Nothing says "fall" quite like a cozy bowl of Pumpkin Chili! This healthy and easy dinner recipe is the perfect dish to serve on Halloween, but it's also a simple option for busy weeknights. Prep it on the stovetop or in the slow cooker!
This festive Pumpkin Chili is perfect for a Halloween party, since you can leave it simmering on the stovetop for your guests to serve themselves.
Similarly, you can get it going in your Crock Pot and come home to a warm supper after a long night of trick-or-treating! It's a kid-friendly, hearty, and nutritious option to balance out all of the sweet holiday indulgences.
What does Pumpkin Chili taste like?
Pumpkin chili is SO GOOD! It tastes just like a traditional beef or turkey chili recipe, but the pumpkin adds a smooth, thick texture to the broth and gives the dish just a hint of sweetness. Your guests probably won't be able to tell that there's pumpkin in the mix, but they will definitely wonder which secret ingredient makes this particular chili so darn good!
How to make Pumpkin Chili:
You can put almost any of your favorite meat, beans and veggies in this pumpkin chili, but I keep the base recipe simple and full of classic chili flavor.
You will need the following ingredients:
- Ground beef (or substitute with ground turkey)
- Onion
- Pinto beans (or other beans of choice)
- Corn (canned or frozen will work)
- A can of pumpkin
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Beef broth (or chicken broth)
- Chili powder, garlic, brown sugar, salt and pepper
First, cook the ground beef, onion and garlic in a large skillet or Dutch oven until no longer pink. Drain.
Add the rest of the ingredients, give it all a stir, and cover tightly with a lid.
Simmer on the stovetop over low heat for 1 - 1.5 hours, or in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours on LOW or 2-3 hours on HIGH.
Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with all of your favorite toppings!
What to serve with Pumpkin Chili:
Cornbread, these fall-inspired corn muffins, pumpkin muffins, or corn chips (such as Fritos) all pair nicely with a bowl of this chili.
You'll also want to set out some toppings so that your family members can customize their bowls. Try serving:
- Diced red onion, sliced green onion or fresh chopped chives
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Diced avocado
- Fresh cilantro
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Turkey pumpkin chili is a delicious and easy twist! Just substitute ground turkey for the beef, and use chicken broth instead of beef broth.
- Any of your favorite beans will work! I use pinto beans, but you can try a can of red kidney beans, garbanzo beans, pink beans, or black beans (for a Halloween-inspired black-and-orange bowl).
- To make last-minute dinner prep even faster, I like to brown the ground beef, onion and garlic in advance and then just keep the cooked meat in a container in my refrigerator until we’re ready to use it. This is a step that I can usually do on the weekend so that I only have to dump the ingredients into the pot on a busy weekday morning.
- To freeze leftover cooked chili: Allow the chili to cool to room temperature. Package in airtight containers and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat pumpkin chili: Thaw frozen chili in the refrigerator overnight. Place chili in a saucepan. Cover and warm over low heat, just until heated through. If it seems too thick, thin the chili with a splash of broth or water.
More easy chili recipes that you might enjoy:
- Chili Con Carne (Stovetop or Slow Cooker)
- The Best Slow Cooker White Chili
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
- Crock Pot Chili
Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef
- 2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes (NOT drained)
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- ½ cup beef broth (plus extra to thin, if necessary)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Optional (for serving): cornbread; corn chips; cheese; sour cream; sliced green onions/chives; cilantro; avocado; diced red onion
Instructions
FOR THE STOVETOP:
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook about 5 minutes or until it begins to caramelize around the edges. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute. Add the beef and brown all over, breaking up the meat as you go, about 5-7 more minutes. Drain fat and return beef mixture to the pot.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer, covered, on low heat for about 1-1 ½ hours.
- Ladle the chili into bowls and garnish with optional toppings.
FOR THE SLOW COOKER:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook about 5 minutes or until it begins to caramelize around the edges. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute. Add the beef and brown all over, breaking up the meat as you go, about 5-7 more minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Drain fat.
- Transfer the beef mixture to a slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- Ladle the chili into bowls and garnish with optional toppings.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in October, 2015. It was updated in September, 2019.
You had me at pumpkin chili, Blair! I'm drooling over this dish! Such a great idea to make it in the slow cooker and to add fall flavors. This sounds just perfect for the colder weather we're about to get!
Thanks so much, Gayle! It really is the perfect fall dish!
I think I need to come to your house for Halloween! Ha! The pumpkin chili sounds wonderful!
YES! Come on over, Jen! 🙂
Hi, Adri! They are actually disposable paper cups that I picked up in the Halloween section at Target! 🙂
BLAIR! Can I get invited to your next party? Pretty please!!! I promise I won't be the drunk house guest 😉 😉
Hah! YESS!! Come on over, Chrissa! We'd have so much fun. 🙂
Thanks, Anna! I totally agree -- I never want to commit to any party food that requires me to be in the kitchen while my guests are over!
Made this recipe for an office potluck and it was well-received. My only comment is that I doubled the chili powder and it was still very mild tasting. I would add other spices next time as I prefer it hot. However, it was very hearty and had alot of variety which is what good chili should be!
Thanks for your note, Jennifer! I agree -- it's definitely a mild chili (intentionally), since I tend to serve it to families and at parties. I always include some hot sauce on the side so that spicy-lovers can doctor it up to their liking. 🙂
Hi, Mollee! Thanks! 🙂 They are from Target (a couple of years ago). They're just paper disposable party bowls from the Halloween section!
Loved this recipe! Adding the pumpkin definitely gave it that fall taste. I added one more can of everything and doubled the pumpkin. I ended up adding almost an entire 12oz bag of frozen corn just because I loved the added crunch the corn gate it. Extremely fast and easy in the slow cooker. It fed about 6 people and I had leftovers for lunch the next day. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you, Michelle! Your version sounds perfect!