Spicy Turkey and Vegetable Chili

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-05 · Updated 2026-04-05

A vibrant, spice-packed chili featuring ground turkey, zucchini, and tomatoes, simmered to perfection for a hearty, Whole30-compliant meal. This american-inspired slow cooker ready in about 255 minutes pairs ground turkey, zucchini, tomatoes for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 280 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 medium, diced into 1/2-inch cubes zucchini
• 2 cups, diced tomatoes
• 1 medium, finely diced onion
• 3 cloves, minced garlic
• 1/2 cup diced green chilies
• 1 tsp dried cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Brown 1 lb ground turkey in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles until no pink remains, then transfer to the slow cooker with 2 diced zucchini, 2 cups diced tomatoes, 1 diced onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 cup diced green chilies, 1 tsp dried cumin, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 tsp sea salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper, stirring to combine.
2. Step 2: Cook on LOW for 4 hours until the zucchini is tender but not mushy and the flavors have melded into a rich, cohesive chili with a slight thickening at the edges.
3. Step 3: Check for doneness by ensuring the turkey is fully cooked and the chili has a thick, spoon-coating consistency without raw vegetable bits, with the spices evenly distributed throughout.