This turkey pumpkin chili made with canned pumpkin, kale, healthy lean protein, and many other nutritious ingredients is a favorite among my friends and clients. This super flavorful recipe combines two fall loves: comfort food and pumpkin.
Recipe: $14.19 | Per Serving: $1.77 | Yield: 8
I came up with this turkey pumpkin chili recipe in the fall of 2016, and it quickly became my favorite chili recipe!
I have recently updated this post, which was originally shared in November of 2018. Instructions are updated and most of the photos are new, except for the one above! Thank you as always for being here!
Every year when fall rolls around, I am itching to dig the recipe out and add the ingredients to my shopping list.
Friends, it is so good. Pumpkin puree adds a new consistency to the chili and makes it both heartier and more flavorful.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Budget-friendly one-pot meal. So that means you can save on your groceries and enjoy washing fewer dishes! This recipe comes to under $2.00 per serving!
- Perfect for meal prep. It freezes, reheats, and travels great!
- A healthy recipe that's comforting and satisfying. It's made with lean protein, and lots of veggies, including kale and pumpkin.
- A tasty meal the whole family will love.
- Flexible recipe! Swap out veggies, protein and much more to make this healthy chili suit your diet!
Ingredients
This chili recipe with pumpkin relies on pantry staples and a few fresh ingredients that you can easily find in any grocery store. Plus, there are a few things you can do to make it even easier on the wallet.
- Ground turkey: This lean protein is my favorite, but you can also use ground beef to make pumpkin chili too.
- Aromatics: Onion and minced garlic.
- Tomatoes: You will be using tomato paste to deepen the flavor while canned diced tomatoes give it chunky pieces of tomato. For folks with reflux, you can cut the diced tomatoes in half (or remove entirely), and double the tomato paste.
- Spices: I use smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, chili powder, and a touch of cinnamon. These work together to add a deeper range of flavors to the chili.
- Pumpkin puree: You can also make your own pumpkin puree, it's a great way to make this dish more frugal.
- Canned beans: Use black beans, kidney beans, or a mix of the two. Look for canned beans to go on sale and stock up or make a batch of beans from dried to save a bit of money.
- Kale: I love the texture kale brings to turkey pumpkin chili. You can swap it with spinach or another green of your choice.
For the full list of ingredients and quantities you need, check the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
How to Make Chili with Pumpkin
Let's look at what goes into making turkey pumpkin chili. Be sure to check the recipe card for the full detailed instructions.
- In a large pot, brown the ground turkey with a bit of salt and oil. Drain off any extra fat if you want. Then add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, and all the spices (salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon) and stir well. Cook for about one minute to integrate the spices and release their flavor.
- Add the pumpkin puree, tomatoes, and beans. Stir well and bring to a light boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook covered for about 45 minutes or up to two hours.
- Stir in the kale in the last ten minutes of cooking.
- Serve as is or top with your favorite chili toppings. I like Greek yogurt, avocado, and cilantro!
Variations
- Want a thinner, more soup-like consistency? Add some chicken or veggie broth or more diced tomatoes.
- Pumpkin black bean chili. Ditch the kidney beans and ground turkey for a veggie version of chili with pumpkin.
- Spicy chili with pumpkin: Add in some diced jalapeños to cook with the onions at the start of the recipe.
- No pumpkin? Feel free to swap with butternut squash puree or another winter squash.
What to Serve With Chili
This dish is truly an entire meal in a bowl! But here are some ideas for serving it for meals.
- Bread: Consider adding some gluten-free cornbread, corn muffins, or artisan bread as a side dish. If you're gluten-free, these cassava tortillas work great too!
- Toppings: Chili screams for toppings! Add some cheese, sour cream, yogurt, diced avocado, pico de gallo, sliced chilies, pickled jalapeño, cilantro, or anything else your heart desires!
- Leftovers: Use turkey pumpkin chili over the top of sweet potatoes, inside tacos, or as the topping for your oven baked nachos!
Expert Tips
- Save money when making pumpkin chili by making your own pumpkin puree and using cooked dried beans instead of canned.
- Store leftovers in the freezer for up to three months or in the fridge for up to seven days. Reheat in a pot on the stove or in the microwave.
- Feel free to change up the ingredients to fit your diet and preferences.
- Don't forget to add your favorite chili toppings!
FAQs
Not exactly. Pumpkin itself is a relatively bland food, so it brings a lot of texture and creaminess, rather than strong flavor. It also softens some of the spices and tomato. The tomato and spices are still the predominant flavors. It's an amazing combination!
If you want a thicker chili you can add more beans or cook up extra meat to thicken it up. Another option is to add 1-2 tablespoons of masa harina to the chili right at the end. This corn flour will absorb some of the liquid and make it thicker.
Dietary Modifications
- Vegetarian: You can absolutely skip the meat in this recipe! It's only two-ish ounces per serving, so just replace it with more beans.
- Paleo Pumpkin Chili: Skip the beans! You could add some sweet potatoes or other vegetables to bulk it up, or double the meat. I have a Paleo sweet potato turkey chili recipe for you right here!
- Whole30: Similar to paleo, skip the beans and add more beef and vegetables.
More Pumpkin Recipes
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Easy Pumpkin Chili (With Turkey or Beef)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey or beef
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons salt plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 15 oz cans pumpkin puree
- 2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
- 4.5 cups black beans or other beans, about 3 cans total
- 10 cups kale washed and chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot, add a little olive oil, then brown the ground turkey with a bit of the salt. (Optional: you can drain off some of the fat once cooked.) Add the onion and cook about 3 minutes, or until fragrant. (Can also add chopped kale stems here if desired.)
- Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, and all the spices (salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, cayenne powder, cinnamon) and stir well. Cook about 1 minute to integrate the spices.
- Add the pumpkin puree, tomatoes, and beans. Stir well and bring to a light boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook covered for 45 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- In the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in the kale.
- Serve as is or top with desired toppings. I like Greek yogurt, avocado, and cilantro!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published November 2018. It has been updated with new images and content.
This pumpkin chili recipe is so yummy! I tried it out with the family and they absolutely loved it!