Pumpkin Chili! Made with chunks of pumpkin, ground pork, black beans, a bottle of beer, and plenty of spices. Ready in under an hour. Even better the next day.
Pumpkin and chili: two things we all crave every fall. This recipe combines them into one dish. It’s the best of both worlds!
The pumpkin provides some natural sweetness, which plays well with the different spices. If you aren’t able to find fresh pumpkin, then butternut squash, acorn squash, or any other hard squash would be good substitutes.
Pumpkin Chili’s Secret Ingredient
I love using beer in my chili recipes because it adds a rich, earthy flavor and just enough bitterness to balance the richness of the finished dish. Since this is a pumpkin chili, I thought it only fitting to use a pumpkin beer in this recipe. There usually isn’t any real squash in pumpkin beer, but it has a mellow malty flavor and a spiciness that underscores the flavors in this chili really nicely.
However, you can really use whatever beer you have on hand; I recommend sticking with an amber beer or lager since those usually have a good balance of malty flavors with a light bitterness. (Avoid overly-bitter, hoppy beers for this recipe.)
A FAST AND EASY WEEKNIGHT CHILI
This chili only needs about 30 minutes of simmer on the stovetop before it’s ready. It also tastes even better reheated the next day, making it a great make-ahead meal for busy weeks.
And don’t forget to serve this pumpkin chili with your favorite accompaniments. Mine are tortilla chips and sour cream.
OTHER FAVORITE CHILI RECIPES!
- Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Chili
- Black Bean Turkey Chili
- Pressure Cooker Ground Beef Chili
- White Chicken Chili
- Spicy Vegetarian Chili
Pumpkin Chili Recipe
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings (makes about 8 cups)
Ingredients
- Small 1-pound sugar or pie pumpkin, or other hard winter squash
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 jalapeños, seeds and ribs removed and finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle pumpkin beer (or amber ale or lager)
Suggested toppings (to serve):
- Tortilla chips
- Sour cream
- Chopped cilantro
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Method
1 Prepare the pumpkin: Peel the skin from the pumpkin with a vegetable peeler. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut away the stem, then cut the pumpkin into small bite-sized pieces. (See this guide to How to Peel A Butternut Squash; the steps are similar.)
2 Begin making the soup: Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the cut pumpkin, onion, jalapeños, garlic, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. (The pumpkin should be slightly soft around the edges, but probably won’t be cooked through yet.)
Add the ground pork, breaking it up with a stiff spatula, and continue to cook until no longer raw, 3 to 5 minutes more. Add the black beans, diced tomatoes, beer, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot.
3 Simmer the soup: Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin has cooked through and the flavors have had time to mingle, about 30 minutes.
Taste and add more salt or spices if needed. (If the chili tastes a little bland, add more spices; if the chili tastes a little bitter, add more salt.)
4 Serve: Divide among bowls and serve with your favorite chili toppings. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
