Slow Cooker meals are not only perfect for busy weeknight dinners, but also great for weekend entertaining too! Serve this easy Taco Chili recipe with a side of cornbread and all the fixings for a flavorful dinner.
If you love easy dinners, try my slow cooker bourbon chicken next. Or give my delicious slow cooker taco meat a try for your next tex mex dinner.
Crockpot Chili with Taco Seasoning
I know when some people think of slow cooker meals, the image that comes to mind is Boring. Bland. Ugly.
Today’s recipe is a simple and tasty chili that is also healthy! It tastes great with jalapeno cheddar cornbread or topped with tortilla strips.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground turkey – I used turkey to keep this meal on the healthier side. You can also substitute ground beef or chicken if preferred. Cook and drain the meat before adding it to the slow cooker.
- Taco seasoning – Use a homemade taco seasoning mix to give this chili flavor or substitute store bought. If you’re using store bought packets you may want to adjust the salt in this recipe. Those packets tend to be quite salty!
- Canned Beans– I’ve used a variety of black beans and red kidney beans in this crockpot taco chili. Use the type of bean you love!
- Salsa – Your family’s favorite red salsa adds just the right touch of kick to this chili. I like the thick and chunky style for this recipe. You could also add diced tomatoes with diced green chilies.
- Toppings – I used plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream on top of this chili. I also added a pinch of low fat shredded cheese, chopped avocado and some southwestern tortilla strips.
How to Make Taco Chili in the Crockpot
STEP 1. Add all ingredients (except the toppings) to your slow cooker. Give everything a stir to make sure the ingredients are combined.
STEP 2. Cover the chili and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours.
STEP 3. Serve in bowls with all your favorite toppings, including cheddar cheese and sour cream.
Tips and Tricks
- Cooking taco chli in the slow cooker allows all the flavors to mingle. Use the low setting for best results. However, if cooking on high, you’ll only need 4 hours.
- Brown your meat before adding to the slow cooker!
- I prefer my black beans to be drained and rinsed.
- Increase the spicy flavor by using a hotter salsa. Hot sauce is also a great addition.
- Use tortilla strips, broken tortillas, or corn chips to the top of the chili.
- Make it on the stove top by combining all the ingredients and cooking over medium high heat for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low for 15 minutes and serve.
What to serve with Chili
I ruined my efforts to stay healthy when I served this with a big side of Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread. But it’s all about balance and we need our carbs after all, right?
Taco chili in the slow cooker can also turn a baked potato into an exciting meal!
I’m pretty sure this would make a great meal to serve at a potluck. Or family event. Make a big batch and have bowls of all the toppings on the side so everyone can make their perfect bowl.
Say goodbye to boring slow cooker dinners on those busy weeknights! Slow Cooker Taco Chili makes it possible to have a flavorful and exciting meal even when you have no time to cook.
More Slow Cooker Dinners
- Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
- Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce
- Pork Carnitas
- Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
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Slow Cooker Taco Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey cooked and drained
- 1 can sweet corn (don't drain) 15 ounce
- 1 can black beans (don't drain) 15 ounce
- 1 can red kidney beans (don't drain) 15 ounce
- 1 can tomato sauce 15 ounce
- 1 cup salsa I used a thick and chunky style
- 3 Tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large slow cooker, combine cooked ground turkey, corn, beans, salsa, tomato sauce, salt and taco seasoning. Make sure to add the liquid from all your cans of corn and beans!
- Give a quick stir to combine the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Serve hot with plain greek yogurt (or sour cream), cheese, avocado and tortilla strips! ENJOY.
Notes
- Can I cook this on high? Yes, but the longer cooking time allows all the flavors to mingle and combine so I think it tastes best when you use the low setting on the crock pot.
- Do I cook the turkey before adding it to the pot? Yes, definitely make sure to brown the turkey in a pan on the stove top before adding it to the slow cooker.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Could I leave out the meat all together?
Sure!
Looks so delicious…can’t wait to try!!
My family LOVED This recipe – it is going to make the weekly menu! Thank you!
Okay this officially just became what I want for dinner tonight!
Have this recipe on the menu for the week and I am going to make the jalapeno cornbread too! Great recipe!!
Yum! I love simple and delicious recipes! Always looking for a slow cooker meal!
Nothing better than a slow cooker soup in the fall!
Yum! I’ve been ready for soup season since about July 5th! Can’t wait to try this one — I love the Ninja too! It’s the best. Thanks, Aimee!
Thank you for a beautiful cooker taco chili recipe. Made this tonight for my family and the kitchen smells divine. It tastes even better.
Yay, so glad you like it 🙂
Thank you for such an easy and delicious recipe! My kids don’t like chili but they will eat this one. I save this for a lazy day cause its just so darn easy. I don’t bother with the slow cooker cause I can’t ever plan ahead enough so I just brown the turkey in a pot and then dump everything else in and cook for a bit and it comes out great! I also just buy a packet of taco seasoning and use the whole thing instead of measuring. It’s salty enough so I don’t add any additional salt. When serving I add a little shredded cheese, sour cream, maybe include a salad or even cornbread if I have the time to make it and it’s a great meal. I can’t believe that 7 staple ingredients in one pot makes something that everyone loves!
So glad your family loves this! My kids love it too…and I think it’s because of the taco flavor 🙂
I made this last night for dinner it’s absolutely my 12 year olds favorite. Her friends were over and I got carried away by the time I was done all the Taco Soup I made fed everyone in my house which was 7 people 4 of them were teenagers. I sent a big bowl for my friend and her family, sent some home with my daughters Best friend and because her kids ate here I sent a nice size amount for her dinner and then my daughter and her family. I not only used ground beef but also ground Turkey. I also made a pan of macaroni and put it in a separate bowl to add bulk and if they wanted to put it over the macaroni. It’s goid over rice also. Topped it with cheese and sour cream and also made cornbread it is the easiest, hardiest. Inexpensive dinner. I still have a medium size bowl left and sent some in hubbys lunch. Everyone should make this it is AWESOME Thank You so Much k
So glad you loved it 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Could you cook the ground turkey right in the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients?
When doubling is it ok to double everything- including all the liquids?
Yep! Double away 🙂
Could you cook this for less time on High? I’m looking for something that would take more like 4 hours.
Thanks!
Yes absolutely! This recipe is quite flexible for cooking on high!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS!!!! I couldn’t believe how easy it was to put together, and it was so inexpensive. I probably spent about $12 on the ingredients. Thank you!!
Has anyone tried freezing these ingredients together? I have to go to a crock-pot meal exvhange eith 10 zipper bags full of frozen crock-pot ready meals!
Yes, this would totally work for freezer cooking!
Totally random question – where did you get that double handle soup crock? Love the color!
No worries on randomness 🙂 I bought these from Cost Plus World Market online. Happy Shopping!
look delicious yum!! but one problem i don’t have a slow-cooker so how should i cook this normally until the meat is cooked?
This was absolutely delicious. I made it exact to the directions except we added Fritos corn chips instead of tortilla strips.
So glad you liked it! Fritos are a great substitute!!