Pumpkin Chili Recipe: A Hearty Fall Dinner with Ground Beef and Beans

Pumpkin Chili Recipe

I have made hundreds of chili recipes over the years, in my own kitchen and for crowds, and I do not say this lightly: this pumpkin chili is the one I make on repeat once the first cool evening hits.

The pumpkin melts into the tomatoes and beef stock until the whole pot turns silky and rich, and the finish is warm rather than sweet. My family starts asking for it before I have even mentioned that pumpkin season has started.

What I love most is how it works for two completely different nights. It is hearty enough to feed a crowd around the table with cornbread and a lineup of toppings, and it is simple enough to pull together after work because most of the cooking time is hands off.

The balance is what keeps me coming back: chipotle chili powder for gentle heat, a spoonful of sugar to round out the tomatoes, and pumpkin puree for the creamy body you normally only get after hours of simmering.

A reader wrote to tell me she makes this chili on repeat all season, sometimes with frozen pumpkin from her own stash, sometimes with ground turkey and chicken broth instead of beef, and sometimes with a can of corn stirred in at the end.

That kind of flexible, everyday cooking is exactly why this recipe sits at the top of my fall list. Let me walk you through how it comes together.

Key Ingredients and Variation Options

Read through the list once before you start. There are quite a few pantry spices here, and lining them up on the counter makes the whole pot come together quickly.

Choose the right pumpkin. Look for a cooking pumpkin, the small kind usually labeled a pie pumpkin. This recipe uses 12 ounces of diced pumpkin, which is roughly half of a small 2.5 pound pie pumpkin.

If you bring home a larger one, roast or steam the rest and freeze the puree for your next batch. Canned pumpkin puree works just as well on a busy night, and I keep a can in the pantry all fall for exactly that reason.

One warning I repeat every year: use pumpkin puree, never pumpkin pie mix. The pie mix is already sweetened and spiced, and it will push your chili in a dessert direction you cannot undo.

Seasonings you can adjust. The blend is chipotle chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Sugar is not a mistake here, it balances the acidity of the tomatoes.

Taste the chili after the first hour and adjust: more cumin for earthiness, more chipotle chili powder for heat, a little extra salt if the flavors taste flat.

Vegetables and additions. The base is a yellow onion, two tomatoes, a red bell pepper, and plenty of garlic, with a white onion working as a fine substitute.

If you want a bigger vegetable load, add carrots, celery, zucchini, yellow squash, corn, butternut squash, or acorn squash. Keep avocado for the top of the bowl only, since it does not belong in a simmering pot.

Beans. I use a can of kidney beans and a can of white beans, both drained. White beans cover navy, cannellini, and great northern, and they are what make this chili taste extra creamy.

Pinto or black beans work too if that is what you have. Drain the beans well before they go in so the chili does not turn watery.

Meat and meatless options. Ground beef is the star here, but ground chicken or ground turkey swaps in easily. If you go with turkey, choose lean 93/7 ground turkey and skip the 99 percent extra lean, which turns out dry and chalky in a long simmer.

To make this chili without beans, simply increase the vegetables and the meat. For a meatless pot, increase the vegetables and add a can or two of extra beans.

Toppings that make it sing. Pepitas, sour cream, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, sliced avocado, sliced jalapeños, cilantro, green onions, and shredded cheddar or a Mexican blend all work beautifully.

Turning the heat up or down. This chili lands at a medium heat level as written. For more fire, use older jalapeños with visible veins and keep the seeds in, swap in a hotter pepper such as habanero or serrano, or add extra chipotle chili powder.

For a milder pot, use younger, smooth skinned jalapeños, remove the seeds, and cut back on the chili powder.

How to Make Pumpkin Chili

Prep everything before the pot gets hot, because once the vegetables start hitting the oil the process moves fast. The active cooking is short, and then the pot does the rest of the work on its own.

1. Cut the pumpkin first. Pop the stem off with a large knife, keeping the blade facing away from you, then cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and membrane, cut the halves again, and peel away the tough skin with a vegetable peeler.
2. Dice the pumpkin, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes, aiming for pieces that are as even as you can manage so everything softens at the same rate.
3. Preheat a heavy pot over medium heat and add the oil.
4. Add the onions and sauté until they turn translucent and start to pick up a little golden color.
5. Add the diced pumpkin and the bell pepper and cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Stir in the tomatoes and cook a couple more minutes.
6. Make a space in the middle of the vegetables, add the minced garlic, and sauté just until it smells fragrant. Mix it into the vegetables and keep cooking until everything is softened. Garlic left in the pan too long turns bitter, so keep an eye on it.
7. Push the vegetables to the sides of the pot and add the ground beef to the center. Break it apart, cover the pot with a lid, and let it cook for a few minutes, stirring and breaking up lumps as it browns.
8. Once the meat is mostly browned, stir in the seasonings, beef stock, pumpkin puree, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and the drained beans.
9. Bring the chili to a low boil, then lower the heat to low. Cover the pot with a lid and leave a crack open so steam can escape.
10. Simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring from time to time. Take the lid off halfway through and cook the rest of the time uncovered so the liquid reduces and the flavor deepens.

