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. :)
Came out great! Would make again, but would take the suggestion to add jalapeño for more heat :) Great with cornbread or even over rice. Thanks!
This was great for dinner! Subbed plant based meat and pumpkin puree that I cooked. Finished it off with shredded cheese and Fritos!
This was great for dinner! Added plant based meat and pumpkin puree that I cooked. Finished it off with shredded cheese and Fritos!
This turned out really well! I used the baked flesh of two pie pumpkins instead of canned and used frozen-then-thawed tofu for the “meat” substitute. I also switched up the spices a bit to include cocoa powder and cayenne pepper, and it was pretty satisfying.
I made this for my mom tonight and she said it’s one of the best chilis she’s ever had! I subbed the meat for an extra can of black beans to keep it vegan.
Really good! I only made 2 changes to the recipe. I used some hot chorizo instead of ground beef, and I added 1/2 cup to 1 cup of V8 because I prefer my chili a bit more stew like in viscosity. All in all I will 100 percent be making this again.
The spice level was pretty good for me, a bit of a creeping heat that lingered, and the pumpkin was still there despite it being a mild flavour.
Loved it! Used one can of garbanzos and one can of black beans and rotisserie chicken for the protein. This was a real hit and the leftovers made great lunches!
Where do you shop? My ingredients cost so much more.
We shop in Nashville, TN. Usually at Kroger. XOXO -Monti
Recipe is excellent! The flavors are perfect. I added roasted poblanos and bell peppers that I wanted to use up. Will definitely make again!
Excellent Chili! I used Yves ground round to make it vegan, there is enough other things going on you’d never notice. Also only used 1 cup of water as I prefer it a bit thicker. Otherwise, a really nice chili. The entire family ate it up.
This rocks. I added 2 tbsps of brown sugar an 1 tsp of maple syrup. The rest is history. Sexy pumpkin chili-what can I say? Hits all the flavor profiles.
I forgot. I replaced the water with unsalted bone broth. Duh.
This is a keeper! I added some ground sausage and a little more chili powder and will definitely make this again!
Honestly a new faveourite in my house. Even my toddler liked it and she doesn’t eat anything lol! Only change I made is I added 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. 10 out of 10!
Perhaps my favorite chili? I used sausage in place of the beans because I have a bean hater in the house. Do you think sweet potato puree here would work the same as pumpkin puree?
Yep, you can definitely do sweet potato purée instead. :)
Thanks Beth, you’re the best 😀
The flavour would naturally change slightly, but otherwise I think it’s a great substitute.
This is such a creative way of using pumpkin for a winter dish that’s super healthy. Have you tried it with diced pumpkin instead of the puree may help it from becoming saucy?
I added chopped sweet potato to my chilli, mainly to use them up as my bag was iffy and I loved it. FYI I replaced the beans with 2 medium sweet potatoes and 1 green bell pepper, and the mince with leftover shredded chicken