This slow cooked pumpkin chili is like fall and winter in a bowl. Pumpkin added to chili just says fall and winter to me.
This is one of my favorite chili recipes to make during the fall and winter.
You may have seen the title of this recipe and thought, pumpkin in chili? Why?
But stay with me on this one. This is a delicious chili recipe.
I have never been big on hiding healthy things in food. Even when my kids were little, I didn’t hide vegetables in things as a way to get them to eat them.
I served vegetables as a side dish or used them in recipes that made sense. I did not try to trick my kids into eating them.
I am not saying I am opposed to it. I am just saying that I never really did it.
So this pumpkin chili is not an attempt to hide a vegetable, although it totally works for that.
This pumpkin chili is a way to make a slightly healthier chili. Adding the pumpkin to it makes it a one dish meal because the vegetable is in the chili.
Because there are so many flavors going on in chili the pumpkin is not very noticeable. It has a very subtle taste.
It gives it a little different flavor than most chili, but you can not tell it is pumpkin. Even if you don’t like pumpkin I think you will enjoy this chili.
We eat chili a lot this time of year. In order to change things up I like to make different versions. This slow cooked pumpkin chili is a great way to change up chili night.
Ingredients
This slow cooked pumpkin chili is gluten free as long as you read labels to make sure that your ingredients are gluten free.
- onion
- garlic
- chicken broth
- canned black beans
- ground beef
- can of pumpkin
- can of diced tomatoes
- dried parsley
- chili powder
- ground oregano
- cumin
- cheese, optional for serving
More Chili Recipes
Slow Cooked Pumpkin Chili
Slow Cooked Pumpkin Chili is a classic chili with pumpkin added. Perfect for fall and winter.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 lb of ground beef
- 1 - 15 ounce can of pumpkin
- 2- 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon of dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons of chili powder ( add more if you like things spicier)
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
Instructions
- Cook onion and ground beef until onion is tender and the beef is done.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Place meat, onion, garlic mixture into a crockpot.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
This recipe is gluten free as long as you read labels to make sure that your ingredients are gluten free.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 253Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 420mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 7gSugar: 5gProtein: 21g
Nutritional values are approximate and aren't always accurate.
Originally posted November 2010. Updated September 2023.
Looks good! I tried slow cooker pumpkin soup last week, it was different but good. I’ll have to try this chili too!
Wow! Yummy! I’m so making this and going to link to it in a post next week. 🙂
I have never had this before and I am going to try it. Thank you for another terrific recipe.
Tried this tonight and was very good! My only additions to it was a 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar* and additional chili powder and I could have used even more because it was very mild. Did not tell my husband or kids that it contained pumpkin though because I wanted them to actually try it first and my picky eaters liked it!
* Please note that I use vinegar because it is very good at deceiving your taste-buds into thinking a dish is saltier than it is. We are a low-sodium household so my homemade stock, soaked beans, diced tomatoes and chili powder contained no additional salt other than what occurs naturally.
Thanks Lynn! Love your site!
This is one of our favorite recipes. It was in Taste of Home a couple of years ago. We change it up a bit, but the kids really enjoy it.
Made this today and it was great! Like you said, no one noticed the pumpkin or complained about it being there 🙂 I’m curious – have you ever made chili with dried beans? i.e. is there any way to dump all the ingredients and some dried black beans in the crockpot and have it turn out well, or do the beans have to be canned or (if dried) pre-cooked? it would be SUPER to be able to use dried beans, since they are less expensive.
I am glad you liked it. Thanks for letting me know. Dried beans need a lot of liquid, so for chili I have always found it best to use pre-cooked or canned beans. You could use dried beans, but I would precook them and then add them to the chili. I hope that helps.
Gluten free
Slow Cooked Pumpkin Chili recipe looks so delicious. I’m excited to try it. Being diagnosed recently as gluten intolerant, I’m searching out my new found recipes. This is my first one. Thank you for making my life easier. It can be overwhelming, learning how to rethink recipes and all foods. I look forward to trying this. Keep them coming. Shalom
I hope that you enjoy it! Chili is a great gluten free meal.