Pumpkin Chili with Beef and Beans Recipe

Ingredients

• 15 mlolive oil
• 454 ghot Italian sausage
• 454 glean minced beef
• 1onion, chopped
• 1 smallsweet potato, peeled and cut into 1.3 cm chunks
• 1red pepper, chopped
• 1green pepper, chopped
• 6 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2½ tbspchilli powder
• 1 tbspground cumin
• 1½ tspchipotle chilli powder
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• 1 tspground coriander
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• ½ tspsalt
• ½ tspground ginger
• 2 × 425 g cansfire-roasted tomatoes, including their juices
• 2 × 425 g canskidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 × 425 g canblack beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 × 425 g can100% pure pumpkin purée
• 1 × 425 g cantomato sauce
• 1 × 113 g canmild diced green chillies
• 360 ml, plus more as neededreduced-salt beef stock
• 1 tbspbeef stock granules
• 2bay leaves
• To tastegrated mature Cheddar
• To tastesour cream
• To tastespring onions
• To tastecoriander leaves
• To tasteroasted pumpkin seeds
• To tasteavocados
• To tastetortilla chips or corn chips

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the meat

   Heat 15 ml olive oil in a Dutch oven of at least 5.7 litres over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and minced beef, breaking them up as they cook until browned and cooked through. Transfer the meat with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with kitchen paper.

2. 2

   Soften the vegetables

   Add the onion, sweet potato and both peppers to the same pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8–10 minutes until softened. Measure out the spices while the vegetables cook, but do not add them yet.

3. 3

   Add spices

   Stir in the garlic and all the spices: chilli powder, cumin, chipotle chilli powder, smoked paprika, coriander, cinnamon, salt and ginger. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

4. 4

   Combine ingredients

   Stir in the fire-roasted tomatoes and their juices, kidney beans, black beans, pumpkin purée, tomato sauce, green chillies, beef stock, stock granules and bay leaves. The mixture will be very thick at first and will loosen as it simmers.

5. 5

   Simmer the chilli

   Cover the pot and bring the chilli to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and replacing the lid, until the sweet potato is tender and the flavours have melded.

6. 6

   Adjust consistency

   Taste and add more salt or chipotle chilli powder if desired. If the chilli is too thick, stir in extra beef stock until it reaches your preferred consistency.

7. 7

   Add toppings

   Remove the bay leaves and ladle the chilli into bowls. Serve with your choice of Cheddar, sour cream, spring onions, coriander, pumpkin seeds, avocado and tortilla or corn chips.

What is pumpkin chilli?

Chilli is a hearty American stew commonly built around meat, beans, tomatoes and spices. This version brings pumpkin purée into the pot, giving the broth a fuller body and a gentle sweetness alongside the fire-roasted tomatoes and chilli spices.

Beef and hot Italian sausage make it especially robust, while sweet potato adds another tender, sweet element. The range of toppings offers a fresh, creamy or crunchy contrast to each bowl.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 350 calories, 20g protein, 30g carbs, 18g fat.

The beans, sweet potato, tomatoes and pumpkin supply much of the carbohydrate, while the sausage, beef and beans contribute protein. Most of the fat comes from the sausage and beef, with additional amounts depending on the toppings. For a balanced plate, serve a bowl with extra fresh vegetables or a crisp salad and choose toppings to suit your appetite.

Build flavour in stages

Brown the meat: Cook the sausage and beef until browned before setting them aside. This gives the meat colour and leaves its savoury cooking juices in the pot for the vegetables.

Bloom the spices: Add the spices with the garlic and cook them briefly, just until fragrant. This short step helps their aromas come through without letting the garlic burn.

The key ingredients

Pumpkin purée: Use plain, 100% pumpkin rather than sweetened pumpkin pie filling. It thickens the chilli and brings a mellow sweetness that balances the heat.

Beans and tomatoes: Drained beans keep the mixture from getting unnecessarily watery, while the fire-roasted tomatoes go in with their juices for a smoky, tomato-rich base.

Check thickness and doneness

Sweet potato: Cut it into evenly sized chunks so the pieces soften at roughly the same pace. After the simmer, a fork should pass into a chunk easily without it collapsing into the chilli.

Consistency: Pumpkin makes the mixture thick, especially before it simmers. Stir occasionally and add a little more beef stock if needed; the finished chilli should be spoonable rather than stiff.

Timing and heat

The recipe takes about 65 minutes in total, including roughly 8–10 minutes to soften the vegetables and about 30 minutes of simmering. Allow enough time for the sweet potato to become tender before serving.

Chipotle powder brings smoky heat, and the hot sausage adds its own seasoning. Taste at the end before adding more salt or chipotle, as both the meat and stock can affect how much extra you want.

How to serve it

Set out the toppings so each person can finish their own bowl. Cheddar and sour cream bring a creamy contrast, while spring onions, coriander and avocado add fresh flavours.

Pumpkin seeds add crunch, and tortilla chips or corn chips make a crisp accompaniment. For a more substantial plate, serve the chilli with rice or cornbread.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use plain pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
• Cut the sweet potato into evenly sized 1.3 cm chunks so it cooks consistently.
• Stir the vegetables now and then as they soften to prevent sticking.
• Keep the heat low once the chilli reaches a boil, and stir occasionally during the simmer.
• Add extra beef stock gradually so you can stop when the consistency is right.
• Remove both bay leaves before serving.

Variations

• Make it milder: Reduce the chipotle chilli powder and use a milder sausage.
• Add extra vegetables: Stir in chopped courgette or mushrooms with the peppers.
• Swap the beans: Use drained pinto beans in place of either variety.
• Try turkey: Replace the beef and sausage with minced turkey, adjusting the seasoning to taste.
• Make it vegetarian: Omit both meats and use vegetable stock, adding extra beans to the pot.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using pie filling: It is sweetened and spiced; choose plain 100% pumpkin purée.
• Skipping the browning: Cook the meat until browned to build a savoury base before adding the vegetables.
• Burning the spices: Cook them with the garlic for just 1 minute, stirring so they become fragrant without catching.
• Leaving the sweet potato in large chunks: Cut it into 1.3 cm pieces so it has time to become tender during the simmer.
• Adding too much stock at once: The chilli starts very thick, so thin it gradually only if needed.
• Forgetting the bay leaves: Remove them from the pot before ladling the chilli into bowls.

How to store

Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for 3–4 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan or microwave until piping hot, adding a splash of beef stock if it has thickened; store toppings separately.

Frequently asked questions