Hearty Pumpkin Turkey Chili is the ultimate fall comfort food! Made with ground turkey, canned pumpkin, peppers, onions, tomatoes, kidney beans, and chili spices. It’s an amazing flavor-packed recipe that cooks quickly and freezes well too!
Turkey Pumpkin Chili pairs nutritious, tasty ingredients together to form an incredibly flavorful chili that is perfect for fall or winter.
Chili is perfect this time of year like this Healthy Turkey Chili or Low Carb Turkey Chili that we make all winter long. This Pumpkin version is perfect for fall and is so easy to make.
With the combination of the pumpkin, turkey, warm spices, and tomatoes you get this simmered, satisfying bowl of goodness that is a harmony of flavors you will want to devour.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Flavor-packed
- Healthy and Nutritious
- Easy clean up – made all in one pot
- Perfect meal prep recipe
- Hearty and filling
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Ingredients For Pumpkin Chili
- Ground turkey – I used 93/7 ground turkey
- Pumpkin puree – 1 can of pumpkin puree, make sure it isn’t pumpkin pie filling.
- Diced tomatoes – any diced tomatoes or even crushed tomatoes will work.
- Beans – I used red kidney beans + black beans, which was the perfect combination. Pinto beans, white kidney beans or cannellini beans would also work.
- Bell pepper and onions – fresh is best for that deep flavorful chili.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil
- Spices – cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, oregano
- Garlic paste – or minced garlic
- Tomato paste – give the chili that deep tomato flavor.
- Salt & pepper
- Stock – chicken or vegetable stock to thin the chili out a little and give it even more depth of flavor.
*Get full list of ingredients and recipe instructions in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Pumpkin Turkey Chili
You can make this easy chili recipe in one pot in under 30 minutes.
Cook the veggies. Sauté the onions, and peppers in a large pot or Dutch oven with some olive oil. Stir in the tomato paste and garlic paste and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
Add the meat. Add in the ground turkey and seasoning and toss and cook until the turkey is no longer pink.
Pour in the rest of the ingredients. Add in the beans, tomatoes, pumpkin puree, and stock. Stir all together until combined and season everything with more salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer. Cover and simmer the chili on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes. Then serve, top, and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
This pumpkin turkey chili recipe is so great because it is totally adaptable based on your diet and what ingredients you have on hand. Many of the ingredients come right from your pantry, making this a quick and easy throw-together meal your family will love. Check out some variations below:
- Make it a meatless chili. Swap the ground turkey with another can of beans to make this a vegan/vegetarian chili or use meatless crumbles. I suggest adding in a 15-ounce can of either pinto beans, kidney beans or black beans. Make sure to drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the chili.
- Use ground beef or ground sausage. You can mix up the meat and use any type of ground meat you have.
- Sub the pumpkin puree with pureed sweet potato. Although the pumpkin flavor in this recipe is everything it is still delicious with sweet potato.
- Add some diced sweet potato or squash. You can add in some diced sweet potato or squash right when you add in the beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, and stock. Cook the chili until the potatoes or squash are tender and cooked through.
- Switch up the spice blend. Use any chili spice blend you like, although I really think that the cinnamon adds a nice hint of flavor and really brings out the flavors of the pumpkin.
Chili Topping Ideas
- Sliced avocado
- Shredded cheese – I used shredded cheddar cheese
- Diced red onion or regular yellow onion
- Diced bell peppers
- Sour cream
- Greek yogurt – plain of course
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Jalapeños
Expert Tips
- Do not skip sautéing the veggies and browning the meat. This step gives the chili a lot of flavor.
- The combination of beans in this recipe is just perfect, so try to mix it up and use a few different types of beans rather than one type.
- Make sure you use canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Any type of canned tomatoes will work. I used petite diced since my kids are not fans of the larger chunks of tomatoes.
- See recipe notes in the recipe card for how to make this pumpkin chili in the Slow Cooker or the Instant Pot.
