Instant Pot Pumpkin Chili is a delicious autumn-inspired chili recipe packed with beans, pumpkin puree, chili seasonings, and vegetables (plus 3 secret ingredients that make the best chili). It's a one pot dinner ready in 30 minutes and makes a great, easy dinner for a busy work or school night. Pumpkin chili is delicious served with toppings of cheddar cheese, pepitas, cilantro and sour cream.
When pumpkin season comes around I won't lie about being obsessed with all things pumpkin. Instant Pot Pumpkin Chili is a autumn-flavored hearty chili pumped up a notch with the addition of creamy, nutritious pumpkin puree. It's my recipe for Instant Pot chili amped up with even more warming Fall flavors!
You can make this chili easily with a can of store bought puree or homemade pumpkin puree made by roasting a pumpkin in your pressure cooker or in your air fryer.
I use 3 secret, flavor enhancing ingredients in my chili recipes- red wine, red wine vinegar and cocoa powder. It may sound strange to use these in chili, but I promise they will take your pumpkin chili from great to amazing!
And if you love pumpkin inspired recipes all Fall long, make sure to check out my Instant Pot pumpkin soup recipe, creamy Instant Pot pumpkin pasta and Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake. Did you know that you can even turn pumpkin peels into crispy pumpkin chips?!
Does Pumpkin Chili Taste Like Pumpkin Spice?
No. This pumpkin chili will not taste like pumpkin spice as we know it (or your pumpkin spice latte!). Pumpkin puree has a mild flavor that is enhanced with warming spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. This pumpkin chili recipe uses only a small amount of one of those spices- cinnamon. So when mixed with all the other ingredients in this chili, the flavor of the pumpkin puree blends right in. The difference between traditional chili and pumpkin chili is that pumpkin chili has an overall thicker consistency, plus the added vitamins and minerals from a nutrient-dense pie pumpkin.
MORE DELICIOUS STEWS AND SOUPS
Ingredients
The ingredients needed for this pumpkin chili recipe are:
- Ground beef
- Vegetables: onion, garlic and colorful bell peppers (avoid using green), a can of diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
- Pumpkin puree: Libby's brand is my preferred and go-to pumpkin puree when I don't have homemade pumpkin puree on hand. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.
- Beef broth: or use water and a beef bouillon cube.
- Dark red kidney beans (canned)
- Light red kidney beans (canned)
- Red wine: secret ingredient number 1! I recommend using either Cabernet or Merlot.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: secret ingredient number 2!
- Red wine vinegar: the third secret ingredient! Adding a splash of red wine vinegar to the chili once it's done pressure cooking kicks the flavor up a notch.
- Seasonings: chili powder, cumin, onion powder, salt, black pepper, cinnamon
- Tortilla chips: for serving, chili is wonderful when scooped into a crunchy salted tortilla chip!
Variations
- Use ground turkey: substitute the ground beef with ground turkey in a 1:1 ratio
- Different beans: in addition to or in place of red kidney beans use any other beans you love. Cannellini beans, great northern beans, pinto beans, and black beans all work well.
- Make it spicy: use a spicier brand of chili powder, add a bit of cayenne powder or scotch bonnet powder or add diced jalapeños or habañeros.
- Use another squash: butternut squash puree or acorn squash puree would also be tasty.
Pumpkin Chili Toppings
Pumpkin chili is delicious topped with:
- Scallions
- Cilantro
- Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Pepitas or roasted pumpkin seeds
- Jalapeños
- Crumbled tortilla chips
- Toasted walnuts or pine nuts
Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Set the Instant Pot to saute on high for 10 minutes. Add the olive oil, ground beef, sweet onion, bell pepper and garlic. Stir frequently. *The beef does not need to be fully browned.
STEP 2: Add the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom to loosen any stuck pieces of food. Simmer for 5 minutes more, until the red wine reduces.
STEP 3: Pour in the beef broth and deglaze again to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom. Add diced tomatoes and their juices, kidney beans, pumpkin puree, tomato paste, unsweetened cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon. Mix well.
STEP 4: Close and seal the pressure cooker lid. Set to manual or pressure cook on high for 20 minutes.Naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes when done, then quickly release remaining pressure. Open lid, stir well and add red wine vinegar. Place the lid back on the pot and let chili sit for 1-24 hours before serving.
*The longer chili sits, the more the flavors marinate and the better it will taste.
STEP 5: Serve garnished with cilantro, scallions, cheddar cheese, sour cream, jalapeños and pumpkin seeds or pepitas.
How To Store
Store Instant Pot pumpkin chili in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Cooking Tips
- Chili tastes amazing after the ingredients have time to "marry", meaning the longer it sits without being disturbed the better the chili will be. I think chili tastes best when it's cooked and then stored for 2-3 days before eating.
- Stir the chili well before pressure cooking and immediately after it's done. This allows the seasonings to be equally distributed into each bite.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe will only be as spicy as the brand of chili powder you use. I use McCormick's chili powder, which is very mild. I like this brand because of it's mildness, especially when making chili for my kids. If you want your pumpkin chili to be spicy, you can add cayenne powder.
Yes, this recipe can be doubled by keeping all ingredients proportionate.
Yes, you can use dried kidney beans. Add ½ cup of dried kidney beans in place of the canned beans, plus 1 ¾ cups of water or beef broth. Adjust pressure cook time to 40 minutes with a 15 minute natural pressure release.
This recipe for pumpkin chili is naturally gluten-free.
Recipe
Instant Pot Pumpkin Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- ½ cup sweet onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ large bell pepper red, yellow or orange; diced
- ½ cup red wine such as Cabernet or Merlot
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans
- 1 15 oz can light red kidney beans
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute on high for 10 minutes. Add the olive oil, ground beef, sweet onion, bell pepper and garlic. Stir frequently. *The beef does not need to be fully browned.
- Add the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom to loosen any stuck pieces of food. Simmer for 5 minutes more, until the red wine reduces.
- Pour in the beef broth and deglaze again to ensure nothing is stuck to the bottom. Add diced tomatoes and their juices, kidney beans, pumpkin puree, tomato paste, unsweetened cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon. Mix well.
- Close and seal the pressure cooker lid. Set to manual or pressure cook on high for 20 minutes.
- Naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes when done, then quickly release remaining pressure. Open lid, stir well and add red wine vinegar. Place the lid back on the pot and let chili sit for 1-24 hours before serving. *The longer chili sits, the more the flavors marinate and the better it will taste.
- Serve garnished with cilantro, scallions, cheddar cheese, sour cream, jalapeños and pumpkin seeds or pepitas.
Susan
It's the time of year I crave chili exactly like this. I love that there's pumpkin in it!