Easy Pumpkin Chili Recipe made with ground beef and fresh pumpkin, a fantastic dinner that tastes like Fall and coziness. This is the best comfort food to enjoy throughout the Autumn months, it uses earthy spices for a depth of flavour, and it's hearty and heart-warming too.
Chili is one of the most popular dishes around the world, but throw some pumpkin in the mix and you get the most heart-warming Fall dinner recipe that the whole family will absolutely love.
Pumpkin has a natural sweetness to it, and the earthy spices used for this chili bring out the best flavours: you get a bit of a heat coming from the chilli powder, a bit of coziness coming from the pumpkin spice, and some warmth from the cumin.
And then there's the cheese, delicious sharp cheddar cheese that compliments all the other ingredients; you can't possibly go wrong with this pumpkin chili. Plus, it's all natural ingredients that are good for us.
I opted for a fresh pumpkin for this recipe, rather than canned pumpkin puree, it's more visually appealing, as well as tastier, since we get the full flavour of the pumpkin.
And while the chili is cooked low and slow for the best possible flavours, the pumpkin nearly falls apart, its goodness blending into the hearty sauce: what a dish this is!
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Ingredients used
- ground beef / minced beef - for a hearty chili, it can be swapped for turkey, chicken or lamb mince
- pumpkin - I find the fresh pumpkin the best possible option, but butternut squash or even sweet potatoes would work well too
- spices: oregano, paprika, pumpkin spice, chilli powder, cumin
- celery stalks - for a bit of texture
- garlic and onion - the best base for a good chili
- chopped tomatoes - or fresh tomatoes if you have, just make sure they are ripe and juicy
- beef broth / stock - for extra beefy flavour
- oil - for frying the onion
- cheddar cheese - for sharp kick and cheesiness
- salt and pepper - to taste
- fresh parsley - for garnishing
Variations
For an extra chilli kick, you can add either green or red chilli peppers, as well as chilli flakes, but since mince was intended as a family meal, I went easy on the spiciness.
You can also add beans to the chili, like I did with my Chili with Beans, it's optional, but the beans do make it extra hearty and filling.
If you want to keep this dish vegetarian or vegan, omit the cheese, or swap it for vegan cheese, and use quorn mince or any other plant-based mince.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- heat up the oil in a large pan set over a medium heat
- add the peeled and chopped onion, season it with salt, and let it fry until translucent
- add the peeled and chopped garlic, pumpkin peeled and chopped into cubes and celery stalks
- give it a good stir, and add the ground beef
- use a wooden spoon to break down the ground beef until no longer lumpy and pink, and all juices have been absorbed
- add the chopped tomatoes and beef broth, place a lid on the pot, and leave it to simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed, but the chili is still sloppy
- add the cheddar cheese, season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with fresh parsley
Expert tips
Chili is not a dish to be rushed, you get the best possible flavours by cooking it on a lower heat, so that all the ingredients blend together nicely. Do not worry if the pumpkin doesn't hold its shape too well, it means all the goodness is in the chili.
It might look like there is too much liquid to being with, once the chopped tomatoes and beef broth are added, but it means that the longer it cooks to absorb the liquid, the bigger the flavours.
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Pumpkin Chili Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g ground beef / minced beef (1.1 lb)
- 2 cups pumpkin, peeled and chopped into cubes
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes ( 400 g, 13 oz)
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 celery stalks
- 3 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 2 cups beef broth / stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a large pot set over a medium heat.
- Add the peeled and chopped onion, season with a pinch of salt, and fry it until translucent.
- Add the spices: oregano, cumin, chilli powder and pumpkin spice, peeled and chopped garlic, pumpkin, celery stalks and give it a good stir.
- In goes the beef mince, use a wooden spoon to break it up until no longer lumpy and pink, and the juices released have evaporated.
- Pour in the beef stock and chopped tomatoes, give everything a good mix, place a lid on the pot, and leave it to cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, but the chili is still sloppy.
- Add the cheese, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with chopped parsley.
Video
Notes
- Chili is not a dish to be rushed, you get the best possible flavours by cooking it on a lower heat, so that all the ingredients blend together nicely. Do not worry if the pumpkin doesn't hold its shape too well, it means all the goodness is in the chili.
- It might look like there is too much liquid to being with, once the chopped tomatoes and beef broth are added, but it means that the longer it cooks to absorb the liquid, the bigger the flavours.
Nutrition
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