Pumpkin chili is a beef and bean chili with pumpkin stirred in. The pumpkin makes the broth thick. It does not taste like pumpkin pie. This is a one-pot dinner. It tastes better the longer it cooks. It is easy enough for a first-time cook to get right.
I made this the first fall after we moved to a new house. Our new yard had a big smoker and room to cook for a crowd. A neighbor gave us ground venison from opening weekend. I did not want to make plain chili again. I had an open can of pumpkin from a baking project. I stirred it in on a whim.
That first batch was so good that it became a fall staple. I make it with ground beef, ground chicken, or venison. Use whatever meat you have on hand. Brown the meat. Add a few vegetables. Stir in some cans. Then let the pot do the work.
This recipe uses simple pantry cans. There is no soaking and no guesswork. It makes a thick, hearty bowl. Serve it with cornbread, crackers, or just a spoon. The color turns a deep orange-red as it cooks. That color is your first sign the chili is done right.
Most chili takes an hour or less. This one asks for more time on the stove. That extra time is what makes it so thick and rich. Once you smell warm spice and roasted tomato coming from the pot, you are close.
This dish is great for a fall weekend. It also works well for game day. Leftovers taste even better the next day, once the flavors have had more time to sit.
Recipe Quick Facts
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Servings: 6
- Difficulty: Easy
Before You Get Started
- Use lean ground beef. Look for 90% lean or higher. Fatty beef makes more grease. Drain the pot if you need to.
- Rinse each can of beans well. Drain them until the water runs clear. The first time I skipped this step, my broth turned out cloudy and starchy.
- You can swap the beef for ground venison, ground chicken, or ground lamb. Venison is very lean. Add a splash of oil to the pot first.
- Buy plain canned pumpkin. Do not use pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling has added sugar and spices. It will throw off the taste.
- Start with a small amount of red pepper flakes. You can add more heat later. Taste the chili first, once it has cooked for a while.
- The first time I made this, I rushed the simmer. I served it after just 45 minutes. The beans were done, but the flavors had not come together yet. It tasted like separate parts, not one dish.
- Pick a big pot. A 7-quart Dutch oven works well. This chili has a lot of cans in it, and a smaller pot will fill up fast.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (90–93% lean)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ large white onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14-ounce) can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Sour cream and shredded cheese, for serving
Instructions
Step 1: Brown the Ground Beef
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Use one that holds at least 7 quarts. Add the ground beef. Break it up with a spatula as it cooks. Cook it for 5 to 6 minutes. Stop once no pink is left. The meat should smell rich and look deep brown all over. (I use a nonstick spatula here. It makes the pot much easier to scrape later, once the tomatoes go in.)
Step 2: Cook the Vegetables
Push the meat to one side of the pot. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the fat. Stir for about 30 seconds. You will smell the garlic right away. Add the onion and both bell peppers. Stir it all together. Cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften and the peppers turn a bit glossy.
Step 3: Add the Tomatoes and Beans
Stir in the diced tomatoes. Add the Great Northern beans, kidney beans, and black beans. (In my tests, adding the beans before the pumpkin kept them firmer during the long simmer.) Stir well. Let the pot come back to a light bubble. You should see steam rising steadily at this point.
Step 4: Stir in the Pumpkin
Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, pumpkin, and tomato sauce. Stir until you see no more pumpkin streaks. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes over medium heat. This helps the flavors start to blend before you add the spices. The pot will look thick and glossy by the end of this step.
Step 5: Season and Simmer
Add the pumpkin pie spice, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir it all in well. You will notice a warm, spiced smell right away. Turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot part of the way. Let it simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Stir it every 10 minutes. The chili will get much thicker as it cooks. A longer simmer means a deeper flavor.
Step 6: Serve
Ladle the chili into bowls. Add a spoonful of sour cream on top. Add a handful of shredded cheese. Serve it hot.
How To Make (Quick Reference)
- Brown 1 pound ground beef in a large pot, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add garlic and red pepper flakes, then onion and bell peppers. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in diced tomatoes and all three cans of beans.
- Add pumpkin, fire-roasted tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in pumpkin pie spice, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Turn heat to low. Simmer, part covered, for 2 to 3 hours. Stir often.
- Top with sour cream and cheese. Serve hot.
Tips for Best Results
- Simmer for the full 3 hours if you can. I tested this at 90 minutes and at 3 hours. The long batch had a much deeper flavor and a thicker bowl.
- If the chili looks too thick, stir in a splash of water. Do not add more tomato sauce. That can make it taste too sharp.
- Taste it before you add more salt. The tomatoes and beans both carry salt on their own. I have over-salted this more than once.
- Let the pot rest off the heat for 5 minutes before you serve it. The flavors settle, and the chili firms up just a bit.
- Serve it in a wide, shallow bowl. This chili is thick, and a wide bowl lets it cool a bit faster than a deep one.
- Save some cheese and sour cream for leftovers. The toppings taste best when they go on right before you eat, not while the chili is stored.
Ingredient Substitutions
| Original Ingredient | Substitute | Effect on Taste/Texture |
| Ground beef | Ground venison | Leaner; add 1 tablespoon oil so it does not stick |
| Ground beef | Ground chicken | Milder taste; a bit softer in the bowl |
| Great Northern beans | Cannellini beans | Almost the same; a bit creamier |
| Light red kidney beans | Dark red kidney beans | Firmer bite; hard to notice once mixed in |
| Fresh minced garlic | Jarred minced garlic | Milder garlic taste; no real change in texture |
Storage & Reheating
Keep leftover chili in a sealed container in the fridge. It stays good for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm it on the stove over low heat. Stir it now and then. You can also heat it in the microwave in short bursts. Check it and stir between each burst so it warms evenly.
This chili freezes well, too. Let it cool all the way first. Use a freezer-safe container or a zip-top bag. It will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before you heat it back up. If it looks a bit thick after freezing, stir in a small splash of water as it reheats.
FAQs
Does pumpkin chili taste like pumpkin pie?
The canned pumpkin adds thickness and a subtle depth to the broth, but the chili powder, cumin, and pumpkin pie spice give it a savory, warm flavor instead of a sweet one. Most people cannot pick out the pumpkin by taste alone.
Can I make pumpkin chili in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the meat and cook the vegetables on the stovetop first, then move everything to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours, stirring it once or twice along the way.
What can I use instead of canned pumpkin in chili?
Canned butternut squash puree works as a close stand-in. Skip pumpkin pie filling, since it has added sugar and spices that will change the flavor and throw off the seasoning in this recipe.
How long does pumpkin chili last in the fridge?
Pumpkin chili keeps for up to 4 days in a sealed container in the fridge. Reheat it gently on the stove or in the microwave, stirring it now and then, until it is warmed all the way through before you serve it.
Can I freeze pumpkin chili?
Yes, pumpkin chili freezes well for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then reheat it on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally until hot.