Easy Pumpkin Chili (Instant Pot and Stove Top)

Easy Pumpkin Chili takes your traditional turkey and bean chili and gives it a nutritious upgrade by adding canned pumpkin puree. Done in about an hour, this pumpkin turkey chili is protein packed, healthy, and great for leftovers (or to feed a crowd!).

The best pumpkin chili recipe of. all. time.

September is probably my favorite month because I love all of the things that come with it. Football, cozy sweaters, warm bowls of soup, and pumpkin. Pumpkin. All. The. Time.

One of my favorite fall traditions is making a big pot of soup on Sunday evening, curling up on the couch, and watching Sunday night football.

So, I took a few of my favorite things – warm chili and the fall flavors of pumpkin – and the result was this easy pumpkin chili. It may just be my favorite chili of all time, and I’m so excited to share it with you!

This dish comes together very quickly, and whether you choose to make it on the stove or in an Instant Pot, doesn’t require much time. I tested it both ways, and the results were great both times. So choose your preferred method, and let’s dive in!

Ingredients used to make this chili pumpkin recipe

If you’ve ever made chili, most of the ingredients in this recipe will probably look familiar to you. We’ll be using some veggies, ground turkey, and of course, beans! To add the signature pumpkin, we’ll use pumpkin puree and homemade pumpkin pie spice.

• Olive oil: First up, we’ll use olive oil to sauté the veggies.
• Yellow onion: 1 small yellow onion will be just plenty. Dice it up as fine as you’d like.
• Jalapeño: Add a kick to your chili by including a jalapeño. I recommend de-seeding it, but you don’t have to if you want things extra hot!
• Green Pepper: Chop up a green pepper to add crunch to the dish.
• Garlic: Gotta have the garlic! I love a little extra, so I recommend 3 cloves, minced.
• Ground turkey: For meat we’ll be using 1 lb. of ground turkey. You can also use chicken or ground beef.
• Pumpkin puree: Pumpkin is a must! We’ll use puree, as it tastes fabulous and works really well to bring the chili together.
• Black beans: Beans are a given for chili, so we’ll start with a can of black! Be sure to drain and rinse before adding them to your pot.
• Kidney beans: Then do the same thing, but with kidney beans!
• Diced tomatoes: Next up, we’ll add some yummy diced tomatoes. These add flavor and do a lot for the consistency of the chili too!
• Tomato paste: Tomato paste does wonders for the flavor in this dish.
• Spices: For spices, we’ll be using cumin, smoked paprika, pumpkin pie spice (I love to make my own), salt, and pepper. You can also add cayenne if you’d like!
• Chicken broth: Finally, we’ll add chicken broth as the liquid for this dish.

What you’ll need to make chili

For this recipe you’ll only need a couple of kitchen tools. You’ll need cutting items, measuring cups, and either a sauce pot or Instant Pot!

• Cutting board
• Chopping knife
• Large sauce pot/dutch oven or Instant Pot
• Stirring utensil
• Measuring cups: 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, 1 cup

How to make easy pumpkin chili

One of my favorite things about this pumpkin chili recipe is that there are two different cooking methods to choose from. If you have an Instant Pot, great, but if not, that’s cool too! The stove top works just as well. Choose your preferred method, and let’s get started!

Stove Top:

1. To cook your pumpkin chili on the stove, begin by heating a large saucepan or dutch oven. Once the pan is warm, add the olive oil.
2. Next, add the onion, jalapeño, and pepper and let them sauté for a few minutes until slightly soft.
3. Add the garlic and let it cook for one more minute.
4. Then add the ground turkey, breaking it up and cooking until it’s no longer pink.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in your pumpkin, beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
6. Mix all of the spices in a small mixing bowl and then add them to the chili mixture.
7. Pour in chicken broth and let simmer for 15-20 minutes over low heat.
8. Add cheese, Greek yogurt, jalapeños, or any other toppings you’d like, and enjoy!

Instant Pot:

1. To cook your chili in an Instant Pot, begin by turning it on to sauté and adding the olive oil.
2. Add the onion, jalapeño, and pepper and let sauté for a few minutes until slightly soft.
3. Add garlic and let cook for one more minute.
4. Next, add the ground turkey, breaking it up and cooking until it’s no longer pink.
5. Mix all of the spices in a small mixing bowl and then add them to the chili mixture.
6. Stir in the pumpkin, beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
7. Pour in three cups of the chicken broth.
8. Set the Instant Pot to manual and cook for 12 minutes.
9. Once the 12 minutes are up, let it natural release for 15 minutes, and then quick release.
10. Add cheese, Greek yogurt, jalapeños, or any other desired toppings, and enjoy.

Customizing pumpkin chili

This dish is great for customizing to fit any dietary preference. Though it calls for turkey and chicken broth, those aren’t musts! You can use any ground meat, including vegan alternatives (or add an extra can of beans). And for the broth, go with a veggie broth. And ta-da! Vegan chili!

Have extra ground beef on hand? You can definitely substitute ground beef for the turkey here. I also think ground chicken would be great!

Not a fan of kidney beans? Double up on the black beans, or substitute your favorite type of bean.

You can truly do so many things with this dish, so get creative and make it your own!

How to store pumpkin chili

This is the perfect dish to include in your weekly meal prep. It stays nice and fresh in the fridge all week long, and like soup, gets better with each day.

It also freezes very well, so it’s great as a make-ahead option! I love to portion it out and chill it in separate containers that I can grab and reheat for lunch or dinner on busy days.

Just store in tightly sealed containers and place in either the fridge or freezer, and you’ll be good to go!

Embrace fall with these pumpkin recipes too!

Hey, pumpkin lovers! There’s so much more where this recipe came from. Enjoy hummus, french toast, pie, and muffins, all with that yummy pumpkin flavor you’re craving.

• Savory Pumpkin Hummus
• Five Minute Pumpkin French Toast
• Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Healthy Paleo Pumpkin Pie
• The Best Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Recipe by Erin Antoniak and Photos by Bake and Bacon