The Best Pumpkin Chili Recipe
One of the first questions I get about this recipe is, “but what does pumpkin chili taste like?” Honestly, in my opinion, the change in flavor is super subtle and almost undetectable. So why put pumpkin in chili in the first place? Because it gives this fall classic the creamiest texture and a boost of fiber and vitamin A. The same goes for our out-of-this-world pumpkin mac and cheese! Both are fun ways to lean into the fall season.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, & estimated nutritional information.
- Whole Tomatoes: I like hearty chunks of tomatoes in my chili, but feel free to swap with crushed tomatoes.
- Beans: My recipe calls for just one can of kidney beans, but feel free to bulk it up with more of whatever variety you prefer!
- Canned Pumpkin: I’m at stage of life where canned pumpkin makes the most sense, but if you have the bandwidth, make a batch of our pumpkin puree. The flavor and texture of pumpkin chili with fresh pumpkin seriously can’t be beat and will bring your chili to the next level.
- Ground Beef: Turn this into turkey pumpkin chili by swapping out ground beef for ground turkey. We have a great turkey chili recipe if that’s what you’re going for.
How To Make Pumpkin Chili
Step 1: Add a drizzle of oil to your hot dutch oven and then sauté garlic and onion for a few minutes.
Step 2: Add the ground beef and break it up until it is fully cooked. Drain grease.
Step 3: Place the remaining ingredients into the dutch oven, being sure to quarter the whole tomatoes.
Step 4: Stir everything together, cover, and let simmer for 30-60 minutes.
Spice It Up
You can really adjust the spice level of your chili to meet your personal preferences. Feel free to add more chili powder for a stronger flavor or even a little cayenne pepper to really take the spice level up a few notches!
Best Way To Serve Pumpkin Chili
Our favorite side dishes to serve with a nice, warm bowl of chili are gluten-free cornbread, seven layer salad, or butternut squash. Just make sure you also add all the best toppings, like sour cream, chopped green onions, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, red onion, etc. And if you have leftover chili or are looking for a fun new way to serve it, make some slow cooker baked potatoes and make a chili baked potato!
Recipe FAQs
I’m sure it varies from person to person, but I love it for the subtle nutty flavor and creamy texture. Plus, pumpkin adds additional nutrition into each bite!
There are a lot of pumpkin chili recipes out there, but ultimately, pumpkin chili incorporates fresh or canned pumpkin into a chili recipe.
No! Pumpkin pie filling is much sweeter than pumpkin puree and will drastically change the flavor of your chili from savory to sweet!
Everyone’s taste buds are different, but I’d say that the flavor change is quite mild. I like how the subtle nutty flavor balances out the acidity of tomatoes and other savory ingredients.
Other Homemade Chili Recipes You Might Like
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Pumpkin Chili Recipe (Slow Cooker + Stove Top)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
An easy, delicious and creamy pumpkin chili recipe that can be made in the slow cooker or on the stove top! Perfect for Fall!
Ingredients
Chili:
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef (I used 85/15)
- (1) 28oz can whole tomatoes (don’t drain)
- (1) 6oz can tomato paste
- 1 15oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 15oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 2–3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Toppings:
- sour cream (regular or dairy free sour cream)
- shredded cheese (dairy-free or regular)
- green onion, sliced
- red onion, diced
Instructions
- Sauté: Bring a large dutch oven to medium-high heat. Drizzle some oil into your dutch oven and sauté chopped onion and minced garlic for a few minutes.
- Brown & Drain: Add the ground beef and break it up while it cooks. Once fully cooked, drain the grease.
- Combine: Add the following ingredients into your dutch oven; whole tomatoes (use knife to cut them into quarters), tomato paste, pumpkin puree, kidney beans, bay leaf, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Simmer: Cover and let simmer for as little as 30 minutes OR for as long as 6-8 hours.
- Taste + Serve: Make sure to taste and add additional salt and chili powder, as desired. Ladle into bowls and serve with your favorite toppings!
Notes
- Slow Cooker Method: to make this in a slow cooker, follow steps 1 and 2 as written. Then transfer the meat mixture into your slow cooker and add the ingredients listed in step 3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Whole Tomatoes: feel free to use crushed tomatoes instead.
- Beans: we only call for 1 can of kidney beans, but feel free to add up to two and use a combo of whatever you wish – we like red kidney beans, butter beans, black beans, etc.
- Storage: after it has fully cooled you can place it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: let it full cool and then place in an airtight container in the freezer for 4-6 months!
- Turkey: feel free to sub turkey for the ground beef.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 159
- Sugar: 5.3 g
- Sodium: 267.5 mg
- Fat: 2.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Protein: 17.3 g
- Cholesterol: 33.9 mg
Liz says
What a fun seasonal chili! I was going to make regular chili, but had a can of pumpkin in the pantry so I figured ‘why not’ and threw it in. It really is so creamy that I might just go ahead and add it to all my chili recipes. Thanks for the fun idea!
Stefanie T says
Soo flavorful. Made this tonight on the stovetop. I let it simmer for a few hours until dinner time. Topped with sour cream and crushed tortilla chips. Thank you Erin for a great recipe!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Stefanie!!