Slow Cooker Turkey Butternut Squash Chili
Chili season is here! This turkey butternut squash chili recipe is exactly what you need to make the next time you find yourself craving something nutritious, delicious, and super filling. The squash adds a subtle sweetness that balances with the savory spices, and the turkey, quinoa, and beans pack each bowl with 25 grams of protein and more than 12 grams of fiber. The best part? Just 15 minutes prep, then you can let the slow cooker do the rest. Add your favorite toppings!
Midwest meets Southern California.
I originally created this recipe back when we lived in Los Angeles and I feel like this recipe reflects both of my Midwest and Southern California influences.
We add in some nutritious extras to classic chili (quinoa, squash, and black beans) all while keeping things super easy and quick in the slow cooker. It’s LA super-healthy vibes all wrapped up in a satisfying bowl of stick-to-your-ribs chili. I love it when that happens! It’s…
🎃 Sweet & savory: Butternut squash adds natural sweetness that perfectly balances the savory chili spices.
💪 25 grams of protein: Turkey, quinoa, and black beans create a protein-packed powerhouse meal.
🌾 More than 12 grams of fiber: Incredibly filling and satisfying without feeling heavy.
⏰ Quick prep: Brown the turkey, dump everything in the slow cooker, and walk away. You can prep it in 15 minutes.
🥄 Quinoa cooks right in the pot: No need to pre-cook – it gets perfectly tender while the chili simmers.
🍽️ Endlessly customizable: Load it up with your favorite toppings for a fun build-your-own-bowl dinner.
❄️ Meal prep champion: Freezes beautifully and reheats perfectly for easy weeknight dinners.
You’ll also want to try my classic chili, vegetarian white bean chili, chicken wild rice soup, and feel-good minestrone next time.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this fall chili recipe to the table: olive oil, ground turkey (not 99% fat-free), garlic, butternut squash (frozen pre-cubed saves time but fresh works, too), marinara sauce, black beans (rinsed and drained), quinoa, broth (chicken, vegetable, or bone broth), chili powder, cumin, sea salt, and whatever fresh toppings you’d like.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: Use marinara sauce instead of diced tomatoes for superior texture and flavor. Marinara adds rich, developed flavor, and creates a smoother consistency that coats everything beautifully. Diced tomatoes can make the chili watery and leave you with chunky tomato pieces that don’t integrate as well. If you prefer some texture, fire-roasted crushed tomatoes are a good middle ground.
- Shortcuts: Use frozen pre-cubed butternut squash to save yourself tons of prep time and effort. Fresh butternut squash is notoriously difficult to peel and cube, so frozen is your friend here. The texture is identical once cooked, and it cuts your prep time in half. Plus, it cooks more quickly than fresh squash.
- Feeding kids without pressure: I would recommend serving the turkey chili in a pinch bowl (taster bowl) if it’s a new or learning-to-like it food. Serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, milk, and/or bread and butter. I first created this recipe when my kids were six months and three years old and they ate it then, but then went through a phase of not eating it and now my ten year old (fingers crossed for the eight year old!) is back to eating it. 🙂 Sharing as I think it’s helpful to hear the ebbs and flows of feeding kids.
Slow Cooker Turkey Butternut Squash Chili
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings (about 1 1/2 cups per serving) 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Tex Mex
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This butternut squash chili is healthy, hearty, and loaded with flavor! Made with turkey, quinoa, and black beans. Just 15 minutes prep!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. ground turkey (not 99% fat-free)
- 2 tsp. sea salt, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 oz. cubed frozen butternut squash (fresh squash instructions below)
- 24 oz. jar marinara sauce (Not Italian)
- 2 15–oz. cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (add 6 cups if you don’t like a super thick chili)
- 2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
- toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, green onions, cilantro, tortilla chips
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add turkey, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and garlic to pan and cook for about 4-6 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through. Transfer the ground turkey to the slow cooker.
- Add squash, marinara sauce, black beans, quinoa, broth, chili powder, ground cumin, remaining 1 teaspoon sea salt and pepper to slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cook on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-5 hours, or until squash is tender.
- Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and top with favorite toppings.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave until heated through, you may need to add a bit of broth to loosen it up. This chili freezes beautifully for up to 3 months! Use portioned freezer containers like Souper Cubes for easy single servings, or freeze in glass freezer containers. Thaw completely before reheating for best texture.
- Ingredients: Look for frozen pre-cubed butternut squash in the freezer section near other frozen vegetables. If using fresh butternut squash, peel, seed, and cube it into 1-inch pieces – note that it will take 4-5 hours on High instead of 2-3 hours. Choose marinara sauce without Italian seasoning (just tomato-based) so the flavors don’t compete with the chili spices.
- Prep ahead: Brown the turkey and prep all your ingredients the night before. Store the cooked turkey in one container and combine the squash, beans, quinoa, and spices in another. In the morning, just dump everything in the slow cooker with the liquids and turn it on.
- Tools: You’ll need a 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe and a large skillet for browning the turkey.
- Serve with: Tortilla chips or corn chip scoops are perfect for dipping. Set out a variety of toppings like sour cream (or Greek yogurt), shredded cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, chopped onions, green onions, cilantro, jalapeño slices, hot sauce, and lime wedges.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty meal doesn’t need a lot, but some crunchy chips and fresh toppings will make it shine!
- Chips: This chili is delicious scooped up with tortilla chips. You could also use corn chip scoops like Fritos.
- Toppings: Sour cream or Greek yogurt, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, chopped onions, green onions, chopped cilantro, jalapeno slices, hot sauce, lime wedges
More Soup and Stew Recipes
If you like this butternut squash chili recipe, you might also like some of these other soup and stew recipes:
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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So very cool – especially as it seems extremely easy to make.
That’s the best part! HA!
Making this weekend!
Would this freeze well, have you tried that?
Hi Sydney, I haven’t tried freezing this, but my guess is that it would freeze fine. I often freeze chilis and stews without any problem. If you do, let us know how it goes!