This sweet and spicy slow-cooked chili is a game day winner and all-around crowd pleaser. We snuck in a little canned pumpkin to up the nutrients and add a tiny bit of natural sweetness to balance to spice. We’ve left the beans out but feel free to add a can or two if you fancy beans in your chili.
You heard that right, Slow cooker Pumpkin Chili
This Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili is all that and more. What makes it particularly amazing is that you get to hide extra vegetables in it. In addition to the usual tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic there’s pumpkin – a great source of vitamin A, fiber and some healthy carbohydrates.
A Weeknight Dinner Recipe that’s freezer-friendly
This this Pumpkin Chili recipe makes for a delicious and cozy weeknight dinner. It’s quick to prep and each bite comes with so much flavor.
This hearty beanless chili is a crowd-pleaser and it just happens to also be Whole30-friendly! The pumpkin adds a touch of sweetness, fiber, and vitamin A and it’s a great way to sneak more veggies into your diet.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili is one of those foods that makes you want to just crawl into the bowl.
Weekday, gameday, whatever day
Three nearly indisputable things about slow-cookers and chili:
- Slow Cooker meals are perfect for weekdays because there are few things better than walking in the door after a long day at work to a hot meal waiting. Just add a salad and you’re set!
- Weekends are great for slow-cooking when you want to get out and play and have a meal to come home to. I often get up extra early on powder days to get something in the slow-cooker so we can ski all day without having to worry about making dinner when we get home.
- Chili and football are pretty much synonymous. This pumpkin chili is perfect to serve at a tailgating party and chilly fall days. You can’t beat holding a bowl of warm and inhaling the sweet smell of cinnamon, the spicy chili powder and the fresh lime and cilantro this Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili has to offer. And it is SO good!
Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Chili
This hearty beanless chili is a crowd-pleaser and it just happens to also be Whole30-friendly! The pumpkin adds a touch of sweetness, fiber, and vitamin A and it’s a great way to sneak more veggies into your diet.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil and olive oil
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ pounds grass-fed ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
- ½ 6-oz. can tomato paste
- 1 14-oz. can pumpkin puree
- ½ – 1 cup chicken broth or water* (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 ½ tsp. dried oregano
- 2 Tbsp. chili powder (plus more to taste)
- ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Optional: ¼ – ½ tsp of cayenne (for heat)
Suggested Toppings: Diced avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, lime wedges, hot sauce, sour cream and/or shredded cheese (omit dairy for Whole30)
Get Recipe IngredientsInstructions
Slow Cooker Directions:
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and saute the onions and peppers, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes or until onions start to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef. Use a spatula or large spoon to break it up as it cooks. Cook until meat is nearly cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
- Drain any excess liquid from the meat then transfer the meat mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients (diced tomatoes through black pepper) and stir. See note below about using more broth with this option.
- Set heat to LOW and cook for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Serve with desired toppings.
Instant Pot Directions:
- Select ‘Saute’ on the Instant Pot. Add the oil and saute the onions and peppers, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes or until onions start to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef. Use a spatula or large spoon to break it up as it cooks. Cook until meat is nearly cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from the meat and onion mixture.
- Add remaining ingredients (diced tomatoes through black pepper) and stir.
- Stir, lock lid into place and set vent valve to ‘Sealing’ position.
- Select ‘Manual’ or ‘High Pressure’ setting and cook for 12 minutes. Allow for 10-15 minutes of natural pressure release before flipping the steam release valve to release the remaining steam.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve with additional toppings, as desired.
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Notes
*Increase broth to 1 – 1½ cups if using the Instant Pot. If you like your chili thick, we suggest starting with 1 cup and adding more if you get an ‘overheat’ or ‘burn’ error on your Instant Pot during cooking.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/6th recipe (1 1/3-1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 328
- Fat: 14g
- Sodium: 511mg
- Carbohydrate: 23g
- (Fiber: 6g
- Sugar: 10g)
- Protein: 26g
Dietary
How do you like your chili? Spicy? With beans? From a can? (Kidding!) Tell us about in the comments below and get the conversation started
Pin now and make it later!
Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was delicious! I made it vegetarian and added black beans, red kidney beans, and corn. I doubled the pumpkin puree because, for some reason, I had a hard time detecting it with less. I also doubled the broth because of this. It still made the chilli on the thicker side, which was perfect as I prefer it that way. The taste was great, and everything turned out perfectly. I will be making this pumpkin chilli again!
Thanks for the great feedback, Marina!
really good meal – looking fwd to leftovers. Doubled pumpkin and added black beans
Excellent, Karen! We appreciate the 5-star review!
Could you make this on the stove top instead. What modifications would you make ?
You can make this in a large pot on the stovetop by following the Instant Pot directions through Step 4 then bringing the chili to almost a boil before reducing the heat and simmering partially covered for 30-45 minutes or until thickened. You may need to add additional broth depending on how much liquid evaporates while simmering.
Really good… used 94% lean ground turkey and it was awesome! Thank you!
Excellent, Shelly! We appreciate the feedback and 5-star review!