I created this turkey pumpkin chili recipe to solve a couple of challenges at my house- which you may have too. First, what can I do with leftover canned pumpkin? (especially during the fall baking season!) Second, how can I make chili without using tomato or tomato sauce? You guessed it- I used the pumpkin in place of the tomato! And, it paired perfectly with the ground turkey, along with the vegetables and seasonings. This twist on a classic may just become your new favorite chili recipe!

Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Chili with a twist! Use turkey instead of beef, and pumpkin instead of tomato. Voilà! A perfect pairing of flavors in this favorite fall and winter entrée.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword chili, turkey, pumpkin, fall
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 40 minutes minutes
Servings 4
Author Heidi Gunderson, RDN, CDCES
Equipment
- 1 large stockpot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ small onion, chopped
- 1 medium red pepper, diced
- 1 medium yellow pepper, diced
- 1 can chili beans 16 oz can
- 1 cup chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Add olive oil to stockpot, and turn on heat to medium-high.
- Add ground turkey to pot and break up into small pieces.
- Add the chopped onions and peppers to the turkey and cook on medium-high until turkey is no longer pink, and vegetables begin to soften. (about 5 minutes)
- Add the chili beans, chicken broth and pumpkin to the pot and mix everything together.
- Add the seasonings and mix well.
- Turn heat down to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until heated through.
- Taste chili and adjust seasonings as desired.