Get ready for one of the easiest one pot meals you will ever make: the best paleo pumpkin chili! This delicious and family friendly meal can be made quickly in the Instant Pot or on the stove top. Dairy free, paleo and Whole30 compliant, too!
There are so many nights that I now won't end up getting to prepare dinner until very late.
I'll be trying to get stuff done during the day while Sophie naps and neglect the crap out of preparing food for myself.
Her bedtime is at 7:30pm and once she's down for the night, that's when I commit to cooking dinner for myself. If we didn't have an Instant Pot, I swear I'd be a hell of a lot more frustrated with myself and hangry.
Let's dive into this easy-breezy paleo pumpkin chili I whipped up earlier this week. It is full of all kinds of deliciousness and takes very little time to whip up!
Oh, and if you are looking for another fabulous fall-inspired soup, this Instant Pot Chicken & Rice Soup is hollering my name.
What makes this pumpkin chili so good?
- It can be made in record time if you have access to a pressure cooker.
- If you are making it on the stovetop, simply make it all in one pan... how easy!
- It is packed with flavor and goodness, despite having such a short cooking time.
- It freezes well, and is the perfect addition to your weekly meal prep.
- It can be modified and made with different types of veggies, broth, etc.
How to make Paleo Pumpkin Chili: Step by Step Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to the high sauté setting. Heat oil; add ground meat(s) and cook until they have browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the meat as it cooks. Drain excess fat and set aside.
- Add, onion, garlic and bell peppers to the Instant Pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are all tender, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cacao powder and spices.
- Add in broth, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in pumpkin and ground meat; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Select manual setting and adjust the pressure to high. Set the time for 10 minutes.
- When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Garnish with your favorite toppings and taste for salt and pepper seasoning if needed. Serve immediately and enjoy!
If you don't have access to an Instant Pot, have no fear. I've got instructions for you to make this baby on your stovetop, too.
The prep time is actually the same, but if you throw it into a pressure cooker, it is ready in just TEN MINUTES! The meat comes out super tender, and it's much easier to clean up.
What can I serve this pumpkin chili with?
This chili is going to be plenty filling on its own. However, feel free to serve it alongside any of these things:
- White rice or brown rice
- Quinoa or pasta
- Mashed potatoes
- Cauliflower rice
- Zucchini noodles or sweet potato noodles
Get creative. Tell me how you like to eat this chili! 🙂
There is something about the combination of the warm aromatics in this dish, chili and pumpkin all paired together.
You'll feel a great sense of warmth and comfort while getting down with a bowl of this paleo chili deliciousness.
What I love about the fall and winter months most is how often I get to whip up one pot, cozy soup and stew goodness.
This paleo pumpkin chili will surely soon become a staple in your kitchen. Feel free to customize the amount of spice (chili powder) you add, as we are all different in the heat preferences we prefer.
If you've got a bunch of kids you are serving up, I'd go light handed and add more if they are into it.
What really makes the soup is the cacao powder... isn't that wild? I got the idea from thinking about classic mole recipes and how much the flavor of cacao really elevate the dish.
The pumpkin and cacao aromas do wonders for this paleo pumpkin chili recipe, and I simply cannot WAIT for you to try it.
Don't be shy, and let me know how you like it. I always want to hear from you! 😉
More easy and delicious soup recipes like this:
Creamy, Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Whole30 Low Carb Cheeseburger Soup
Whole30 Instant Pot Seafood Gumbo
The Best Paleo Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 pounds ground meat I did a combination of beef and turkey
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 2 green bell peppers diced
- 28 ounces fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons cacao powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups bone broth- Find Here!
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot® to the high sauté setting. Heat oil; add ground meat(s) and cook until they have browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the meat as it cooks. Drain excess fat and set aside.
- Add, onion, garlic and bell peppers to the Instant Pot®. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are all tender, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cacao powder and spices.
- Stir in broth, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in pumpkin and ground meat; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Select manual setting and adjust the pressure to high. Set the time for 10 minutes.
