Turkey Black Bean Chili is healthy and filling. I make this meal all year long because my family really likes it.

This chili is full of flavor and easy to make in one skillet.

In the past I have tried making this recipe but with ground beef. I have to say that we prefer using ground turkey because it’s so tender and has a mild flavor.

Since I make this recipe often, I like to buy a bag of black beans and cook them in a crock pot ahead. It adds a little more prep time to sort and soak the beans but then I have extra to add into other dishes later in the week.

Looking for another dish you can make with black beans, try this Black Bean Soup recipe. It’s completely vegetarian and has a totally different flavor with smoky paprika and cumin!

How Cook Black Beans from Scratch

Start with a 1 to 2-pound bag of dried black beans. Check them by the handful for any rocks or debris. Put them in a large pot and rinse. After you rinse them, add fresh water to cover a couple of inches over the top of the beans and let them soak overnight.

In the morning drain and put in a Crock-Pot. Again, add enough fresh water to cover at least an inches over the top of the beans. Cook on low for 8-hours. When they’re done (and cool), you can put them in plastic storage bags and store in the freezer for future meals.

Tips on Freezing Black Beans

If you make a crock pot full of black beans and need to freeze them, I recommend putting them in a couple of large gallon zip lock bags. Pat them into a flat layer and freeze. When completely frozen, break them up in the bag, toss them back in the freezer and use as needed. If you don’t freeze them in a layer, you’ll have a big frozen ball that you’ll need a jack-hammer to break up 🙂 Yup I’ve done it!

Get the Turkey Black Bean Chili recipe below…