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    Home Β» Entrees Β» Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

    Oct 31, 2011 Β· Modified: Sep 13, 2018 by Chels Β· This post may contain affiliate links, uses cookies, and generates income via ads Β· View privacy policy + disclosure statement linked in footer Β· 16 Comments

    Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

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    This Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili is a healthy chili made with ingredients that are nutritious, but also totally satisfying. Prep the chili in the morning and dinner will be ready by the time you get home from work!

    Overhead view of half a grey bowl filled with turkey white bean pumpkin chili, topped with sour cream, cilantro, and chives with "Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili" text at top

    Want to know one of the best feelings? Waking up at 6:30am, getting ready for work, then stepping into the kitchen to chop some veggies in preparation for that night's dinner, and hopping in the car to head to work. Knowing that when you get home that afternoon you'll come home and dinner will be ready. All because of a slow cooker.

    That's exactly how last Friday went for me. While I must admit I was a bit nervous leaving the slow cooker running all day unattended (it was my first time using it while I wasn't home!), but it was well worth stressing out over all day at work when I got home and my whole apartment smelled like delicious, warm chili. Instead of a fire. And cozying up to a bowl of chili is by far one of my very favorite things to do this time of year. Oh my gosh and toss in a football game and that would just be the best day ever.

    I found this recipe for Skinnytaste Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili while we were teaching our Promoting Your Blog course last week at the Boston Center for Adult Education. I saw that one of the students in the class, Erin the blogger behind A Girl and Her Mutt, posted about the recipe, originally from Skinnytaste, and I definitely got side-tracked while teaching because the chili looked so darn good. I think I actually blurted out that I planned on making it, hehe. And that I did. I changed the recipe up a bit from the original, but was so thrilled with how it came out.

    The recipe is so short it's almost comical. Thus why there are only about 2.5 photos in this post.

    You'll need to brown the turkey in a pan and then brown the onions and garlic in that same pan (unless your crockpot allows you to brown right in it!). But then? All the ingredients go right into the slow cooker.

    Landscape photo of slow cooker filed with chili ingredients, including white beans, pumpkin, chili powder, and bay leaves

    The photo above was taken early in the morning and evidently I was half asleep. It's a little blurry. Also, please note the splatter of pumpkin puree on my sugar canister. Oye.

    But once it's all in the crockpot, you're ready to "set it and forget it." Simply cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. You might want to leave the house at this point or else the delicious smells will probably drive you crazy!

    ...

    ...

    ...

    waiting

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    Come home from work 8 hours later and dinner is ready. I actually ended up getting home from work around 3:30 and ate two bowls of this turkey pumpkin chili for a very early dinner. Because it smelled so good and I couldn't help myself.

    Overhead view of grey bowl of turkey white bean pumpkin chili topped with sour cream, cilantro, and chives on a burlap surface

    The pumpkin taste was nice and subtle, not at all overpowering. And although chili is typically filling I like the substitute of ground turkey instead of beef; I think it lightened it up nicely. Since I cut back on the turkey from the original Skinnytaste pumpkin chili recipe, my chili was definitely a bit more liquid-y than usual. I actually really liked this since it felt like a cross between a chili and a soup... Also? It made for some excellent bread dipping. However, you can feel free to cut back on the chicken stock by Β½ cup if you want.

    Landscape overhead photo of a grey bowl of turkey white bean pumpkin chili topped with sour cream, cilantro, and chives on a burlap surface

    This is the perfect "healthier" chili and has convinced me that I should be adding pumpkin into all my chili from now on! The turkey and beans help you feel totally full and satisfied and like I mentioned, you can always serve some nice crusty bread on the side. Or break up some tortilla chips to top the chili with.

    Overhead view of half a grey bowl filled with turkey white bean pumpkin chili, topped with sour cream, cilantro, and chives

    I think I'm fully in the fall spirit, but now I'm craving more ways I can utilize my slow cooker this fall and winter! I'm obsessed with coming home from work to dinner already on the table (well, in the crockpot, but you know what I mean!)

    Do you have a favorite slow cooker recipe to share?

    Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili -- This Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili is a healthy chili made with ingredients that are nutritious, but also totally satisfying. Prep the slow cooker chili in the morning and dinner will be ready by the time you get home from work | wearenotmartha.com

    Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

    This Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili is a healthy chili made with ingredients that are nutritious, but also totally satisfying. Prep the chili in the morning and dinner will be ready by the time you get home from work!
    No ratings yet
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    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Chili, Pumpkin, Turkey
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
    Makes: 6 servings
    Author: Sues

    Ingredients

    • 2 tsp olive oil, divided
    • 1 lb. 99% lean ground turkey
    • 1 small onion, chopped
    • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 2 tsp cumin
    • 1 can Northern or Navy beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
    • 1 can (4.5 oz.) chopped green chiles
    • 2 cups low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
    • 1 tsp chili powder
    • 1 tsp dried oregano
    • 2 bay leaves
    • Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, for topping
    • Chopped cilantro and chives, for topping

    Instructions

    • Heat a large sautΓ© pan and add 1 tsp olive oil. Brown the turkey, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon, until white. Add to slow cooker.
    • Pour remaining olive oil into the same pan and add the onions and garlic and sautΓ© for about 3-4 minutes. Add cumin and continue to sautΓ© for another couple minutes. Add to slow cooker.
    • Add  beans, pumpkin puree, green chiles, chicken broth, chili powder, oregano, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
    • Serve in bowls topped with sour cream or Greek yogurt and chopped cilantro and chives.

    Notes

    • Recipe adapted from Skinnytaste
    Share a Photo of Your Finished Recipe!Mention @wearenotmartha and share a photo if you've made the recipe!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Blog is the New Black says

      November 01, 2011 at 1:45 am

      Looks awesome, ladies!

    2. Erica says

      November 01, 2011 at 6:24 am

      Yummm! Chili is amazing. I like simple puled meats in the slow cooker-chicken plus marinara in the slow cooker, cook, shred!

    3. Simply Life says

      November 01, 2011 at 6:53 am

      I also get worried leaving the slow cooker on but have never had a problem!

    4. Michelle Collins says

      November 01, 2011 at 7:38 am

      I love the thought of adding pumpkin to chili - I'll have to try that! Sadly, I never use my slow cooker enough, but I'm hoping to change that this winter. πŸ™‚

    5. Emily @ A Cambridge Story says

      November 01, 2011 at 8:03 am

      Ha, I am constantly splattering ingredients all over and finding my messes in the background of photos. This chili sounds awesome - and even better that you just wait for it to come together while you're at work!

    6. Cara says

      November 01, 2011 at 8:47 am

      Ohh, I like the sound of pumpkin in my chili! I have a pulled chicken barbeque I like for football, but my favorite slow cooker recipe right now is this new turkey taco chili I made recently that I love,. Several friends have had equally fantastic results with it. I blogged about it here if you are interested: http://i-dabble.blogspot.com/2011/10/just-chili-n-new-recipe.html

    7. Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says

      November 01, 2011 at 10:05 am

      I recently had vegetarian pumpkin chili, but I think I would like this version with turkey better!

    8. Erin says

      November 01, 2011 at 12:48 pm

      So glad you liked it! I'm making another batch soon to freeze. I blew through mind in about a week. Mmm...

    9. emily @ the happy home says

      November 01, 2011 at 1:12 pm

      um, YUM. i need to start getting up earlier to make things like this. even though it's not cold here yet-- it's still comfort food season.

    10. Priyanka says

      November 01, 2011 at 4:32 pm

      So yummy and tempting. Perfect for the winters πŸ™‚

    11. Zesty Cook says

      November 01, 2011 at 6:50 pm

      I agree--there is nothing better than a warm crock pot meal! This chili looks great, and timely for the season πŸ˜‰

    12. Kelly says

      November 01, 2011 at 7:53 pm

      Looks delicious. I love coming up with unique takes on chili, but I can't say I've ever tried pumpkin. I bet the natural sweetness of it balances out the heat of the spices well.

    13. Kelly says

      November 01, 2011 at 8:12 pm

      Yum, this sounds delicious! I'm scared to leave my slow cooker on when I'm at work too but I might have to try it just once haha.

    14. Susan says

      November 02, 2011 at 10:45 pm

      I would have been distracted by that too, looks delish! Mike and I have a slower cooker but I too have always been afraid to leave it all day. Thanks for the inspiration to give it a try.

    15. Kristi says

      November 17, 2011 at 11:11 pm

      I'm leaving a link to this post for my husband -- so he can whip this up tomorrow AM. Looking forward to some dinner...

    16. Terri says

      April 28, 2013 at 4:18 pm

      This is very good change form the kidney bean chilli. We loved it.

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