I love all things pumpkin, and I’m not sorry about it. I also love just about every iteration of chili that is out there (see my Homemade Chili recipe and the long list of variations you can make). So it’s only fitting that I combined my two fall loves. Adding pumpkin is a super easy way to add a dose of nutrients to your pot of chili without changing that classic chili feel. The flavor and texture blend seamlessly into a pot of classic chili and even kind of makes it feel a tad lighter, so I’m totally into it!
What Does Pumpkin Chili Taste Like?
Okay, if you’re looking at me with a side-eye over the idea of putting pumpkin into your chili, just hear me out. The flavor difference is subtle and won’t make your chili taste like pumpkin soup! It makes the chili a little more saucy and rich, without being overly heavy. The pumpkin adds a little earthiness and a super subtle sweetness, which is nice because I usually add a little bit of brown sugar to my chili, but I was able to skip that with the pumpkin. And since I like to load up my chili with a lot of spices (see my homemade chili seasoning), the flavor of the pumpkin is not super noticeable.
And I think this is a good time to mention that you don’t want to taste your chili until it has simmered on the stove a while. You might be tempted to give it a taste right after you add everything to the pot, but at that point, it does not taste good. The chili needs time to do its thing. The spices need to bloom, the flavors need to cook down and combine. Give it time, and then taste. Be patient!
Make it Vegetarian or Vegan
It’s super easy to make your pumpkin chili vegetarian or vegan. Just swap out the ground beef for an extra can of beans, cooked lentils, some crumbled tempeh, or your favorite ground beef substitute. Most of the flavor in this chili comes from the chili seasoning, tomatoes, and other vegetables, so you can safely substitute the beef without too much of an effect.
Use a Different Meat
You can also swap the ground beef out for a different kind of ground meat. Ground turkey is very popular for pumpkin chili because it has a lighter flavor to match the lighter flavor of the pumpkin, but I also think that some Mexican chorizo would be awesome. Those smoky spices would pair perfectly with the flavor of the pumpkin.
Is Pumpkin Chili Spicy?
The recipe, as written below, is only as spicy as the chili powder you use. Many grocery store chili powders tend to be quite mild, but some brands can be spicy. So, if you’re sensitive to heat, make sure you use a chili powder that is mild. I find that McCormick brand chili powder is pretty mild.
If you want to add more heat to your pumpkin chili, feel free to dice up a jalapeño and sautéing that with the onion and garlic in the beginning. You can also add some chipotle powder to the chili seasoning, or dice up a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and stir that into the chili. There are a lot of options!
By the way, you should totally make some cornbread to go with your pumpkin chili. Try my classic homemade cornbread, jalapeño cheddar cornbread, or sweet potato cornbread!
Easy Pumpkin Chili
Servings 6 1.25 cups eachIngredients
Chili
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.28)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1 lb. ground beef ($5.35)
- 1 15oz. can kidney beans, drained ($0.59)
- 1 15oz. can black beans, drained ($0.55)
- 1 15oz. can petite diced tomatoes ($0.69)
- 1 15oz. can pumpkin purée ($1.05)
- 1/2 6oz. can tomato paste (5 Tbsp) ($0.25)
- 2 cups water ($0.00)
Chili Seasoning*
- 1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.30)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and dice the onion. Add the garlic, onion, and olive oil to a large pot. Sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until the onions are tender (about 5 minutes).
- Add the ground beef and continue to cook until the beef is browned and cooked through.
- Add the kidney beans (drained), black beans (drained), diced tomatoes (with juices), puréed pumpkin, tomato paste, water, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Place a lid on top of the pot and allow the chili to come up to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Allow the chili to simmer for 30 minutes.
- After simmering for 30 minutes, give the chili a taste and add salt if needed. Serve hot with your favorite toppings (sour cream, cheese, green onion, corn chips, etc.)
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Pumpkin Chili – Step by Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a large pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft (about 5 minutes).
