One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday is make a big batch of chili. I can stand watching football for only a few hours; when it’s on from 11am until 9pm, I have to fill my time with other things. You know, chasing the kiddos around, grocery shopping, cleaning the house, catching up on laundry, cooking while I sip on a glass of wine or two, and getting ready for the week ahead.
There’s nothing better than getting rid of Sunday scaries before they hit you.
Good thing we’ve got this pumpkin turkey chili that’s both sweet and spicy. A nourishing recipe that will cure any Sunday blues.
Thanksgiving is around the corner and I’m sure you’ve got a can of pumpkin lurking somewhere in the back of your cupboard. I know it sounds a little crazy, but the pumpkin is a really lovely addition and creates an uber creamy texture to the turkey chili. Plus, you get loads of vitamins A & C, and that crazy good fiber.
Basically, all I did here was take my favorite healthy turkey chili recipe and switched it up a little with pumpkin, cayenne, cinnamon, and a hint of maple. Er muhhh gawd, it’s gooooddd. Especially with cornbread muffins.
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Ingredients in slow cooker pumpkin turkey chili
This deliciously savory pumpkin turkey chili recipe is filled with cozy spices that give it a sweet & spicy flavor you’ll love. It’s also packed with protein thanks to the turkey and a full can of black beans. Win-win! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Ground turkey: I like to use a 99% lean ground turkey in this recipe.
- Veggies: onion and jalapeño for a hint of spice.
- Garlic: gotta have that garlic flavor.
- Spices: truly the star of the shows. We’re adding chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves, salt & pepper.
- Maple syrup: a bit of pure maple syrup adds the perfect amount of sweetness to balance the spices.
- Diced tomatoes: for that chili broth. I recommend using diced tomatoes that have no salt added so that you can control the salt in this chili.
- Chicken broth: use a low sodium chicken broth and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Pumpkin puree: you can use canned pumpkin puree or make your own with this tutorial.
- Black beans: for a delicious boost of fiber and protein.
- To garnish: cilantro, sour cream (or greek yogurt), guacamole or cubed avocado, and shredded cheddar cheese.
Customize this recipe
This pumpkin turkey chili recipe is easy to customize to your taste preferences. Here’s what I can recommend:
- For the ground turkey: feel free to use ground chicken if you’d like!
- Try it vegetarian: alternatively, try my famous Best Vegetarian Chili Ever! Otherwise, you can skip the ground meat and add in an extra can of black beans. Be sure to use vegetarian broth instead of chicken broth.
- Add extra veggies: feel free to add bell pepper and fresh or frozen corn as well.
How to make pumpkin turkey chili on the stovetop
I love making this healthy pumpkin turkey chili in the slow cooker for less clean-up, but you can easily make it on the stovetop:
- Cook the ground turkey. Place olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add in onion, jalapenos and garlic. Stir and cook 2 minutes, then add in turkey, gently breaking up the meat and cooking until brown (about 5 minutes).
- Add the spices. Mix in the chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook 30 seconds longer.
- Mix the chili together. Instead of transferring to a slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients to the pot: maple syrup, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, pumpkin puree and black beans. Stir until well combined.
- Simmer, taste & enjoy! Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until chili thickens and flavors come together. Taste and adjust seasonings and salt as necessary.
What to serve with this healthy pumpkin turkey chili
I love enjoying this slow cooker pumpkin turkey chili with sharp cheddar cheese, greek yogurt, avocado and crunchy tortilla chips. You can also serve it with delicious sides like:
- Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins
- Tortilla Chip-Crusted Baked Jalapeño Poppers
- The Best Guacamole You’ll Ever Eat
- Fresh & Healthy 7-Layer Dip
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Get even more side dishes here!
