Paleo & Whole30 Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Paleo & Whole30 Pumpkin Turkey Chili – a no bean chili recipe you can make on the stove or in your slow cooker! Dairy free, gluten free, sugar free, clean eating.
I wish you could all smell and taste how phenomenal this paleo & whole30 pumpkin turkey chili is.
Warm and fragrant, slightly sweet from the pumpkin and barely spicy from the spices, cozy and hearty. It is packed with vegetables and lean ground turkey. I have a feeling I am going to be making this chili all October long.
This is a very special chili because it is a no bean chili, making it paleo and whole30 compliant. You don’t even miss the beans! Instead, I added in lots of good-for-you vegetables. I actually like this more than chili that has beans in it!
I developed this recipe because I wanted to come up with a signature Halloween dinner that I can make every year. My mom made us BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches, and I always associate those with Halloween growing up. Our toddler will almost be 2 this Halloween, and it is fun coming up with traditions that will carry on with our family through the years.
I wanted something that I can make ahead of time, since Halloween is usually a day of running around and fun. A dinner that was packed with vegetables to combat all the candy that will be consumed. And a recipe that has pumpkin in it. This pumpkin turkey chili marked all those boxes, and it is going to be our official family Halloween night dinner!
This pumpkin turkey chili is packed with vegetables. Bell pepper, carrots, celery, onions, butternut squash, pumpkin puree and tomatoes. It gets a lot of protein from the ground turkey. I prefer a 93% lean ground turkey in this chili recipe. And it is flavored with tons of delicious, warm spices. Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano.
I kept this chili very mild so it will be kid friendly. It has tons of flavor and spices, but is barely spicy. My toddler eats it no problem. But if you like your chili spicier, add more chili powder, some cayenne pepper and top it with lots of sliced jalapenos. My husband likes his chili spicy, and tops his chili with almost 2 entire jalapenos, ha!
I serve it with all the great toppings. Sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, diced onions, wedges of lime, sliced jalapenos, whatever your favorites are.
I love this paleo & whole30 pumpkin chili because I can make it ahead of time. I have directions for cooking it on the stove top or in the Notes section if you want to cook it in the slow cooker. Or you can be extra organized and make it far in advance. It freezes beautifully. And keeps in the fridge for 5 days.
Since it does freeze so beautifully, I almost always make a double batch when I’m cooking it. Half we have for dinner and leftovers, and the other half I freeze.
Best of all, this pumpkin turkey chili is so healthy! Paleo, whole30 approved, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, sugar free and clean eating.
Paleo & Whole30 Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 4 medium celery stalks, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated or finely minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds 93% lean ground turkey
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1/2 of a medium butternut squash, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 15 ounce can marinara sauce
- 2 cups chicken stock
- toppings of choice: sliced jalapeno, scallions, avocado, diced red onion, cilantro, limes, etc.
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook the onions, bell peppers, carrots, celery, garlic 1 teaspoon salt and pepper for 10 minutes until softened. Transfer to a bowl.
- In the same dutch oven over medium low heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook the turkey for 10 minutes.
- Add the spices and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Stir to combine with the turkey.
- Add the cooked vegetables back to the dutch oven, along with the butternut squash, pumpkin, diced tomatoes, marinara sauce and chicken stock. Stir to combine.
- Cook over medium low heat for 1-2 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Taste and add more seasonings/salt if desired.
- Serve warm with desired toppings.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container refrigerated for 5 days, or frozen for up to 1 year.
Notes
More Paleo & Whole30 Soup Recipes:
Paleo & Whole30 Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Paleo & Whole30 Chicken Zoodle Soup
Paleo & Whole30 Winter Albondigas Soup
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21 Comments on “Paleo & Whole30 Pumpkin Turkey Chili”
This was delicious! I added a bit of chipotle seasoning for some heat and doubled the garlic. I put it in the slow cooker on high for 4-4:30 hrs instead of stove top and it was perfect! So yummy!
Thank you, Diane! I’m so glad you were able to make some tweaks to make this your own! It sounds awesome!
This chili is awesome! Perfect balance of flavors, thick and hearty and packed with nutritious veggies. My hubby isn’t a fan of squash so I skipped that, but he didn’t even notice the pumpkin – he loved this chili. Was short on time, so cooked everything in the Instant Pot on saute first, then high pressure for 20 minutes. Worked great and was super fast. Natalie never steers us wrong with her great recipes and if you aren’t following her on IG you are missing out on tons of fun too!
Aww, Sara!! Thank you so much for this amazing comment! You are so sweet and I am so glad you both liked my recipe! Honored that you’re here and on Instagram with me! It’s such a fun community!
It is comforting and delicious! Chili always makes me want sour cream or cheese but alas, I’m doing a whole30 now so this will be great enough! It is a great recipe and I love all the veggies in it. I used a cheap, compliant marinara from Aldi and loce that it’s marinara instead of more tomatoes. Thank you for another hit!
So glad you liked it Caitlin!
One of my favorite fall recipes!!
You’re so right, it tastes just like fall Rose. It’s one of my favorites too!
So good! (Iwould recommend a large soup pot rather than a Dutch oven as mine was filled to the brim and made a bit of a mess….of course I did do more like 3c of butternut squash because I didn’t want it wasted…) Anyhow, super flavorful- a little sweet, a little spicy, VERY satisfying.
I am so glad you liked my pumpkin chili Wendy! So happy you added the extra squash, I too hate to waste food! Thanks for letting me know it was flavorful and satisfying. I so appreciate the feedback.
This is the best chili recipe!
So glad you liked the Pumpkin Turkey Chili Kara! Thanks so much for letting me know.
BEST FALL CHILI RECIPE EVER HOLY MOLY!!!
Thank you SO much Sara! I’m so happy to hear that! Isn’t it nice now that it’s fall and chili weather is back? Love being cozy!
This was amazing! We served it over sautéed zucchini noodles. I also subbed the pumpkin purée for sweet potato purée. In addition I cooked the veggies as indicated above for 10 min before throwing in the crockpot for 4 hours on high. Will make it again for sure! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad to hear it! I love that you swapped in sweet potato puree. Yum! And this is a great one for the crockpot. Genius! Thanks for taking the time to share it with me. Made my day!
Would instructions for slow kicker just be dumb and go? If so how long for and on what setting? Unsure if I missed these instructions – sorry if I did!
Yes! Dump and go would work in the slow cooker! I would do high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.
This turned out awesome! I really like the squash addition although I accidentally used acorn squash instead of butternut squash and I used sugar free marinara sauce. I thought it cooked up pretty quickly and has a goodly amount of protein per serving. Thanks!
I’m so glad you liked it Eileen! Acorn squash would work great as well! Actually, that sounds yummy, I’m going to try that next time : )
Oh gosh, pumpkin chili is one of my absolute FAVORITES! I seriously can’t even stand how cozy and amazing this looks, Natalie! Adding this one to the dinner menu. :)