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Creamy Never-Dry Crockpot Pumpkin Chili

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A rich, savory slow cooker chili that uses pumpkin puree for a creamy texture without dairy. This forgiving, one-pot meal features tender beef, beans, and warming spices, perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20 lean-to-fat ratio)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cans (28oz each) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 can (15oz) 100% pure pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup beef broth (low sodium)
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink (approx. 10 minutes). Drain excess fat if desired, but leave some for flavor. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.
  2. In the same skillet, add a little oil if needed. Add diced onion and cook until translucent and soft (3-4 minutes). Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.
  3. Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper over the meat and onions in the slow cooker. Stir well to coat the meat.
  4. Add diced tomatoes (with juice), tomato paste, rinsed black beans, rinsed kidney beans, and beef broth to the slow cooker. Stir until tomato paste is incorporated.
  5. Pour in pure pumpkin puree and apple cider vinegar. Stir thoroughly.
  6. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Do not cook on HIGH.
  7. Once cooking is complete, stir the chili and taste. Add salt and black pepper as needed. If too thin, leave lid off for 30 minutes to reduce or mash some beans to thicken.

Notes

Do not skip browning the meat as it adds essential depth via the Maillard reaction. Ensure you use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. For a vegetarian version, swap beef for plant-based crumble and use vegetable broth. The chili tastes better the next day as flavors meld.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker chili, pumpkin chili, crockpot recipe, creamy chili, beef chili, meal prep, comfort food, gluten-free

Find it online: https://coracooks.com/creamy-never-dry-crockpot-pumpkin-chili-easy-1-2-3-slow-cooker-recipe/