How to store & reheat pumpkin turkey chili
- In the refrigerator: this healthy pumpkin turkey chili will stay good in your fridge for about 1 week. Once your chili is completely cooled, just place it in an airtight container (or multiple, if you’d like to meal prep it) without the additional toppings and place it in the fridge. To reheat it, simply do so in the microwave with a microwave safe bowl, or feel free to reheat it on the stovetop. Add your toppings once you’re ready to serve!
- In the freezer: can you freeze pumpkin turkey chili? YES! Follow the instructions above, but instead of placing the chili in the refrigerator just put it in your freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply thaw the chili overnight and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave when you’re ready to eat.
More pumpkin recipes to try
- Vegetarian Spinach Pumpkin Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Peanut Butter Chicken Soup
- Spicy Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sour Cream Sauce
- Nourishing Yellow Chickpea Pumpkin Curry with Coconut Brown Rice
- Saucy Baked Pumpkin Pasta
Get all of my pumpkin recipes here!
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Enjoy! If you make this pumpkin turkey chili recipe, leave a comment & a rating so I know how you liked it. I’d love to see your creation — simply upload a pic to Instagram and tag #ambitiouskitchen!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Slow Cooker Black Bean Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound extra lean ground turkey (99%)
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- ¼ teaspoon red cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or brown sugar)
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes (preferably no salt added)
- ¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 15oz can pumpkin puree (or 1 ¾ cup fresh pumpkin puree)
- 1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- To garnish: cilantro, sour cream (or greek yogurt), guacamole and cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Place olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add in onion, jalapenos and garlic. Stir and cook 2 minutes, then add in turkey, gently breaking up the meat and cooking until brown (about 5 minutes).
- Add all of the spices to meat: chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook 30 seconds longer then transfer to a slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker: maple syrup, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, pumpkin puree and black beans. Stir until well combined. Cover and cook for 6-7 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high.
- Once chili is done, distribute into bowls (or do a meal preand top with fixin's such as cilantro, greek yogurt and cheddar cheese. (It's really, really good with a sharp cheddar!). Makes 4 servings. Double the recipe for a crowd!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on January 12th, 2019, and republished on October 21st, 2024.
I love this recipe and it’s definitely a fall staple. I lived in Cincinnati for a few years and cinnamon in their chili is a staple, and I love the hint of cinnamon in this recipe…not overpowering but adds to the fall-like feel of this delicious and healthy dish!!
Amazing! So happy to hear that it’s a favorite 🙂
I love this recipe and I come back to it over and over again.
Made this today. Adjustments: Used only half of a yellow onion, omitted cloves and salt, and added oregeno. I used brown sugar instead of maple syrup, pinto beans instead of black, and substituted one finely diced chipotle pepper in place of the jalapeno. I love the smoky flavor it adds and subtle heat, My turkey was 93% lean. In spite of not having all the ingredients on hand, I must award this recipe 5 stars. This is so much healthier than a red meat chili, and protein-packed. The pumpkin makes for a delicious fall/winter twist as well.
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing 🙂
I followed this recipe exactly as written. It was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. This might be my new favourite chili recipe!! Perfect for Fall/Winter.
So happy to hear that!
Slow cooker recipes seem to always leave out the size of the crock pot. I am assuming a 5 quart and the recipe can be doubled using a 7-8 quart crock pot??
I use a 6-7 quart crock pot! And 8 quart crock pot *might* get a bit too full with double the ingredients, but let me know if you give it a try.
Made recipe x 4 and I am gifting to 2 friends. I love the taste and it still has a couple hours left to slow cook. I subbed jalepeno with canned diced medium hot green peppers and cut maple syrup amount in half. My whole house smells wonderful, I am sure this will be a favorite at my house. Thank you.
Perfect! So happy you enjoyed (and I hope your friends do, too!)
Not my favorite chili recipe. I used the jalapeno and 93% turkey but the flavor was still really bland. I added red chili flakes, and additional seasonings which helped but I wouldn’t make this recipe again.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t love this one! Did you add salt to taste? A bit more would likely bring out the flavors even better.
