Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili Recipe
- Cook Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper (any color), diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup beef or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional for depth)
Instructions
- Step 1: Brown the Meat In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef or turkey until it is no longer pink. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat into small crumbles. Drain any excess grease from the pan to keep the chili from becoming too oily.
- Step 2: Sauté the Aromatics Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet with the meat. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for just one more minute until it becomes fragrant.
- Step 3: Transfer to Slow Cooker Transfer the meat and vegetable mixture into the basin of your slow cooker. Add the pumpkin puree, kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, and broth. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Step 4: Season the Chili Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and cinnamon over the mixture. Stir again to ensure the spices are evenly distributed throughout the liquid.
- Step 5: Slow Cook to Perfection Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Set the heat to LOW and cook for 6 to 8 hours, or set it to HIGH and cook for 3 to 4 hours. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors will develop.