Turkey Pumpkin Chili

One of things we all love about a big batch of chili is being able to freeze the leftover for a no-cook meal on a busy night, right? Well, here’s another – it certainly makes for no-brainer blogging too. It’s been quite a long while since I last updated, so sharing this easy meal that I hardly had to think about seemed very appropriate right now.

So, what’s so special about this chili? Well, it’s my absolute favorite! What do many of my favorites foods have in them? Pumpkin! Yes, even my chili has pumpkin. Some may think it’s strange, but I urge you to try it – the pumpkin doesn’t add a very strong flavor, but just a hint of nutty sweetness and velvety texture throughout. Another possibly surprising ingredient is cinnamon, which adds another layer to the traditional chili spices of chili powder and cumin. Mexican oregano makes it just a tad earthy. This chili has become my husband’s favorite too, and it really couldn’t be much easier to make, so it’s been a staple in our kitchen for a few years now – autumn and all year round.

If you want to kick this up another notch, try adding some pumpkin beer. Add it in after the vegetables and turkey are cooked and let it most of the liquid evaporate before adding the remaining ingredients.

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Printable Recipe

1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 medium sized peppers, diced (I like to use 1 red and 1 green)
1 lb ground turkey
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1 small can diced green chili peppers
15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz can pumpkin puree, or 2 cups homemade

Spray a large pot with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until just softened. Add the garlic and bell peppers, and cook about 5 minutes more until tender. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and oregano.

Stir in remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes to blend flavors.

Or, just brown the turkey with the seasonings and combine with remaining ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings – cilantro, green onion, cheese, sour cream, etc.

Makes 4 very generous servings – perfect if you’re not eating this with any cornbread or other sides.
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 436.4
Total Fat: 9.8 g
Cholesterol: 80.1 mg
Sodium: 1,267.7 mg
Total Carbs: 58.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 16.8 g
Protein: 36.0 g

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40 Responses to “Turkey Pumpkin Chili”

  1. 1

    Kevin — October 10, 2009 @ 5:36 pm Reply

    Sweet pumpkin goes really well in chilies like this. I like to throw in some cubed pumpkin as well for a change in texture. You can't go wrong with the pumpkin beer either!

  2. 2

    JackieA31509 — October 11, 2009 @ 12:47 am Reply

    Sounds great! Can't wait to try it!

  3. 3

    beeskneeslife — October 11, 2009 @ 3:08 am Reply

    This looks great!

  4. 4

    Trixie — October 11, 2009 @ 11:53 am Reply

    Just curious what kind of ground turkey did you use to get those nutritional stats…fat free or lean???

  5. 5

    Cara — October 11, 2009 @ 6:06 pm Reply

    I use lean ground turkey.

  6. 6

    Cati — October 12, 2009 @ 1:09 am Reply

    Yes, I was going to ask if it is ground turkey breast?

  7. 7

    Cara — October 12, 2009 @ 2:16 am Reply

    I always buy 93% lean ground turkey, and that's what I used in calculations for this recipe ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. 8

    mamakrystal — October 12, 2009 @ 5:21 pm Reply

    This looks amazing. I'm totally making this next week!

  9. 9

    Amy — October 14, 2009 @ 11:25 pm Reply

    It's cold and rainy in NC today, so I thought it was the perfect day to try this. I followed the recipe exactly except for the fact that I used 99% fat free ground turkey. It was delicious! I'm definitely adding this to our winter dinner rotation.

  10. 10

    Nicole — January 3, 2010 @ 12:36 am Reply

    I FINALLY got a crock pot for Christmas and tried this today – it was delicious! Thank you!

  11. 11

    Gwyn — February 4, 2010 @ 1:29 am Reply

    I made this up tonight (crockpot) & think next time i'll leave out the cinnamon (or 1/2 it) – just a preference. It was really good & hearty though! I'll be adding it to my "yummy & healthy recipes" file! ๐Ÿ™‚

  12. 12

    Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) — October 7, 2010 @ 8:58 pm Reply

    im all over this, thanks for the linky!