I should have posted this years ago, just came back looking for the recipe for someone. This has become a staple in our house, I double the quantity for my crockpot and it freezes and reheats beautifully. I’m not even a chili lover but I truly love this one! We serve it with cornbread. Thank you for being a regular in my kitchen 🙂
So happy to hear that! One of our favs for fall, too 🙂
After reading all of the 5 star reviews I wanted to try this recipe. It was absolutely delicious. I was expecting it to be a touch sweet but it wasn’t at all. The flavors came together beautifully. I went light on the spice. Next time I would add more jalepeno or ceyenne to kick it up a bit more. I made it as written but added the whole can of chicken broth instead of 3/4 cup. Great recipe!
Perfect dinner for colder weather! Glad you enjoyed!
This is one of my favourite chilis! I’ve made it a handful of times now, always on the stovetop, and love that it’s so adjustable. I’ve used ground beef, leftover turkey, and rotisserie chicken and it always turns out great, with a really nice depth of flavour. For spice levels, I find the recipe as written has a lot of kick, so I skip the jalapeno, cut back on chili powder (~1.5 tbsp) and add in some smoked paprika as a substitute. I find I need to triple the broth when making it on the stovetop for the consistency I want and it always gives me 5+ servings.
Love that!! One of my favs, too 🙂
The blend of spices in this chili is amazing. One of my favorite chili recipes ever!
So good!!
Love this fall spin on typical chili! Slightly spicy from the jalapeno & sweet from the pumpkin, spices & syrup- yum!
Absolutely! Such a great way to use up pumpkin this fall 🙂
My week has been sponsored by AK recipes. This was my meal prep for lunch this week. Absolutely delicious! I used ground chicken because frankly, it was cheaper. I top this with sharp cheddar and tortilla chips and it’s an amazing lunch. I think I’ll double this recipe and bring it for my family dinners sometime. Thanks for a great recipe!
Love that!! Such a great fall dinner 🙂
Love this chili! I’ve made it several times now and even my kids that don’t usually like chili like this one!! I’ve been subbing white beans for the black only because my kids don’t like black beans. Otherwise I don’t change a thing! I’ve made it in the slow cooker and the stove top, and while both are still amazing, the slow cooker is the best!! Thanks for such a great recipe!
This was so easy to make and delicious!! Made on the stove top and it couldn’t have been better. Perfect for a chilly fall evening!
Ahh yay! I am so glad you loved this chili and it turned out amazing for you, Katie!
This is the best ever! Warming sweet spices, but also a little bit spicy, great consistency and super easy to do in the crockpot. I added bell pepper, and next time I will also add fire roasted corn. Will be making this again and again.
MMMM so cozy! glad you gave this recipe a try and you are loving it, Katie. Thanks so much for your comment 🧡
I needed to leave a review after I made this recipe for maybe the 400th time. I’m truly obsessed. It’s so easy and so tasty and I send it to everyone I know. I typically use ground chicken and substitute the black beans for chickpeas (because black beans hurt my tum) and it’s incredible.
Also, the flavor is 100% not the same but when I’m short on time I make this in the instant pot for 20 minutes on high pressure and it’s still incredible. Thank you for this treasured staple, Monique!
AWW thank YOU! This means so much to me. I am so glad you found this recipe and are loving it. It is such a perfect recipe for all and the flavors are on point. Thanks so much for sharing your comment ❤️
This has been my go to chili recipe for years. Every time I try something different, I’m disappointed in the lack of flavor. Don’t sleep on this and just print it out so it’s a permanent part of your kitchen. 12/10 and forever in my heart and crockpot.
WOO! This means so much, glad to hear you are loving this chili and it turns out great of you every time 🙂
This was absolutely delicious and will be in my regular line up. I tweaked it a bit by adding a small can of jalapenos instead of fresh. Turned out to be a bit too hot so I’ll minimize that part next time. I also added some green bell pepper and corn to the mix and only used one 15oz can of tomatoes and a tad more syrup to balance some of the extra heat. Came out soo good! Then made some chips with corn tortillas, cooking spray and seasoning salt in the oven. Slam dunk!!
