Healthy Pumpkin Chili Recipe
Enjoy a pot of Healthy Pumpkin Chili simmering on the stovetop for fall dinners. Our Pumpkin Turkey Chili is a recipe with a hint of pumpkin, and packed with veggies. It’s delish served with your favorite toppings, a salad, and our amazing cornbread!
I love a good chili for falltime. This Healthy Pumpkin Chili recipe not only makes the house smell so good, it’s everyone’s favorite served with a variety of toppings. It’s savory, and an easy weeknight meal that you’ll make over and over for your family or friends. My favorite way to serve chili? On an Chili Charcuterie Board.
Healthy Pumpkin Chili Recipe
A simple recipe to make for fall is a big pot of chili. It’s one of the easiest meals you can make, and perfect for a “fall flavor” is to add pumpkin. Why is this healthy? This chili is packed with wholesome ingredients like veggies, beans, and a lean protein.
Try adding in cooked chunks of fresh pumpkin, like you would chunks of squash. It’s delish!
Also, if you’re looking for a comfort dish to serve your family (or last-minute guests?), then give our chili a try!
Why I love this recipe
- Make it ahead, or make in the crock pot or stovetop.
- It makes a lovely potluck or falltime party one-pot meal to serve!
- It’s awesome served on the big board for a “chili dinner board” with cornbread.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Chili
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sweet onion
- Green or red large bell pepper + jalapeño peppers
- Ground turkey
- Diced tomatoes, undrained
- Pumpkin purée
- Garlic powder + chili powder + cumin + cinnamon + sea salt + pepper
- Kidney beans
- Black beans
- Corn (canned or frozen or fresh)
- Toppings: sour cream, cheese, cilantro, or green onions
How do you make Healthy Pumpkin Chili?
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños, stirring frequently, until tender, 4-5 minutes.
- Add turkey and cook until browned. Stir in tomatoes, pumpkin, 1 cup water, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and salt and pepper; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium low and add beans and corn.
- Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes more.
- Serve with sour cream, cheese, and fresh cilantro (or finely chopped green onions).
I love my LeCreuset pots and pans, which I have quite a few, and for chili, it’s my big LeCreuset 5 1/2 quart round dutch oven (check out all the cool colors!)
Tips and substitutions:
- Use fresh corn (2 cobs) or canned corn (drained). To cook fresh corn: Boil the water and add the corn; bring back to a boil and cook for 6 minutes. It’s that easy!
- Cook the meat and onions in a big pot; add in the simple ingredients of fresh corn and beans. (Or, open a can of Trader Joe’s corn!)
- What I love about chili is you can add the spices that your family loves. Make it spicy—or not :)
- We love fresh cilantro! (And if you don’t like cilantro, leave it off:) Sour cream and cheese are also great toppings to set out if you have guests coming over.
- Swap out the ground turkey for ground beef or chicken.
How do you serve pumpkin chili?
Serve it with cornbread! Or serve it on the big board.
Want a super easy pumpkin dessert recipe to try? Check out my Pumpkin Pie Squares.
More chili recipes to try while you are here:
- End of Summer Chicken Chili Recipe [A Farmgirls Dabbles]
- White Bean Chicken Chili
- Turkey Poblano White Bean Chili
- Leftover Chili Pot Pie
Get the Recipe:
Healthy Pumpkin Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 1 green or red large bell pepper, chopped
- 1 large or 2 small jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, do not drain
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin purée
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained
- 1 15 oz can corn, drained (or 2-3 cobs, cooked)
Toppings:
- sour cream, cheese, cilantro, or green onions (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños, stirring frequently, until tender, 4-5 minutes.
- Add turkey and cook until browned. Stir in tomatoes, pumpkin, 1 cup water, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and salt and pepper; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium low and add beans and corn. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes more.
- Serve with sour cream, cheese, and fresh cilantro (or finely chopped green onions).
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
wow, thought I’d made every permutation of chili there is, but not pumpkin, thank you for this recipe and for your wonderful sentiments