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Home - Dinner

Published: Oct 22, 2015 · Modified: Oct 5, 2021 by Amanda Powell · This post may contain affiliate links.

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

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A deliciously hearty turkey pumpkin chili that will have you coming for seconds and thirds. This warm chili is the perfect way to cozy up on cold nights.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #YesYouCAN #CollectiveBias

Eat well this fall with a hearty pumpkin chili. The perfect weeknight dinner

I am back with another savory recipe (and another pumpkin recipe!) for us to chow down on. This is another one of my favorite comfort foods that I make often because it is also really healthy. I started making this chilii back in 2012 when I got the idea of putting pumpkin puree into my chili from Hungry Girl. I thought it was such a brilliant way to use pumpkin for seasonal spirit and more fiber.

all the veggies for this amazing pumpkin chiliLean ground turkey makes this pumpkin chili healthy and delicious
To me, chili is one of the best healthy foods you can eat (if you are smart with your toppings) because it is just veggies and beans and meat cooked in more veggies (is it still okay for me to call tomatoes a vegetable, or should I call it a fruit or berry or whatever they are calling it these days?) The addition of pumpkin makes it even healthier and I use ground turkey as a lean protein. To keep things healthy, I usually top my chili with avocado and nonfat Greek yogurt, plus just a light sprinkling of cheese because.... cheese.

Pumpkin chili with lean ground turkey and a ton of veggies. The perfect healthy slow cooker dinner
This turkey pumpkin chili is such a great way to get your kids to fill up on veggies because it is full of vegetables, but still tastes amazing. You don't even realize that you are eating a ton of vegetables in each bowl. The spice here is just right. Enough just to tickle your tongue, but nothing that will have you gasping for water. If you are absolutely against spice, you can take out the crushed red peppers and half the chili spice in half. You still need some of it for its flavor, but it won't impart enough spice for it to really bother you. I love using Hunt's and RO*TEL sauce and diced tomatoes because they bring so much flavor to the table without me having to fuss over developing flavor in the tomato base. They've done that for you.

A healthy and hearty pumpkin chili with ground turkey and a ton of veggies
I cook my turkey, onion, and garlic before I add it to the slow cooker for the bring out the best flavors. You can skip this step and add everything right into the slow cooker if you want.

Recipe Card

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Amanda Powell
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 2 hours hrs
Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course dinner
Cuisine American
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

  • 3 teaspoons chill powder
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 1 lbs ground turkey
  • 1 small red onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic finely diced
  • 1 24 oz can diced tomatoes with chilies
  • 1 14 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 14 oz red kidney beans
  • 1 14 oz black beans
  • 1 medium zucchini diced
  • 2 small bell peppers finely diced
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Instructions
 

  • Mix together the chill powder, sugar, cinnamon, paprika, ginger, crushed red pepper, cumin, and some salt and pepper (to taste). Set aside
  • Heat a skillet on medium high and add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add half of the spice mixture and heat until fragrant. Add in the turkey, onion, and garlic, and cook until the onions are translucent and the turkey is cooked.
  • While the turkey is cooking, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, pumpkin puree, both types of beans, zucchini, bell peppers, and remaining spices to a slow cooker. Once the turkey is finished, add it to the slow cooker.
  • Cook on low for 4 hours, or on high for 2 hours. If you decide to not precook the turkey, cook for 5 -6 hours on low, and 3 - 4 hours on high. Occasionally use a wooden spoon to break up the turkey as it cooks. Serve with your choice of toppings such as avocado, sour cream/nonfat Greek yogurt, and/or cheese.
  • If you do not want to use a slow cooker, you can add all of the ingredients to a large pot and cook on medium for about 30 minutes.
Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram! @acookienameddesire #acookienameddesire

Keep cozy this fall with a healthy pumpkin chili for dinner. This easy weeknight dinner is full of veggies and lean ground turkey.

If you need help finding Hunt's and RO*TEL products, and want to know where to look for fresh ingredients to add to your chili, here are a few handy photos for you!
IMG_2514.JPGIMG_2513.JPG

 

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About Amanda Powell

Baker, photographer, and sometimes world traveler behind A Cookie Named Desire. Obsessed with helping people live life sweetly with delicious food to share with the special people in your life and creating lasting memories.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Meredith says

    August 11, 2022 at 10:07 am

    Are the beans drained and rinsed before adding?

    Reply
    • Amanda Powell says

      September 01, 2022 at 8:17 pm

      Excellent question! I usually drain, but not rinse them. It is optional though.

      Reply
  2. Ana says

    January 15, 2017 at 5:38 pm

    Made this tonight. Super good! It looks like your picture and recipe doesn't match though. For example, it looks like you are using Hunts dice tomato with garlic vs tomato sauce and I wonder if your Rotel tomatoes are a smaller can?

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      January 15, 2017 at 11:46 pm

      That was a mistake in the recipe that apparently only you were able to spot! It is supposed to read diced tomatoes instead of sauce. I did use a larger can (shown in the first photo of the cans), but I tossed it before I could take more photos and used a smaller can of it in the second photo. Same tomatoes, just a different size, but I definitely used the larger can for the chili.

      Reply
  3. Beeta @ Mon Petit Four says

    October 24, 2015 at 4:17 pm

    Oh yum! This looks so cozy and hearty...I love the idea of adding in pumpkin - that's fantastic!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      October 24, 2015 at 7:39 pm

      It really is hearty! A small bowl is enough to keep me full for a while! I think you'd like the pumpkin it adds a creaminess to it and of course, the extra fiber!

      Reply
  4. lindsay says

    October 23, 2015 at 8:04 am

    oh woman, i adore this! i can smell that goodness from here! pinning!

    Reply
  5. Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says

    October 23, 2015 at 8:03 am

    I love adding pumpkin to savory, spicy dishes! Looks great!

    Reply
  6. Medha @ Whisk & Shout says

    October 22, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    This chili looks so hearty and I love the pumpkin 🙂

    Reply
4.38 from 8 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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Hey, I'm Amanda!

I am the baker and photographer behind A Cookie Named Desire. I'm a cookbook author, food science nerd, world traveler (sometimes) with a major weakness for cookies and cheese.

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