Yes. Please. Sign me up for this Healthy and Easy Pumpkin Chili ALL throughout fall. I truly cannot get enough of chili during Fall/Winter & let me tell you this is one of them. It has the perfect heat from the hatch chiles, smoky flavor from the SMOKED paprika & a little sweet in the background from the cinnamon. Trust me on this. All these flavors melded into one, plus the benefits & creaminess of pumpkin– this is a FAV.
Why Pumpkin Chili?
It may sound CRAZY to put pumpkin in chili, but let me tell you… GAME CHANGER. Here is why:
+ Adds such great body and texture to the chili
+ Pretty Color
+ Provides chili with this rich and creamy taste
+ PLUS pumpkin is so good for you
It is high in antioxidants, high in viatmin A, vitamins that help with immunity, nutrient dense & low calorie, packed with vitamin c, potatsium and fiber ( I mean the list can go on and on! So you adding this in your chili, when you can’t taste the pumpkin really but reap all the benefits above?! Sign me up!
What Delicious Ingredients Do We Need for the Easy and Healthy Pumpkin Chili?
- Hatch green chilies
- 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Golden Masa Harina Corn Flour– Click to see exactly which one it is!
- Jalapeño a
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ground Chicken thigh
- Pumpkin puree
- Chili Beans
- Roasted tomatoes
- Orange pepper
The Delicious Seasoning Combination that sets this chili apart: Cinnamon, Smoked paprika, Cumin, Garlic powder, Onion powder, Chili powder, Cayenne pepper (more to taste), Salt (more to taste)
Why use Ground Chicken Thigh Vs. Beef in this Healthy and Easy Pumpkin Chili?
1. Now, you sure could eat ground beef for every meal… however, for your health we may not recommend it! That is where ground chicken comes in to save the day:
2. It is a lean and protein packed which means a wonderful alternative to ground beef!
3. It is lighter in taste, fat & calories.
4. I prefer to use ground chicken thigh, it does add a little more fat to it, however it adds a little more taste in my onion!
Again beef is more than okay to use, however if we are wanting a little more health benefits sneaked in PLUS a lighter option, I really recommend you try the ground chicken!
What other Honest Grub, Honest Foodie Pumpkin Recipes should I try?
Simple Pumpkin AIr Fryer Cinnamon Rolls
Healthy Fall Harvest Salad with Pumpkin Dijon Maple Dressing ( one of my absolute FAVORITE salads!)
The Best and Easiest Pumpkin Donuts
Healthy and Easy Pumpkin Chili
Are you looking for a twist on your classic chili recipe? This chili recipe takes your chili game to the NEXT level! Look no further than your new favorite chili with a smoky flavor from the smoked paprika and a delicious creamy consistency thanks to the pumpkin.
Servings: 6
Calories: 263kcal
Ingredients
- 2 raw hatch green chilies or 1 jalapeño deseeded and chopped finely
- 1/2 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 lbs ground chicken thigh
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 2 15 oz cans Westbrae Natural Organic Chili Beans
- 3 14.5 oz cans Muir Glen stewed tomatoes
- 1 orange pepper diced
- 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Golden Masa Harina Corn Flour- Click to see exactly which one it is!
- 4 tsp Pink Himalayan salt more to taste
- 3 1/2 tsp cumin
- 3 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper more to taste
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Pour 4 tbl olive oil into a large soup pot on medium heat
- Saute onion, garlic, raw hatch green chilies or jalapeño, orange pepper, moving it around for about 3 minutes with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp pepper. Then add in the ground meat of your choice.
- Once meat has been cooking for 5 minutes add in the smoked paprika, cinnamon, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp chili powder & mix throughly into the meat. Then finish cooking through until no pink.
- Next, add in the 3 cans of stewed tomatoes, 2 cans of chili beans & 1 can of pumpkin puree. Mix together throughly & then bring to a boil and then let it simmer. Then stir in 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp chili powder and 1 tsp salt, stir until combined. Then continue to let simmer for at least 1 hour. The longer you wait the more the flavors have a chance to set in. I'd say letting it simmer for 4 hours is perfect.
- Once the chili has simmered for as long as you would like. Pour the Masa flour into a soup bowl and add a 1/3 cup water to it and let it dilute, by whisking with a fork.
- Add in the mesa flour to the stock pot once it is diluted and simmer for another 20 minutes
- Serve with corn bread or delicious salad like I posted above and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 1671mg | Potassium: 942mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1257IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 3mg
New favorite chili recipe!! I didn’t have the right golden masa corn flour for the end so I just omitted it and the chili was still plenty thick after cooking uncovered for 4 hours. The whole family (including 2 toddlers) loved it and had no idea it was ‘pumpkin’ chili.
ah yay Ashley!! This makes me so happy, I am so glad your two toddlers loved it!! Thanks for sharing!!