P.S. I also I add bell pepper and corn when I add the beans, as recommended by AK in ways to “customize this recipe”, and carrots as others have suggested. The corn and carrots add a fun spash of color to the chili.
Thank you for this wonderful recipie! I’ve made it about 5 times and shared it with my pre-diabetes class. My husband and I grow a vegetable garden and also belong to a CSA (community share agriculture). I strive to never waste fresh veggies, so I add garden veggies to the crockpot about halfway through the cooking time, My favorite veggies to add are chopped zuchinni and/or kale. I’ve also used other winter squashes instead of pumpkin when I was out. They all taste great. This recipe is super versatile and everyone loves it! Thank you so much!
This was such a wonderful recipe! My boyfriend and I loved it. I love your pumpkin based recipes. I have a question, if i would want to make it again but adding corn (from a can or frozen), should I add it at the same time as all the other ingredients?
Hi! So happy you both loved it 🙂 Yes, feel free to add it when you add the black beans!
WOW this chili is incredible!! I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to make it – I’m obsessed. Will definitely be on rotation through fall & winter! Heck, maybe even when it’s 100 degrees- it’s that good 😉
Ahhh I’m so glad you tried and loved it! Yes such a great one to keep in your back pocket all winter 🙂
Made this in on the stovetop instead of the crockpot. Followed the recipe exactly. It was absolutely delicious! Even better the next day! I don’t even think it needs any toppings.
Such a great dinner! Glad you enjoyed!
Wow! This is another AK recipe WIN! I’ve never made chili before and was looking for a way to use ground turkey… so so good! I’m continually so impressed by your recipes that I can’t pick a favorite. Thank you for helping me become better in the kitchen!
Aw thank you SO much, Emily!! I’m so happy you loved this one. Glad you’re here ❤️
Just made this for the first time and it’s amazing! Rich and perfectly seasoned to leave just that hint of heat on the tongue.
Why did i wait so long to make this?! Soooo delish!
Haha better late than never!! So glad you had the chance to make it + that you loved it, Jessica 🙂 Appreciate the review!
This is by far my favorite chili recipe, and I’ve tried plenty of them. So much flavor, i think through the addition of cloves and maple syrup.
I usually use 500g 5-7% turkey instead of ground breast (most stuff in Europe isn’t packed by pounds so it’s either 400 or 500g).
One thing that benefits the recipe a lot is adding one small (about 200g) can of red kidney beans, i think it needs just a bit more beans 😉
Couldn’t get fresh jalapenos last time I was making it, so instead I’ve added 30g of this new Jalapeno green Frank’s sauce (i think it may be something that they sell only here) and it turned out amazing.
I absolutely love your slowcooker recipes! Peanut butter chicken stew is another one i regularly make.
I’m SO glad you love this recipe — thank you! Good call on adding the extra beans. And the hot sauce is a smart substitution, too!
This was so dang good! I adapted the recipe for my instant pot and cooked it for 10 minutes. Also, I subbed in ground chicken because I didn’t have any turkey. The flavors in this recipe are just AMAZING!
So happy you loved it and that it worked well in the Instant Pot!
Phenomenal chili! I had pumpkins leftover from fall decor and was looking for recipes that use pumpkin purée. This one looked interesting and healthy. The flavors are amazing and it has just the right amount of kick. I made a couple of modifications – added a handful of carrots and a half of a bell pepper, chopped – then cooked it in the instant pot. Delish!
Love those additions and so great that you used up those pumpkins!
This recipe brought me to the Ambitious Kitchen website. I have made this multiple times–it is easy and I’ve had consistent results. I go with brown sugar instead of maple syrup (which I simply don’t have in the house). My husband and son both love it!
Aw I’m so glad it brought you here! Glad to hear it’s on repeat in your kitchen and that the fam loves it!