- When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Garnish with your favorite toppings and taste for salt and pepper seasoning if needed. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat a large soup/stock pot over medium-high heat and add oil. Once oil is heated through (1-2 minutes), add ground meat(s)). Cook until they have browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the meat as it cooks. Drain excess fat and set aside.
- Add, onion, garlic and bell peppers to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are all tender, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cacao powder and spices.
- Stir in broth, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in pumpkin and ground meat; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook over medium low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Garnish with your favorite toppings and taste for salt and pepper seasoning if needed. Serve immediately and enjoy!
HOLY WHOLE 30. I never leave reviews, but this was exceptional. I doubled broth to meet the consistency I liked and upped the spices a bit to match. I don’t like the taste of cacao so to add some acidity, I stirred in 2 TBSP of strong black coffee after it was done cooking. Best chili I’ve had, even before I went whole 30!
I’m A blood type so I lowered amount of chili powder and paprika but added garam masala and tumeric. Browned turkey with 3 fresh bay leaves, added onion, celery, spices and lots of garlic then blended canned pumpkin, tomatoes and chicken bone broth. Threw in chopped butternut squash and simmered for almost 2 hours. Second batch in 2 days. This one to freeze for bowls of comfort later. Even though I tweaked the recipe and made it my own this is the best chili and will replace all other chili recipes from here on out! Thank you so much for the recipe
Made this today so that I have quick meals this week as I go though another Whole30. I added some leftover smoked pork shoulder chopped fine and a large red bell pepper instead of 2 green. Also used smoked paprika. Very tasty. This will be in my rotation - Whole30 or not! Thank you for sharing.
Anyone tried this in a crockpot?? If so, how?
I make this over and over! It is by far the best chili I have made.
Will the 8 serving recipe fit in the 3qt small instant pot?
I do not think so, no. I think you need a regular Instant Pot... the 6 quart.
Have you ever made this with baking cocoa instead of cocao? My understand is that baking cocoa is much darker. Would this ruin the flavor?
Hmm, I think it should be fine!
This was my first time making chili and I'm blown away by how great it tastes for how easy it is to make. The whole family loved it. Thank you!
Aw heck yeah- that makes me so happy to hear. You'll have to try my other soups, too!
This is literally THE BEST chili I’ve ever eaten! It’s so savory and delicious! I will definitely be making this one again! Thank you for sharing.
Great! I did conventional cooking
Delicious and so creative!! What’s the white stuff you have on top of yours in the photo?
Canned coconut cream! 🙂
Hi there - is this something you can make in the morning and keep "on warm" in the Instant Pot until dinner time?
Good question. I haven't tried keeping anything warm in the Instant Pot for that long. I think it should be okay... can you update me? 🙂
Great Recipe.! Have been making chili for years, thought this might be a good variation. I made it according recipe. I am not paleo and really love beans in my chili so I added organic kidney & black beans to mine , absolutely delicious! The cacao & pumpkin really give it a nice flavor. Will make again for sure.
That makes me so happy. I love that it tasted delicious with the addition of beans... haven't had it that way... Enjoy!!!
What kind of bone broth?
You could use beef or chicken. You could also use a low sodium chicken broth!
Wait where are the instructions for stove top?
I just made this recipe on the stove top. It’s delicious! Hubby loves it! I added diced zucchini, diced radish & quartered baby portobellos to it to get some extra veggie. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe with us!!
I made this tonight and thought it was great! So pleased to find a flavorful and filling recipe that works on Whole 30 and isn’t eggs or something coconut milk based. The spice profile was particularly nice. Thank you!
I cooked it on a stove top, and basically followed the recipe exactly until the broth part. I let that come to a boil before stirring in the pumpkin, let that fully incorporate and also come to a boil, then added the meat, covered the pot, and allowed it to simmer for one hour. I served it with avocado. Big hit with me and my (non-Whole 30) husband.
Am I missing the stovetop instructions?