! Just to mix it up, do you think it would be good with sausage instead of ground turkey??
For sure! I might do half and half!
[…] Crock Pot Sweet Potato and Quinoa Turkey Chili […]
I have made this recipe many times and my family loves it. I am submitting it as a healthy meal recipe for our school staff to try as a “dish and dash” meal. Does anyone know how many calories per serving this is?
I made this last winter and it was amazing. I tried it again tonight and it turned out really bland. I double checked the recipe and I added all the spices as instructed. Has this happened to anyone else?
This was so easy and DELICIOUS! We added a dollop of lactose-free sour cream. I think it would easily be vegetarian by simply omitting the meat and keeping everything the same, will try it that way next time. This is most definitely a keeper. Thank you for posting!
[…] came from another chili recipe of mine that’s going gangbusters on Pinterest right now – Crock Pot Sweet Potato and Quinoa Turkey Chili. That, coupled with the fact that we’re going sweet potato crazy at my house right now – […]
This recipe is a big hit, I have made it many times now and everytime the crackpot is cleaned out! I make one change which is instead of salt and pepper flakes I use 1/2 teaspoon of ghost pepper infused salt. I like the warming heat ghost pepper has and if someone wants it hotter can add more. Thank you again for sharing your awesome recipe!
Woooah – never even heard about ghost pepper salt – great addition, so glad you liked the recipe!