Add one pound ground beef and continue to sauté until the beef is cooked through.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot: 1 15oz. can black beans (drained), 1 15oz. can kidney beans (drained), 1 15oz. can petite diced tomatoes (with juices), 1 15oz. can pumpkin purée, ½ of a 6oz. can tomato paste, 2 cups water, ½ tsp smoked paprika, 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Stir until everything is well combined.
Place a lid on the pot and allow the chili to come up to a simmer. Let the chili simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After simmering 30 minutes, give the chili a taste and add salt if needed (I did not add any extra).
Serve hot with your favorite toppings! I especially like something creamy on my bowl, whether that is cheese, avocado, or sour cream. :)
This looks amazing! Does it freeze well?
Yes :)
This recipe looks amazing! How do you think ground pork would work as a meat?
That would probably work.
I have this in the slow cooker right now for dinner tonight. Planning to serve it with Fritos and all the topping options😊 I’ll report back with how it turns out and our rating.
Just made this and its delicious! Wasn’t sure about the pumpkin but you couldn’t even taste it. Just gave it a creamy texture. Delicious with avocado, onion & sour cream scooped up in tortilla chips.
Thank you for the inspiration! I’m excited to try this variation and will sub out the meat for lentils. I’m excited to see if the pumpkin mellows the tomatoes as one of the other commenter wrote.
Please keep up your writing and recipe ideas. I’ve enjoyed reading them, almost like a friend on the phone sharing me a recipe and a story!
totally mellows out the tomato :)
Would this work well as a slow cooker meal? (Simmer low and slow.) I’m thinking about making this for my parents and transport would be easier in a crock pot.
Oops, I see this was already asked! Never mind!
Really delicious recipe. I made it from scratch with a small roasted sugar pumpkin and dried beans soaked overnight and cooked for 10 min in the instant pot. I like using local fresh ingredients as much as possible and this recipe was timed perfectly for what is locally available for me. Thank you! I would have never thought of putting pumpkin in a chili recipe but this is now my favorite way to make chili.
Made tonight – almost as is: I would have bet money I had black beans but did not, so used garbanzo beans in its place. Also didn’t quite have a full onion so I added a tad of purple onion.
Otherwise, as is, and people! This is delish!:)
Warning: when simmering it will spurt and bubble out of the pot. You will want to cover quickly!
Tried this out and loved it! I made it with chorizo as per one of the suggestions, and added about 2 tbsp of dark brown sugar at the end. The pumpkin mellows out the acidity of the tomatoes really nicely. :)
This looks delicious! Just wanted to comment that I love your recipes, but I am missing your meal prep recipes – some of those posts were my favorite! I know something like this can be meal prepped, but I really enjoyed the meal prep/lunch specific posts and wanted to ask for them back (if I don’t ask…;))
Thanks!
Sure! I plan to do more, sometimes I just have to wait for the ideas or inspiration to hit. :) They come in waves sometimes… :P
What do with think about using the diced sweet potatoes from the original recipe with this one?
I think it would be great!
Diced butternut squash would also be fantastic.
Ooo I’m pumped you posted this version, I love your original chili but I got a little burnt out of making it and I’ve been feeling the craving for it again but a vegetarian version, and this sounds like a delicious, filling option! Will definitely be adding an extra can of beans to replace the meat (pinto! yum.)
Do you think you could make this in a slow cooker?
Probably! Just brown the meat first. :)
Not sure what this means – “Ground turkey is very popular for pumpkin turkey”?
Maybe she means pumpkin chili. Just a typo
It’s just a typing error. Intended phrase would almost certainly be “Ground turkey is very popular for pumpkin chili.”
Hahah yep, thanks for catching that!
I’m sure she meant “ground turkey is very popular for pumpkin CHILI” but just got a little excited about it, lol
Hahaha, indeed. What a funny typo! 🤪
Just a bad typo, as everyone else has already explained. 🤪