Weight Watchers Recipe of the Day: 3 Bean Turkey Sausage Chili
Here's a super simple, very basic recipe for slow cooker chili made with turkey sausage and 3 different kinds of beans I think you are going to love. We all did!
Take just 15 minutes of prep time in the morning and several hours later you are rewarded with the fragrance—not to mention flavor—of home-cooked crockpot chili. Talk about minimal effort for maximum reward!
The slow-cooking perfectly combines the meat, beans and tomatoes for hearty, satisfying bowls of warm chili goodness.
WW Slow Cooker Three Bean Turkey Sausage Chili
Last night as we were digging into the remaining portion I had tucked away in the freezer from a few weeks back, it dawned on me that I had yet to post it.
This chili had just enough heat for our tastes without being overly spicy. Like most chilis it is even thicker and more flavorful the next day.
A great candidate to make-ahead as a freezer meal, I was reminded just how wonderful it is to have yummy foods like this in the freezer, ready and waiting for those nights I'm too tired, or unmotivated, to cook.
I pulled it out first thing in the morning and by dinnertime it was defrosted and ready to heat and eat.
Crock Pot 3-Bean Turkey Sausage Chili
Rod said it reminded him of being in a ski lodge. And Mom called it delicious, saying it needed nothing except a sprinkling of cheese to make a satisfying lunch.
How Many Calories/WW Points in this 3 Bean Turkey Sausage Crock Pot Chili?
According to my calculations, each serving has 213 calories and:
5 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
2 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
2 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Recipe Notes & Photos
This is a really easy recipe that requires very little chopping. Just a medium size onion (about 1 cup). I like to keep bags of chopped onions in the freezer for days when I don't feel like chopping!
3 Bean Chili Ingredients
Ground turkey can be pretty bland, so to make this Crock Pot Turkey Chili more flavorful, I used hot Italian-style Turkey sausage. Adjust the spices to suit your tastes.
Chili powder is one of those spices that can intensify a lot during long slow cooking. If you prefer, use your favorite package of chili seasoning instead of the individual spices.
I sometimes like to cook my ground meat and onion in the microwave (affiliate link) before adding it to the slow cooker, but you could always use your stovetop and a skillet instead...
Browning ground meat and onion in a skillet.
Then just dump the remaining chili ingredients (excluding optional toppings) into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 6 to 8 hours That's all there is to it!!
Slow Cooker 3 Bean Chili
3-Bean Turkey Chili Recipe Variations:
different meats - substitute whatever lean ground meat or combination you like best, turkey, chicken, lean beaf, bison, pork, sausage, etc.
different beans - use whatever combination of beans you like best
vegetarian/vegan - skip the meat and add 1 to 2 extra cans of beans or your favorite meatless crumbles
more veg - bell pepper and/or corn would be good
different spices - Substitute your favorite package of chili seasoning. Spice it up with more chili powder and cayenne pepper.
Enjoy!
I used the following kitchen tools to make this recipe:
- Cutting Board (affiliate link)
- Chef's Knife (affiliate link)
- 6-Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link)
If you like this simple recipe for 3-bean turkey sausage chili, be sure to check out my other easy, healthy Weight Watchers friendly chili recipes including: Vegetarian Chili, Skinny Pepperoni Pizza Chili, Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Chili, Weight Watchers Chuck Wagon Chili and Slow Cooker Turkey Green Chile Chowder
If you've made this Crock Pot Turkey Sausage Chili, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
WW Slow Cooker 3-Bean Turkey Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked hot Italian style turkey sausage
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (14-15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 can (4-6 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained
- 1 can (14-15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (14-15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (14-15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 packet (1.25 ounces) chili seasoning mix; (or 1-2 tablespoons chili powder, 1-2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
Optional Toppings:
- 1 Chopped red onion
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Ideal slow cooker size: 5- to 6-Quart.
- Place the turkey and onion in a microwave safe bowl and cook until it's no longer pink and the onions are soft (5 to 8 minutes). Or if you prefer, in a large skillet, cook turkey and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meat is brown.
- Drain any fat and scrape into the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours.
- Garnish with the optional toppings and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- different meats – substitute whatever lean ground meat or combination you like best, turkey, chicken, lean beaf, bison, pork, sausage, etc.
