There’s nothing like a warm bowl of chili during the fall season, and this Turkey Pumpkin Chili is the perfect cozy twist on a classic. Made with lean ground turkey, hearty beans, and just the right touch of pumpkin, it’s a comforting, flavorful dish that brings together savory spices and falls’s favorite ingredient. This recipe is perfect for a warm, dinner, meal prepping for the week or hosting a game day gathering.

Benefits of Pumpkin

Pumpkin is more than just a favorite fall flavor, it’s actually a nutritional powerhouse. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, along with minerals like potassium and iron, it supports immune health, vision, and glowing skin. It’s also rich in fiber, which aids digestion and helps you feel full longer, making it a great addition to balanced meals. The natural sweetness of pumpkin blends deliciously with chili spices, adding creaminess and flavor while boosting your meal’s nutritional value.

Benefits of Fiber

This Turkey Pumpkin Chili is loaded with fiber rich ingredients like beans and pumpkin, both support healthy digestion and sustained energy. To take it a step further, consider adding a scoop of GutHealth Prebiotic Fiber to your bowl or any soup for an extra boost. Fiber is essential for promoting gastrointestinal health, regularity, and healthy glucose levels already within the normal range. Each serving of this vegan, gluten-free dietary supplement provides 12 grams of soluble fiber, nearly half the recommended daily allowance, and prebiotic Chicory Root inulin. Designed to help maintain a healthy gut, it can easily be mixed into hot or cold drinks, food, or smoothies, making it simple to get more of what your body needs every day.

Enjoy!

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

This Turkey Pumpkin Chili is an easy, hearty dinner! It's naturally low carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, and great for meal prep.

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
• 1 medium onion peeled, diced yellow, white or red
• 2 bell peppers cored, diced see notes
• 2 garlic cloves peeled, minced
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt plus more as necessary
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle or chipotle flakes
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1½ pounds ground turkey
• 2 cups chicken broth divided
• 1 14.5 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can black beans
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• optional toppings: diced avocado; cooked chopped bacon

Instructions

 

• Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven (5-6 quart) over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers, garlic and ¾ teaspoon salt and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
• While the vegetables cook, in a small bowl add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika and chipotle. Stir with a spoon until blended.
• Use the spatula to scoot the vegetables to the outer edge of the pot. Add the tomato paste to the center of the pot and let it cook only in the center of the pot, stirring only once or twice, until the paste has darkened in color, about 4-5 minutes. This will help develop its flavor. Stir the paste into the vegetables.
• Once again, use the spatula to scoot the vegetables to the outer edge of the pot. Add the spice mixture to the center of the pot and cook it only in the center of the pot, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. This is called “blooming” the spices and helps develop their flavor. Stir them into the vegetable mixture.
• Once again, use the spatula to scoot the vegetables to the outer edge of the pot. Add the ground turkey and use the spatula to break it up into smaller chunks as it cooks until the turkey is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Stir everything together until combined.
• Add 1 cup of the broth and use the spatula to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Then add the rest of the broth, the fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans and the pumpkin. Stir until everything is combined.
• Raise the heat to high and bring the chili to a boil. Lower the heat so it’s at a strong simmer and let it simmer until the chili is reduced and thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Taste and add more salt or spices, if necessary. Then serve, topping each serving with avocado and bacon, if desired.

Notes

If you want it spicier, you can add more ground chipotle/chipotle flakes, or add ground cayenne to the spice mixture. You can also use fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies added – they usually come in Mild or Medium. Choose whichever you prefer.

Make ahead
Let the chili cool and then store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat it in a pot on the stove over medium heat.

Freezer instructions
Let the chili cool completely, then freeze it either all together or in individual portions in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat it in a pot on the stove over medium heat.