Turkey Pumpkin Chili with black beans and fresh tomatoes makes for a comforting, satisfying and nutritious dinner recipe. You can even batch cook it to enjoy throughout the cold autumn and winter months!
This post is sponsored by Truvia® Natural Sweetener.
This isn’t our first go at pumpkin chili on this site. My Pumpkin Chicken Chili, Instant Pot Paleo Pumpkin Chili, and Crock Pot Vegan Pumpkin Chili are all special to me.
Each one unique and scrumptious in its own right.
For this autumn’s version of pumpkin chili, we’re going with ground turkey, fresh tomatoes, and black beans. Sometimes I go beans, sometimes I go bean-free.
Sometimes I use tomatoes, sometimes I don’t. The beauty of chili is that you can make it entirely your own depending on what you’re craving!
Regardless of the add-ins, I like adding a little Truvia® Natural Sweetener to my chili recipes to balance out the kick of the chili powder and acid in the veggies. This is one ingredient you won’t want to skip since it gives you some sweetness without the calories.
My favorite part about this recipe, aside from its EPIC level of comfort, is the fact that it is so crazy simple! It requires few ingredients and about 45 minutes to prepare. The recipe can easily be made in a slow cooker or Instant Pot as well (see instructions below).
Let’s get into the details!
Ingredients for Turkey Pumpkin Chili:
Canned Pumpkin: Puréed pumpkin adds creaminess, thickness, and a chili that is nice and satisfying with plenty of fall flavor. Just be sure you don’t purchase canned pumpkin pie filling, which includes spices and lots of sugar.
Ground Turkey: I like using a 94% lean ground turkey for this, but you can also use ground beef or chicken instead.
Chili Powder: An all-star flavor infusion! Chili powder provides that iconic chili flavor without needing to add a barrage of spices. Chili powder is a combination of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cumin and dried oregano. You can easily make your own chili powder blend using your preferred proportions of each spice, but I use store-bought chili powder to keep things simple.
Truvia® Natural Sweetener: This zero-calorie stevia sweetener is added to the pumpkin chili to offset the spices and enhance the dish’s flavor overall. ¾ of a teaspoon of Truvia® is equivalent in sweetness to 2 teaspoons of cane sugar, so all it takes is a little bit to generate that perfect amount of sweetness.
Veggies: Onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato. The combination of these yields a rich and robust chili that still tastes fresh, creamy and tangy! I also use green onion and cilantro when serving the chili, though you can top the chili however you’d like.
Black Beans: Rather than going with the standard pinto beans, I love using black beans for chili recipes. You can change up your bean choice (pinto, garbanzo, kidney, or even white beans all work well) or omit the beans all together!
Chicken Broth: Chicken broth adds some depth of flavor while providing liquid for the chili. I only add about 1 cup to keep the chili super thick and rich. Add more chicken broth for a thinner/soupier chili recipe.
For Serving: Use your favorite toppings! Consider sour cream (or Greek yogurt), cheese, bacon, red onion, or do as I do and keep it simple with green onion and cilantro.
How to Make Turkey Pumpkin Chili:
Heat the avocado oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the ground turkey and brown on both sides for 2 minutes. Chop the turkey into smaller pieces and stir well.
Add the bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, Truvia® Natural Sweetener, and sea salt. Stir for 3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Stir in the chopped tomato, beans, pumpkin puree and broth. Bring to a full boil and cook 30 minutes, until chili is thick and flavorful. (Note: The longer you cook it, the more the flavors will develop!)
Serve with your choice of toppings in heaping bowls with any additional side dishes!
This easy healthy chili recipe pairs nicely with Garlic Butter Blistered Shishito Peppers, Baked Carrot Fries, or Cheesy Vegetable and Brown Rice Casserole.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
Heat the avocado oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground turkey and brown on both sides for 2 minutes. Chop the turkey into smaller pieces and stir well. Transfer to your slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients. Stir very well to combine.
Set the slow cooker on its lowest setting and cook for 4 to 6 hours. Serve with favorite toppings and enjoy!
Instant Pot Instructions:
Note: if using an Instant Pot, add ½ to 1 cup additional chicken broth.
Plug in your Instant Pot and press ‘Sauté.’ Add the oil and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until softened and translucent.
Add the ground turkey and brown for 2 to 3 minutes per side before using a spatula to break turkey into smaller chunks.
Add remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot and stir well to combine. Secure the lid and press ‘Manual’.
Cook on the high pressure setting for 10 minutes, then allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes.
Use the quick release valve to manually release any remaining pressure. Open the lid, stir well, and serve.
More Pumpkin Recipes:
- Chocolate Chip Paleo Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Breakfast Bowls
- Vegan Pumpkin Snack Cake
- Paleo Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Blended Baked Oats
- Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Enjoy this delicious, thick, hearty pumpkin chili recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp sea salt, to taste
- 1 vine ripened tomato, chopped
- 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained
- 1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, add more for thinner consistency
For Serving:
- 4 stalks green onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large stock pot* over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey and brown on both sides for 2 minutes.
- Chop the turkey into smaller pieces using a spatula and stir well. Add the bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, and sea salt. Stir for 3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in the chopped tomato, beans, pumpkin puree and broth. Bring to a full boil and cook 30 minutes, until chili is thick and flavorful. (Note: The longer you cook it, the more the flavors will develop!)
- Serve with your choice of toppings in large bowls.
Notes
Nutrition
Carolina
Friday 27th of November 2020
Made this last night along with Julia’s SCALLOPED SWEET POTATOES. Great combo! I did not have Truvia so I used a tsp of coconut sugar. It still tasted delicious and I will def be repeating this recipe again next year. Yum!
Julia
Friday 27th of November 2020
I'm so happy you made and enjoyed, it Carolina! Thrilled you also had the scalloped sweet potatoes to go along with it. Thanks so much for reporting back!
Jenny
Wednesday 30th of September 2020
Lovely recipe, thanks! Hearty and healthy. I thought the pumpkin was going to be a much stronger flavor but it added to the texture more than the flavor. I will definitely make again!
Julia
Friday 2nd of October 2020
I hear ya! I bet adding more pureed pumpkin and a little extra pumpkin spice will help with that too! So thrilled you like the recipe, Jenny! Many thanks for the feedback!! :D xoxo
Kim
Thursday 24th of September 2020
What can be used in place of Truvia? Sugar or honey?
Julia
Friday 25th of September 2020
Hi Kim!
Yes, either will work. Pure maple syrup works, too! xo
Shirley
Thursday 24th of September 2020
I am loving these fall recipes! I have used a teaspoon of sugar to offset the acid from tomatoes in recipes. I like the idea of using Truvia as a better alternative.
Julia
Friday 25th of September 2020
For sure! A little sweet goes a long way to cut the acidity ;)