The BEST Pumpkin Chili with Ground Turkey and Italian Sausage
This delicious pumpkin chili with turkey, Italian sausage, and black beans is a unanimous crowd-pleaser. Perfect for game days, potlucks... any fall gathering of folks who enjoy good food!
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 166kcal
Ingredients
For the chili:
- 2 slices thick cut bacon halved lengthwise then cut i ¼ inch slices widthwise
- 1 large sweet onion diced small
- 1 large red bell pepper diced small
- 2 medium celery stalks diced small
- 1 medium jalapeno seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
- 6 medium garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons dry oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1-2 teaspoons mild-medium chili powder I like Mexene - it has a lot of flavor but isn’t overly spicy
- 8 ounces mild or sweet Italian sausage use bulk or right around 3 medium-size sausages (mild or spicy, depending on your taste.)
- 1 ½ pounds ground turkey I use dark ground turkey
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 28 ounces fire-roasted crushed tomatoes if you can't find fire-roasted, use regular crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth maybe a bit more, maybe a bit more
- 3 15-ounce cans black beans (Three 15-ounce or 425g cans), rinsed and drained
- 15 ounces can of pumpkin puree I like Libby's
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt I use Morton's, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
To serve:
- toppings: avocado, cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, red onion, cilantro
Instructions
For the prep:
- Cut each bacon slice in half, lengthwise, then cut into ¼-inch pieces widthwise. 2 slices thick cut bacon
For the chli:
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 8-10 minutes until crisp and golden. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
- Add enough extra virgin olive oil to the bacon fat in the pot to equal 2 tablespoons. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, celery and jalapeno and stir to combine. Cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander and chili powder and stir for another minute to bloom the spices. 1 large sweet onion, 1 large red bell pepper, 2 medium celery stalks, 1 medium jalapeno, 6 medium garlic cloves , 1 ½ tablespoons dry oregano, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon coriander, 1-2 teaspoons mild-medium chili powder
- Push the veggies to the sides of the pot and add the Italian sausage. Cook until nicely browned, breaking it up with a metal spatual or spoon and stirring occasionally. 8 ounces mild or sweet Italian sausage
- Stir the mixture to combine the veggies and Italian sausage then add the ground turkey, again, breaking it up into bite size pieces with a metal spatula or cooking spoon. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the ground turkey looses all of it’s pink color. Don’t worry it won’t brown, you just want it cooked through. 1 ½ pounds ground turkey
- Add the tomato paste and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. ¼ cup tomato paste
- Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, drained black beans, pumpkin puree, reserved bacon, 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt and black pepper. Stir to combine, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 45 minutes, adding a bit more chicken broth if the chili seems to be getting too thick. Taste and add more salt, if needed. 28 ounces fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, 3 cups low sodium chicken broth, 15 ounces can of pumpkin puree, 3 15-ounce cans black beans, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
To serve:
- Top with your favorite toppings. We love sour cream, diced avocaco, sliced scallions, pickled red onions, cilantro and crispy tortilla strips.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 536mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4692IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg