Pumpkin Chili
Chili season is here, y’all! 🎃🔥 This Pumpkin Chili is your classic chili but creamier, cozier, and secretly loaded with pumpkin. It’s the perfect bowl for a chilly fall night.
Ground beef, onion and green pepper get browned in one big pot, then you add chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika, a can of pumpkin purée, kidney beans, black beans, corn, crushed tomatoes and beef broth. Let it simmer until it’s thick and hearty.
It serves 8. Top it with sour cream, shredded cheddar and fresh cilantro.
Why You’ll Love It
- One pot. Everything cooks in a single pot or Dutch oven.
- Sneaky pumpkin. It makes the chili creamier and cozier.
- Pantry friendly. Mostly canned goods and spices you probably have.
- Feeds a crowd. It serves 8, great for game day or a fall get-together.
- Toppings bar. Sour cream, cheddar and cilantro make every bowl your own.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground beef: 1½ lbs of 80/20, browned with onion and green bell pepper.
- Pumpkin purée: Plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Beans and corn: Kidney beans and black beans (drained and rinsed) plus drained corn.
- Crushed tomatoes and beef broth: The base of the chili.
- Chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika: The warm, smoky chili spices.
You’ll find the exact amounts and steps in the printable recipe card below.
How to Make It
In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef with the onion and bell pepper, breaking up the meat, then drain off the extra fat. Stir in the garlic and spices and cook for a minute until it smells amazing. Add the pumpkin purée, both cans of beans, the corn, crushed tomatoes and beef broth and stir it all together. Bring it to a boil, then turn it down and let it simmer, stirring now and then, until it’s nice and thick. Ladle it into bowls and top with sour cream, shredded cheddar and fresh cilantro.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Chili
- Drain the fat. Drain off the extra fat after browning the beef so the chili isn’t greasy.
- Bloom the spices. Cooking the garlic and spices for 1 minute before adding the liquids wakes up all that flavor.
- Use plain pumpkin. Grab pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Stir now and then. Stir occasionally while it simmers so nothing sticks.
- Set out toppings. Sour cream, shredded cheddar and fresh cilantro on top make it.
Cornbread or crackers with your chili? This is a very serious debate. 🌽😄
Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion and bell pepper, breaking the meat apart, 6–8 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
- Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the pumpkin purée, kidney beans, black beans, corn, crushed tomatoes, and beef broth. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, shredded cheddar, and fresh cilantro.
