Pumpkin Turkey Chili

I love fun little holiday traditions that aren’t too complicated but make a holiday seem a little bit more festive. The recipe is my favorite to make for Halloween. It just feels appropriate to have a nice meal featuring pumpkin on such a holiday. This recipe has all the yummy flavors of fall, without being too sweet, which is just perfect in my book. We love to eat it topped with cheddar cheese and with a side of corn bread, but any of your favorite chili toppings and sides would be great!

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 1/3 lb ground turkey
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 1 jalapeno diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 1/2 T. chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 T. maple syrup
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
• cheddar cheese for serving

Instructions

 

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, and garlic.  Cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
• Add turkey and brown until cooked through.  
• Add chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves and salt, and stir, cooking a few minutes.
• Add maple syrup, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, pumpkin puree, and black beans and stir until combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes.  Serve topped with cheddar cheese and a side of corn bread if desired.

Notes

We love to eat this with our favorite corn bread.

*This recipe also works well in a slow cooker, which is wonderful when you are hosting a gathering.  After steps one and two, once the turkey is browned and cooked through transfer the meat mixture into the slow cooker.  Add all the remaining spices and ingredients, stir thoroughly, and cook for about 7 hours on low.  

*This recipes also doubles really well for a large group.  When I doubled it in the crockpot I cooked it on high for 2 hours and then on low for the remaining 5 hours to make sure it was appropriately thickened and all the flavors developed completely. If you double it and do it on the stovetop you also may want to cook a big longer to make sure the consistency and flavor is right. (Maybe an extra 15-30 minutes). The only time I have doubled it was in the crockpot, so this is an estimate.