Thick and Flavorful Pumpkin Chili

This pumpkin chili is rich and flavorful. You can't taste the pumpkin as a distinct flavor, but it adds texture and thickens the chili.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 214kcal

1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1.5 teaspoons of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne

Prepare the seasoning mix: Combine the kosher salt, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep saucepan (I use a deep 12-inch stainless steel skillet) over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.
Add the beef, onion, and bell peppers. Cook, stirring often, breaking up the beef into smaller chunks, until the beef is no longer raw (but still pink), about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and seasoning mix. Cook, stirring until well incorporated into the beef mixture, for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, pumpkin, and up to 1 cup of water if needed. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Serve immediately.

For an even texture, it’s best to use petite-diced tomatoes. If all you can get are regular diced tomatoes, give them a quick extra chop before using.
I use extra-lean ground beef because it doesn’t release the large amount of rendered fat that lean ground beef does. However, if you prefer, you can use lean ground beef (85/15). The nutrition info will change.
Add water depending on how much liquid the tomatoes contain. The tomatoes I like to use (Pomi Chopped Tomatoes) usually have almost no added liquid, so I add 1 cup of water. If your tomatoes have more water, ½ cup or ¾ cup should be enough.
As with all chilis, the leftovers are excellent, and in fact, the chili tastes even better the next day. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power.
You can also freeze the cooled leftovers. I prefer to freeze them in individual portions because they're easy to reheat (covered) in the microwave.