  13. 13

    alerion — January 19, 2011 @ 11:21 pm Reply

    I just made this for the second time. This time though I was able to give it to my daughter who is now 19 months old. She loved it so much she asked for seconds.

  14. 14

    alerion — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    I just made this for the second time. This time though I was able to give it to my daughter who is now 19 months old. She loved it so much she asked for seconds.

  15. 15

    Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    im all over this, thanks for the linky!

  16. 16

    Gwyn — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    I made this up tonight (crockpot) & think next time i'll leave out the cinnamon (or 1/2 it) – just a preference. It was really good & hearty though! I'll be adding it to my "yummy & healthy recipes" file! ๐Ÿ™‚

  17. 17

    Nicole — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    I FINALLY got a crock pot for Christmas and tried this today – it was delicious! Thank you!

  18. 18

    Amy — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    It's cold and rainy in NC today, so I thought it was the perfect day to try this. I followed the recipe exactly except for the fact that I used 99% fat free ground turkey. It was delicious! I'm definitely adding this to our winter dinner rotation.

  19. 19

    mamakrystal — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    This looks amazing. I'm totally making this next week!

  20. 20

    Cara — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    I always buy 93% lean ground turkey, and that's what I used in calculations for this recipe ๐Ÿ™‚

  21. 21

    Cati — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    Yes, I was going to ask if it is ground turkey breast?

  22. 22

    Cara — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    I use lean ground turkey.

  23. 23

    Trixie — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    Just curious what kind of ground turkey did you use to get those nutritional stats…fat free or lean???

  24. 24

    beeskneeslife — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    This looks great!

  25. 25

    JackieA31509 — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    Sounds great! Can't wait to try it!

  26. 26

    Kevin — March 28, 2011 @ 8:39 pm Reply

    Sweet pumpkin goes really well in chilies like this. I like to throw in some cubed pumpkin as well for a change in texture. You can't go wrong with the pumpkin beer either!

  27. 27

    alerion — March 29, 2011 @ 2:05 am Reply

    I just made this for the second time. This time though I was able to give it to my daughter who is now 19 months old. She loved it so much she asked for seconds.

  28. 28

    Nicole — March 29, 2011 @ 2:05 am Reply

    I FINALLY got a crock pot for Christmas and tried this today – it was delicious! Thank you!

  29. 29

    Cara — March 29, 2011 @ 2:05 am Reply

    I always buy 93% lean ground turkey, and that's what I used in calculations for this recipe ๐Ÿ™‚

  30. 30

    Cara — March 29, 2011 @ 2:05 am Reply

    I use lean ground turkey.

  31. 31

    Kevin — March 29, 2011 @ 2:05 am Reply

    Sweet pumpkin goes really well in chilies like this. I like to throw in some cubed pumpkin as well for a change in texture. You can't go wrong with the pumpkin beer either!

  32. 32

    Kevin — April 5, 2011 @ 1:18 am Reply

    Sweet pumpkin goes really well in chilies like this. I like to throw in some cubed pumpkin as well for a change in texture. You can't go wrong with the pumpkin beer either!

  33. 33

    alerion — April 5, 2011 @ 1:18 am Reply

    I just made this for the second time. This time though I was able to give it to my daughter who is now 19 months old. She loved it so much she asked for seconds.

  34. 34

    Cara — April 5, 2011 @ 1:18 am Reply

    I always buy 93% lean ground turkey, and that's what I used in calculations for this recipe ๐Ÿ™‚

  35. 35

    Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) — April 5, 2011 @ 1:18 am Reply

    im all over this, thanks for the linky!

  36. 36

    Gwyn — April 5, 2011 @ 1:18 am Reply

    I made this up tonight (crockpot) & think next time i'll leave out the cinnamon (or 1/2 it) – just a preference. It was really good & hearty though! I'll be adding it to my "yummy & healthy recipes" file! ๐Ÿ™‚

  37. 37

    Cynthia Scarpa — November 29, 2011 @ 8:32 pm Reply

    I am super excited to make this for football this weekend!ย 

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