This creamy Turkey Pumpkin Chili is bringing the fall vibes! A hearty turkey chili with peppers and white beans, reduced with white wine and simmered in a pumpkin broth.
Serve this pumpkin chili with Sweet Cornbread on the side and even a fun Pumpkin Drop Martini to keep with the pumpkin theme!
Hearty, Super Cozy Turkey Pumpkin Chili Recipe
This Turkey Pumpkin Chili is bringing all the fall vibes! A creamy, hearty veggie packed turkey chili that will warm you up on crisp fall days.
This pumpkin chili is perfect for every day dinners, holidays or parties and game days. It can be made completely ahead of time and kept warm in a slow cooker on on the stove top.
A hint of pumpkin flavor from pumpkin puree rounds out the comforting feeling that this chili recipe brings to the table. Not a sweet pumpkin flavor, amazingly savory, creamy and oh do good.
Ingredients For Turkey Pumpkin Chili
This Turkey Pumpkin Chili has a few, simple ingredients that you’re likely to have on hand in the kitchen. Please see the recipe card for a complete list of recipe ingredients.
- Ground Turkey: We like using 99% lean ground turkey, but you can use 93% lean as well.
- White Beans (cannellini beans): Creamy, white beans make the perfect addition to this pumpkin chili. Grab black beans and/or kidney beans as well!
- Pumpkin Puree: Not sweetened, this is a savory chili recipe so we don’t want the sweet stuff here.
- Onions
- Bell Peppers: Any color
- Celery
- Garlic
- Fresh Rosemary: Thyme will work, too
How To Make Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Start by cooking down a ton of diced peppers and onions. Season the vegetables with cumin, chili powder, paprika and salt and pepper. Once the peppers and onions are softened, add fresh garlic and then push the vegetables to one side of the pot.
Add the ground turkey, season with more salt and peppers and cook while breaking into crumbles as you see here. Ground turkey recipes like this chili need a good amount of seasoning since the ground turkey is so lean. Once the turkey is mostly cooked through, combine it with the vegetables in the pot.
Now it’s time for the good stuff…deglaze the pot with white wine (you can substitute beer or chicken broth, too) then pour in chicken broth, the pumpkin puree, beans and rosemary.
Bring the chili to a simmer and then cook, uncovered for 30 minutes until thickened.
Is Pumpkin A Fruit?
This might surprise a lot of you (and to me!) but pumpkin is technically a fruit. Expert Joe Masabni, Ph. D., a vegetable expert in Dallas, Texas, anything that starts from a flower is considered a fruit.
So when you’re wondering what to make with pumpkin, you can pick a savory meal like this pumpkin chili or make yourself a sweet pumpkin treat like this Overnight French Toast!
Can This Pumpkin Chili Be Made Ahead Of Time?
This Turkey Pumpkin Chili is honestly the most perfect make ahead recipe. The flavor actually gets better as it sits in the refrigerator, so make it a day or two in advance if you need to!
Can You Taste The Pumpkin In Chili?
Of course we want to taste the pumpkin in this pumpkin chili recipe, but some people wonder if it’s going to taste like a pumpkin pie or something. It’s not.
We’re using unsweetened pumpkin puree for this chili so it’s not going to be sweet at all. Just a hint of that delicious, cozy, hearty pumpkin flavor that we all love!
Pumpkin Chili Variations
We think this Turkey Pumpkin Chili is pretty perfect as is, but of course there can be variations to the recipe! Chili recipes are a great way to use up whats in your refrigerator so nothing has to go to waste!
- Ground Chicken or Lean Ground Beef
- Beyond Meat Crumbles
- Zucchini
- Corn
- Carrots
- Diced tomatoes
- Diced green chilis
- Different beans like black beans, kidney beans or chick peas
- Different herbs like thyme, oregano, parsley or cilantro
How To Store and Reheat Pumpkin Chili
Let the chili cool down to room temperature before storing it in air tight containers. This pumpkin chili will keep in the refrigerator for 4 days if stored properly.
Reheat the chili in the microwave or on the stove top. Garnish with all your favorite chili toppings like sliced avocado, sour cream and scallions.
How About Some More Delicious Chili Recipes…Including our Kid-Friendly Favorite???
- Everyday Chili Recipe – A Kid Favorite!!!
- Cincinnati Chili
- Hot Dog Chili – No beans, great for topping hot dogs, nachos, chili fries or stuffing into baked potatoes!
- Ranch Turkey Chili
- Chicken Sausage Fiesta Chili
Turkey Pumpkin Chili
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeThis creamy Turkey Pumpkin Chili is bringing the fall vibes! A hearty turkey chili with peppers and white beans, reduced with white wine and simmered in a pumpkin broth.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups diced onions
- 1 cup diced green pepper
- 1 cup diced red pepper
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- Fresh black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 pounds ground turkey (93% or 99% lean)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (can also use beer or chicken broth)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (unsweetened)
- 15.5 ounce can cannellini beans
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half (optional but recommended)
Instructions
- Add the oil to a large, 6 or 8 quart dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and the green and red peppers to the pot and cook while stirring for 7-8 minutes. Add the cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic to the vegetables. Stir to combine.
- Move the vegetables to the side of the pot, drizzle the empty side of the pot with a little more olive oil and then add the ground turkey. Add the remaining 1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the turkey, depending on your taste. Cook while breaking up with a spoon into crumbles.
- Once the ground turkey is mostly cooked through, stir to combine it with the rest of the vegetables in the pot. Sprinkle in the flour, stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the wine to deglaze the pot, stir and let reduce for 1 minute, then scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Pour in the chicken broth, then add the white beans, the pumpkin puree and the rosemary sprigs to the pot and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer the chili uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed.
- Remove the rosemary sprigs from the chili and then pour in the cream (if using).
- Serve in bowls with tortilla chips or bread for dipping.
Recipe Notes
Store: Let the chili cool to room temperature and then store in air tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: This chili freezes beautifully! Store in air tight containers or cool completely and place in plastic zip top freezer bags. Let the chili thaw and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.
Reheat: If frozen, let the chili thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove top. Refrigerated chili can be reheated both in the microwave or on the stove top as well.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: mantitlement, turkey chili, pumpkin chili, chili recipes, ground turkey recipes, recipes with pumpkin, healthy recipes
