Turkey Pumpkin Chili is a healthy and filling meal made with ground turkey and pumpkin. Easy chili recipe that is ready in less than 30 minutes!
Chili always sounds like a good idea when the weather is cold. When I was younger, we always had chili when we got home after skiing all day in the winter. Serve with some cornbread, and you’ve got a complete meal!
TURKEY PUMPKIN CHILI
This version of chili is made with ground turkey and pumpkin puree. Add in some chopped peppers, onion, garlic, tomatoes and beans along with several seasonings for tons of flavor and variety. I love that this chili recipe is pretty healthy – each serving only has 262 calories and 27 grams of protein! Once the ground turkey and veggies are cooked, you just mix everything together and let it simmer for about 20 minutes before the chili is ready to serve. A quick and easy meal that is perfect for dinner!
Ingredients in Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Bell peppers: You’ll need ½ cup each of chopped green bell peppers and yellow bell peppers.
Onion: A cup of diced onions adds a lot of flavor. I always buy frozen chopped onions at the store and keep a stash in my freezer so that I don’t ever have to chop onions!
Garlic: Minced garlic works best. You can mince your own or use minced garlic from a jar in the fridge to save time – that’s what I do!
Oil: You will need about a tablespoon of oil to cook the veggies. You can use vegetable oil or olive oil or even avocado oil.
Turkey: A pound of ground turkey adds the protein to the chili. You can swap this out with shredded chicken or ground beef or pork if you’d like.
Pumpkin puree: The pumpkin puree is what sets this chili apart from traditional chili recipes so don’t leave it out!
Diced tomatoes: A can of diced tomatoes is needed for the chili. Don’t worry about draining them. If you have picky kids like I do, you can blend them before adding to the other ingredients.
Black beans: Make sure to drain the can of black beans before adding to the recipe. You can swap these out with pinto or kidney beans if you prefer, or you can add multiple types of beans.
Chicken broth: Chicken broth provides most of the liquid for the chili and also adds a lot of flavor. You could use beef broth instead, especially if you use ground beef instead of turkey.
Chili powder: The chili powder provides a lot of flavor and a little bit of heat. If you don’t like any spiciness at all, you may want to reduce the amount a little bit.
Salt and pepper: These seasonings add some flavor and allow all of the other flavors to pop.
Optional toppings: Every good bowl of chili has some extra toppings too! I like to set all of the options out so everyone can add whatever they’d like to their own bowl. Our favorites are cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro and avocado.
How to make Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Add the green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, diced onion, minced garlic, and vegetable oil to a large skillet and saute until slightly softened over medium-high heat.
Place the ground turkey in the skillet and break it up with a spatula. Cook until the turkey is browned.
Add the bell pepper and turkey mixture to a large soup pot. Then add in the pumpkin puree, diced tomatoes, drained black beans, chicken broth, chili powder, sea salt, and black pepper and combine.
Cover the soup pot with a lid, then cook the chili over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, or avocado.
Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped yellow bell pepper
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Optional Toppings: Cheddar cheese sour cream, cilantro and avocado
Instructions
- Add the green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, diced onion, minced garlic, and vegetable oil to a large skillet and saute until slightly softened over medium-high heat.
- Place the ground turkey in the skillet and break it up with a spatula. Cook until the turkey is browned.
- Add the bell pepper and turkey mixture to a large soup pot. Then add in the pumpkin puree, diced tomatoes, drained black beans, chicken broth, chili powder, sea salt, and black pepper and combine.
- Cover the soup pot with a lid, then cook the chili over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, or avocado.
Nutrition
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CAN I USE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF GROUND MEAT?
Yes of course! You can use whatever type of ground meat you and your family prefer. I have made this chili recipe with ground beef, pork and turkey. There is no need to alter the cooking times if you are substituting a different ground meat, just follow the instructions as is.
WHAT IF MY CHILI IS TOO THICK?
The consistency of this chili is usually just right, but if you feel like your chili is too thick, you can add a little bit more chicken broth to thin it out.
CAN I MAKE CHILI IN THE CROCKPOT?
Yes, you can easily make this chili recipe in the crockpot. Just cook the turkey and veggies as instructed, but then add that mixture along with all the other ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours.
IS THIS CHILI SPICY?
There is some chili powder in the chili recipe, but I don’t think the amount makes the chili too spicy. I have a fairly low tolerance for heat and I have never felt like this recipe was spicy. You can always reduce the amount of chili powder, or you can tone down the spiciness after cooking by adding a big dollop of sour cream and a lot of cheese to your bowl before eating!
CAN I FREEZE ANY LEFTOVER CHILI?
Yes, if stored properly you can definitely keep any leftover chili in the freezer. This is actually a perfect recipe to enjoy for dinner one night and freeze leftovers for another dinner night. Make sure you store your leftovers in an airtight container or Ziploc style freezer bag. If stored properly, you can keep your leftovers frozen for a couple months. I have seen some people store it for longer, but I would err on the side of caution and wouldn’t freezer for more than a couple months. If you are going to store leftovers in your refrigerator, I would not keep it in there for more than three to four days.
LOVE THIS CHILI RECIPE? TRY THESE OTHER SOUP & STEW RECIPES!
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- Crockpot Beef Chili Recipe
- French Onion Tomato Soup Recipe
- Summer Vegetable Stew Recipe
- 30 Minute White Chicken Chili
- Hurst 15 Bean Soup
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Turkey Pumpkin Chili is a healthy and filling meal made with ground turkey and pumpkin. Easy chili recipe that is ready in less than 30 minutes!
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