- different beans – use whatever combination of beans you like best
- vegetarian/vegan – skip the meat and add 1 to 2 extra cans of beans or your favorite meatless crumbles
- more veg – bell pepper and/or corn would be good
- different spices - substitute your favorite package of chili seasoning for the spices. Increase the spices and add cayenne pepper for more heat!
2 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
2 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
Source: adapted from Skinnytaste
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
Watch how to make another version of Three Bean Turkey Chili:
More Easy Weight Watchers Friendly Chili Recipes Made Lighter
- Turkey Chili Taco Soup (SkinnyTaste)
- Bacon Cheeseburger Chili (HungryGirl)
- One Pot Cheesy Turkey Taco Chili Mac (SkinnyTaste)
- Chipotle Chicken Chili (LaaLoosh)
- Buffalo Turkey Chili (SkinnyKitchen)
- Chili Cheese Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (EmilyBites)
The Best Weight Watchers Recipes of 2016 with SmartPoints
This is how easy it is to make Turkey & Veggie Chili:
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Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Bonnie
Delicious!!!! So enjoyed this and makes watching points easy. Thank you!
Wanda Bigelow
This is my second batch of this soup. I made it on the stovetop though since I didn't have the 6-8 hours for it to cook. It is sooooooo good. In fact, yesterday I had it for lunch and dinner I made my own sausage out of ground pork, and it turned out tasting great. I also didn't have green chilies or pinto beans, so I substituted black beans and tomatoes with chilies in them.
Martha McKinnon
Thanks Wanda! I am so very glad you liked it!!
Wanda Bigelow
I'm making this yet again. I wanted to mention that since I didn't have turkey sausage, I added about 1 1/2 tsp. of fennel. This makes it taste more like sausage. Thanks again for a great recipe.
carole richter
Have made this with regular ground turkey and added RoTel and Italian seasoning when couldn't find the sausage.It's awesome and so easy to make.
Wanda
3 bean Turkey chili is very satisfying. I found that when i get the munchies i just eat a bowl of this chill and then I can get past the munchies. One of my favorites.
Robin
Hi Martha ,
I have the 3-Bean Turkey Chili simmering at this moment . We are trying to incorporate more beans in our diet . It smells great by the way .
I have calculated this over and over and not included the veggies . My sausage is 3 SP. So when I add all of the beans in and divide it by 10 , I cannot get 2 SP per serving. I am following Smart Points . What am I figuring wrong . Please help and thank you for all of your hard word managing this site . Great Job !
Thanks ,
Robin
Martha McKinnon
Hi Robin, Beans are now 0 Point on the WW Freestyle Program. Hope this helps! - Martha
Chris
Can I use vegan crumbles instead for my protein? How many points?
Wanda Bigelow
This soup is very filling. It's my go to soup. Love it.
Christina Norris
I searched my grocery store (Kroger) for “uncooked hot Italian style turkey sausage“ unsuccessfully. Please tell me where you found it and post a photo, please.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Christina, In the past I have used the Jennie O brand which I find in various grocery stores both in Phoenix and Wisconsin. For a photo you can google, "hot italian sausage" and then click on "images." You'll see pictures of lots of options. Hope this helps. ~Martha
Tiffany
I found it with the other Italian sausage.
Lydia Turner
I used the Italian Petit diced tomatoes to add a little more spice and less chunky size tomatoes. 5 hours on low was plenty of time.
I always appreciate the variations suggested for recipes.
Allegra
Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much!
Elizabeth M Zapp
Hi Martha, I enjoy your recipes and always scan your books for inspiration!
Any chance of getting your recipes adapted for the Instant Pot?
Liz
Martha McKinnon
Thanks Elizabeth. Yes, we are slowly beginning to work on it! ~Martha
Lynn
I absolutely love this recipe! It’s my go to in the winter. I put 2 cups in containers fir a 4 point supper!
Jarhead
After viewing this recipe I thought there is No way this dump and heat will taste good. Well as usual I was wrong. It's way to spicy for us. I even did the min. addition on the spices,plain Italian turkey, mild peppers and it is way spicy but man did it taste great. Mucho, foaming mouth