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Pumpkin Chili

Pumpkin chili with ground beef simmered until thick, hearty, and deeply flavored. Pumpkin puree adds body without taking over, while beans and tomatoes create a rich texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef or turkey
  • 1.5 lb ground beef or turkey
Pumpkin puree
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
Black beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained
Kidney beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained
Diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
Onion and garlic
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 clove garlic minced
Beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
Chili spices
  • 3 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
Serving toppings
  • 1 Sour cream for serving
  • 1 cheddar for serving
  • 1 jalapeño sliced, for serving
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the meat
  1. Brown the ground beef or turkey in a large pot over medium-high heat and drain the fat.
Build the flavor
  1. Sauté the diced onion for 4 minutes, then add the minced garlic and all spices (chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and cinnamon) and cook for 2 minutes while fragrant.
Simmer the chili
  1. Add pumpkin puree, diced tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, drained black beans, drained kidney beans, and beef broth, then bring the mixture to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the flavors meld and the chili thickens slightly.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve
  1. Serve hot topped with sour cream, cheddar, and sliced jalapeño.
  2. Note: the pumpkin adds body without a strong flavor.

Notes

For best results, let the chili simmer until it looks cohesive and thick enough to coat a spoon; if it thickens too much, stir in a splash of beef broth. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (toppings like sour cream and cheddar should be added after reheating). For a lighter option, swap half (or all) of the ground beef with ground turkey and drain any extra rendered fat.