My one rule for this pot: stir and scrape the bottom every 20 minutes or so. Nothing sticks, the beans stay whole, and the chili thickens evenly instead of catching at the base.

That long, lazy simmer is where the magic happens. The pumpkin breaks down into the broth, the tomatoes lose their sharp edge, and the beef turns tender. Do not rush it, and if the chili still looks loose near the end of the cooking time, leave the lid off a little longer so more liquid cooks away.

Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions

This recipe makes about 3 quarts, so unless you are feeding a crowd, you will have leftovers. Good news: pumpkin chili tastes even better the next day, and it freezes beautifully for busy nights later in the season.

Refrigerating. Let the chili cool completely to room temperature first, then move it into an airtight container. It keeps in the refrigerator for about 4 to 5 days. Cooling it fully before it goes in the fridge keeps the texture right and is the safer habit for a big pot of food.

Freezing. Cool the chili as quickly as you can to limit bacterial growth. The easiest way is to set the whole pot into a larger container filled with ice and stir it occasionally as it cools.

Once it is cool, portion it into smaller freezer bags, press out all the air, seal them well, and label each bag with the date. Frozen pumpkin chili keeps for up to 2 months.

Thawing and reheating. Move a bag to the refrigerator the night before so it slow thaws overnight. Reheat single portions in the microwave, or warm a larger batch in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring now and then until it is hot all the way through.

Gentle heat is better here, since high heat can scorch the bottom of the pot.

Top each bowl with whatever you love: pepitas for crunch, sour cream or cheddar for richness, lime juice and cilantro for brightness, and sliced jalapeños if you want another layer of heat.

For reference, one serving based on the source nutrition information comes in around 495 calories, 29 grams of protein, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of fiber, and 27 grams of fat.

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Pumpkin Chili Recipe

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Pumpkin Chili Recipe I have made hundreds of chili recipes over the years, in my own kitchen and for crowds, and I do not say this lightly: this pumpkin chili is the one I make on repeat once the first cool evening hits. The pumpkin melts into the tomatoes and beef stock until the whole pot turns silky and rich, and the finish is warm rather than sweet.

• Total Time: 105 min
• Yield: 3 quarts 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

2–3 tbsp avocado or olive oil
1 large onion
2 tomatoes
1 oz garlic (4–6 cloves)
1 red bell pepper
12 oz diced pumpkin (half of a small (2.5 lbs) pie pumpkin)
2 lbs ground beef
1 cup beef stock
8 oz tomato sauce
3 oz tomato paste
1 cup pumpkin puree
15 oz can kidney beans, drained
15 oz can white beans, drained
1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
2 1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp white granulated sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1–2 tsp coarse sea or kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

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Instructions

1-Start by cutting pumpkin and other veggies: Start by cutting pumpkin and other veggies. To cut pumpkin: pop the stem off with a large knife (knife always facing away from you) and cut pumpkin in half. Scoop out seeds and membrane. I like to use an ice cream scoop because it easily scoops up the membrane. Cut pumpkin halves in two and peel the tough skin off with a vegetable peeler.
2-Dice pumpkin, onions, bell pepper, and tomatoes: Dice pumpkin, onions, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Try to get the cuts as even as possible.
3-Preheat the pot over medium heat and: Preheat the pot over medium heat and add oil.
4-Add onions and saute until transparent: Add onions and saute until transparent.
5-Add pumpkin, and bell peppers: Add pumpkin, and bell peppers. Cook for a few minutes. Mix in tomatoes and cook a couple more minutes.
6-Make some room in the middle and: Make some room in the middle and add minced garlic. Sauté until garlic is fragrant and mix it into the veggies. Stir and cook until veggies are softened.
7-Move veggies to the sides of the: Move veggies to the sides of the pot. Add ground beef to the center of the pot, break it apart, cover the pot with a lid, and let it cook for a few minutes. Stir as it cooks and try to break up all the lumps as much as possible.
8-Once meat is mostly browned, stir in: Once meat is mostly browned, stir in the seasoning, stock, pumpkin puree, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and beans.
9-Bring the chili mixture to a low: Bring the chili mixture to a low boil and then lower the heat to low. Cover with a lid but leave a crack for the steam to escape.
10-Cook for about 1: Cook for about 1.5-2 hours and make sure to stir from time to time. Take the lid off half way through and cook the rest of the time uncovered.

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• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 90 min
• Method: stovetop

Nutrition

• Calories: 495kcal
• Sugar: 9g
• Sodium: 807mg
• Fat: 27g
• Saturated Fat: 9g
• Carbohydrates: 35g
• Fiber: 9g
• Protein: 29g
• Cholesterol: 81mg