Storing and freezing pumpkin chili
Like most chili, pumpkin chili is a great make-ahead recipe since it stores and freezes well.
- Storing – You can store this chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Easily reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Freezing – To freeze pumpkin chili, transfer it to a freezer-friendly ziplock bag, press out the air, close it up, and store it flat in your freezer. This is the best method since it will take up less space in your freezer and you can easily remove and defrost it in the refrigerator when you are ready to eat it. It should last 2-3 months if stored in the freezer.
- Reheating – easily reheat portions in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop until warmed through. To reheat frozen chili, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat as noted above.
More Pumpkin Recipes to try
- Vegetarian Pumpkin Lasagna
- Healthy Pumpkin Protein Muffins
- Healthy Baked Pumpkin Donuts
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Homemade Granola with Pumpkin Spice
Did you make this Pumpkin Turkey Chili recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. You can also tag me on Instagram @pinchmegoodfood so I can see your creation.
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Pumpkin Turkey Chili
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Hearty Pumpkin Turkey Chili is the ultimate fall comfort food! This chili is made with ground turkey, canned pumpkin, tomatoes, kidney beans, peppers, onions, and spices. It cooks quickly and freezes so well.
Ingredients
For the chili
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion – peeled and diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper – diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper – diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste or 1–2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste – about ¼ cup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound 93/7 ground turkey – thawed and ready to cook
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika – optional
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 – 15 ounce can black beans – drained and rinsed
- 1 – 15 ounce can of red kidney beans/pinto beans – drained and rinsed
- 2 – 14-ounce cans of petite diced tomatoes
- 1 – 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 cups of chicken stock
For topping the chili
- Sliced avocado
- Diced red onion
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Lime
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a heavy pot or large dutch oven heated to medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the onion and peppers and toss and cook them for a few minutes until they are nice and soft. Add in the garlic, tomato paste, and a little salt and pepper. Toss that all together and let that cook for a few minutes.
- Combine the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and mix. This is your chili seasoning blend.
- Add in the ground turkey to the pot with the veggies and garlic and break it up in the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the chili seasoning blend to the pot and toss and cook the meat until it is no longer pink.
- Add in the beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, and desired amount of stock. Stir that all together and cover and simmer the chili on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes. Halfway through cooking, check the chili and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- After 20-25 minutes, remove the chili from the heat, let it cool for a few minutes then ladle it into bowls and top it with your desired chili toppings.
Notes
- Do not skip sautéing the veggies and browning the meat. This step gives the chili a lot of flavour.
- The combination of beans in this recipe is just perfect, so try to mix it up and use a few different types of beans rather than one type.
- Make sure you use canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Any type of canned tomatoes will work. I used petite diced since my kids are not fans of the larger chunks of tomatoes.
- Slow Cooker Version. Follow steps 1-4, cover, and cook on low for 2-4 hours or on high for 1-2 hours.
- Instant Pot Version. Follow steps 1-4, secure the lid, set the dial to the sealing position, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- You can store this chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or freeze it for up to 3 months. Easily reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. If frozen, defrost it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Healthy Dinner Ideas
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Just made this chili and it is delicious! Perfect for a fall day…..
Thank you Linda! I am so glad you liked it. It is my new favorite chili.
Amy,
This is AMAZING chili!! Thank you for a great, gluten-free recipe. We will be eating it often this fall and winter!
One question: I thought I saw somewhere the point total for each of the WW colors but now I can’t find it. How many points is it for Blue?
Thank you!!
~Maureen
Thank you Maureen! I am so glad you liked it! I believe it is 2 points per serving if you use 93/7 ground turkey and 0 points per serving if you use ground chicken breast. I do have plans to add WW points to my recipes next year so stay tuned.
Excellent recipe. I used ground beef and browned that first and drained the grease and took out the beef. Then Did the veggies and added the chili mix and added back in the beef. I also used several different kinds of peppers. Would definitely make again. Thanks!