No beans and wholesome ingredients make this cozy pumpkin chili a perfect Whole30, or Paleo friendly meal. It is rich, comforting, easy and the best part – it tastes even better the longer it sits.
Make a double batch if you have a big enough pot and freeze some for a busy day. You’ll be so happy to have this ready to go!
I am on Day 5 of the Whole30 (If you’re not sure what that is, Google away! It’s great!)… The only side-effect I’m having right now is that I am absolutely starving all the time, no matter how much I eat. (Starving!)
This chili is the perfect solution to that problem. I really don’t think it’s even possible to eat this and still be hungry, there is so much meat and good things in it!
Don’t let the “healthy” part deter you, though… if you are serving this to your kids, or you don’t care about Whole30 or Paleo recipes, then by all means top this with some shredded cheese, sour cream and your favorite chips! It will be a crowd pleaser, for sure!
I will absolutely be making this again and again, and I have to say… as much as I love beans, it was kind of nice to have a bean-free chili for once!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup chili powder
- 2 tablespoons 21 Seasoning Salute*
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil**
- 3 lbs lean ground beef
- 2 large onions, chopped and divided (3/4 + 1/4)
- 1 large bell pepper, chopped
- 2 jalapeños seeded and diced (if the flesh is too spicy, only use one!)
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups pumpkin purée
- salt & pepper
- chipotle chili powder, to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the first 5 ingredients.
- *"21 Seasoning Salute" is from Trader Joe's and Costco has an almost identical blend called "Organic No-Salt Seasoning". If you don't have either of those stores near you, don't worry. The chili will be just fine without it!
- In a large 4-6 quart pot or dutch oven, heated over medium high heat, brown the ground beef in two batches, seasoning each half with a generous spoonful of the spice blend. Remove the first batch to a plate while you are browning the second batch of meat and then scoop the second batch of meat onto the plate also. Don't worry about cooking the meat through at this point, just get a good browned sear on it!
- **If the meat was very lean, add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot. If the meat was not as lean, drain off all but about two tablespoons of the grease and don't use any additional oil.
- Stir about 3/4 of the chopped onions, the bell peppers and the jalapeños into the hot oil or grease in the pot. Season with a generous spoonful of the seasoning, and some salt & pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to brown. Stir in the garlic and let cook for about 30 seconds, until very fragrant, before adding back in the meat (along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate!), the crushed tomatoes and the pumpkin.
- Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to make sure you get up any good bits on the bottom, and add in the rest of the seasoning mixture. Stir well to combine, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for as long as you can!
- At this point, taste for seasoning and add more salt & pepper as needed, and if it's not spicy enough for you, add some chipotle chili powder (or crushed red pepper flakes if that's what you have!).
- Stir in the remaining chopped onions just before serving, or sprinkle onto the top of each bowl for a nice fresh bite!
- You can eat the chili right away, but like all chilis, it gets better the longer it sits. That's why the batch is so big... feed a crowd, or save the rest for other meals!
