An easy to make turkey pumpkin chili made in the slow cooker. It’s super filling and perfect for warming up on the cooler days of fall.
Now that it’s fall, pumpkin treats are everywhere. But, since sweets aren’t the only way to enjoy this winter squash, this recipe is savory.
What better way to welcome in the fall weather with a comforting bowl of slow cooker turkey pumpkin chili? If you grow fresh pumpkins, it’s always best to use a fresh puree. However, buying it in a can is so convenient.
Many recipes use only a small amount of pumpkin. This can make it difficult to use the rest of the can. That’s why this recipe uses the entire contents from a standard 15 ounce can.
Using a slow cooker crock pot also makes it super easy to whip up chili. You just combine all the ingredients in the crock and let it slow cook all day.
You will need to pre-cook the ground turkey first. And, it’s best to chop it up into small pieces as it cooks. Unlike ground beef, turkey tends to clump together when cooked.
A lot of people will cook up large amounts of ground beef and freeze it. This makes it even easier to use in your favorite crock pot recipes. The same thing can be done with ground turkey.
One of the benefits of pumpkin is that it’s loaded with vitamin A. It’s all a good source of fiber which helps you feel fuller much longer so you eat less.
Pumpkins are also a good source of vitamin C which may help fight a cold. So, fall is the perfect time to start loading up on this yummy winter squash.
Typically, pumpkin chili contains a lot more tomatoes. To make the pumpkin flavor to be the highlight, I used about half the amount of diced tomatoes that are typically called for.
Tomatoes, being a fruit, also contain quite a bit of sugar. Therefore, they aren’t the best choice for those on a keto diet. However, they are an essential ingredient for chili.
Since turkey is very lean, the recipe uses full fat chicken broth. And, topping each bowl of chili with shredded cheddar cheese provides more fat. Since fat is an important part of a low carb diet, you need to be sure you are getting adequate intake of it!
The pumpkin puree really thickens up the chili. You may be able to omit the tomato paste if you’d like to cut back on some of the carbs. It will enhance the tomato flavor if you choose to add it.
I ended up with about 12 cups of turkey pumpkin chili in the crock pot. Each serving was a little over a cup and was enough for about ten servings.
The chili is very filling so you don’t need much for a meal. And, it makes a terrific lunch during the work day. I heated mine up in my lunch crock at my desk.
One day we will grow our own pumpkins so won’t have to rely on canned. This year, my daughter went on a field trip to a farm and we got a few fresh sugar pumpkins. I plan to make a pie with those.
A lot of people outside of the United States have mentioned that canned pumpkin isn’t readily available where they live. That’s really a shame because it’s such a great ingredient for low carb recipes.
Other low carb winter squash could likely be used. Kabocha squash is a great alternative if you can find it. It’s often called a Japanese pumpkin. Butternut squash works too.
After trying this chili, I realized that I need to make more savory pumpkin recipes. There really is more to this tasty vegetable beyond pies and bread.
To be honest, I had no idea that pumpkin made such a great chili. I’m so glad I stumbled upon the idea. It’s going to be one of the recipes I keep in mind for fall gatherings.
Chili has always been one of my favorite foods. I often enjoy it on top of a salad. And, we always serve it with cheese on top.
Sour cream and avocados would be other great toppings for this turkey pumpkin chili. And, if you don’t like the ground turkey, ground beef could be used instead.
My all time favorite chili recipe is the ow carb no bean chili with black olives. You can find that recipe here. I also have this recipe for a chunky low carb chili.
Slow Cooker Turkey Pumpkin Chili Recipe
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Turkey Pumpkin Chili in the Slow Cooker
Recipe Video (Click on Image to Play)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium green bell pepper diced
- 6-8 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 ½ cups chicken bone broth
- 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes 14.5 ounces
- 6 oz canned tomato paste 6 ounces
- 15 oz canned pumpkin puree 15 ounces
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- dash ground pepper
Instructions
SLOW COOKER:
- Cook peppers and garlic in oil over medium-high heat until garlic is fragrant.
- Add ground turkey and cook until meat is no longer pink. Be sure to break it up as it cooks.
- Place cooked meat into slow cooker.
- Add in remaining ingredients.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
INSTANT POT:
- Cook peppers and garlic in oil on sauté setting until garlic is fragrant.
- Add ground turkey and cook until meat is no longer pink. Be sure to break it up as it cooks. Once meat is no longer pink, pour in the broth and stir to ensure any browned bits on the bottom of the pan are released. Press cancel button to end sauté setting.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. If the mixture is too thick, you can add in some water or broth to ensure there is enough liquid for pressure cooking. Cover and seal on lid.
- Press manual button and set high pressure setting to 10 minutes. When time is up, allow to natural pressure release for about 10 minutes before removing lid.
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Nutrition
Additional Info
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Note on Nutritional Information
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Cassandra
I tried this with the instant pot instructions and it burned right before getting to pressure! 🙁
Lisa MarcAurele
I think it would help to have a deglazing step after browning the meat. The most common reason for getting the burn is when there isn’t enough liquid but there should be plenty in this recipe. So it could just be because the deglaze step is missing.
Cassandra
Thank you! I did manage to save most of it by dumping it into a stock pot without scraping (no icky burned bits!) and simmering for a little, but I know the flavors didn’t have a chance to marry like they would under pressure or with a long, slow cook. I added extra chili powder for a bit more oomph and it turned out great despite the burn hiccup!
Judy
Can you freeze the leftovers?
Lisa MarcAurele
The leftover turkey chili does freeze well.
Melody Ballenger
I was a little skeptical about putting pumpkin and cinnamon in chili…but I have to admit that this is one of the best chili’s I’ve ever eaten! I used ground beef instead of turkey, and increased the chili powder (personal preference). I will definitely make this again!
Jan
Thanks for the great recipe! I made it on the stove top and let it simmer on low for 2 hours while we carved pumpkins. It was perfectly thick and delicious. My heat loving husband added hot sauce but said the recipe was definitely a keeper.
Kathy Wayne
Made this last Sunday as a test for an after Thanksgiving dinner with my family. Made as written except the only chicken bone broth I could find was unsalted. Maybe it was a mental thing, but, the chili, although delicious, seemed to need some salt.
All in all, I loved it and am sure it will be a hit with my “omg, I’m soooo full of turkey” family! I will look to see if I can find a regular chicken bone broth in the meantime.
Kary L Hartmann
what is the serving size
Lisa MarcAurele
It’s a small bowl, roughly a cup and a half.
Julie Wilson
Can you use ground meat instead of turkey?
Lisa MarcAurele
Any ground meat is fine to use.
Julie Wilson
Thanks, can’t wait to try it. Love getting veges into dishes where you don’t expect it, especially pumpkin because, you know-PIE.
Melissa
Tried this tonight. It was great. My chili was significantly runnier than the chili in the photo but the cheese I added thickened it up nicely. My local store was out of dark meat ground turkey so I used ground turkey breast which left the chili lacking in fat. But again the problem was remedied by the cheese.. This is not a spicy chili. I would suggest adding some cayenne if you like a little heat. Great recipe all in all. Thank you for sharing it. I felt like I got some nutrition in me today.
Andra
Love this recipe, however I subbed out fattier ground beef in place of ground turkey. Very comforting soup
Chris Hale
I made with cut up chicken, which 8 had on hand. I didn’t add the paste and added more broth. I added the indian spice masala, which has cinnem9n and clove which is excellent with pumpkin.
Great recipe…thanks for sharing!
Lisa
That sounds super tasty!
Cheryl
Absolutely delicious!
Didn’t even miss the beans.
Very filling!
This is a keeper!
Thank you for all you do!
Lisa
You’re welcome! I’ve been doing this one in the pressure cooker lately.
aleksandralm
W
Would you cook butternut squash before adding it to this recipe? It’s a slow cooker one, so I kin of assume it will get cooked anyway even if I add raw one.
I can get it easily here but I haven’t seen any pumpkin puree apart from some online shops that require me to spend a fortune first to get a free shipping. And without a free shipping it’s simply not worth it.
Fresh pumpkins only start to be available in the second half of October
Lisa
I’d probably cook and mash it first. But you could add it in raw for chunks of squash in the chili.
Elizabeth C.
I bookmarked this. I love savory pumpkin dishes!
Lisa
Hope you give it a try later!
Christine Ervin
Looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it.
Lisa
It’s a great hearty meal for fall and winter! Enjoy!
kat
This was so good!!!
Lisa
So glad you liked it Kat!
Beth
I made this and it was delicious-perfectly spiced in my opinion. I didn’t use the tomato paste, but did add a cup of diced celery and a couple cups of chopped cabbage. I will definitely be making this again! My only question is how did you get 12 cups? I actually added the entire carton of chicken broth- one because it didn’t even look close to 12 cup, and also because it looked too thick for my preference. It resulted in a nice stew like consistency, which I loved. But despite the extra broth and vegetables, the recipe only yielded 11 cups.
Lisa
It’s actually not 12 cups measured, it was 12 servings that were slightly less than a cup.
Beth
That makes sense – regardless, it is one of my new favorites.
Marlene
This looks yummy! Can’t wait to try it!!
Lisa
Hope you like it!
Diane
Very interesting! I’d like to try it but am wondering about the amount of chili powder ~ 2 Tbls, along with the other seasonings, seems like it will be pretty spicy. Would you categorize this ‘mild, medium, or strong’ ? Love your recipes but I’m not sure how I’d cut back the spices here without ruining the flavor. Any suggestions?
Lisa
I felt it was mild to medium in spice. In fact, I was thinking it needed more spices.