Pumpkin chilli chicken is light, bright and tasty, and great for batch cooking or feeding a crowd. Packed with veg and as economical as it is easy, it’s a great option to liven up a midweek evening.
Pumpkin chilli chicken
This recipe for pumpkin chilli chicken is a lighter autumnal twist on the classic beef chilli. Economical as well as delicious, it’s great for feeding a crowd and you don’t need that much chicken to make a meal for a lot of people.
See also
- 5 bean chilli is a great protein-packed vegan supper that’s great for parties.
- Enjoy pumpkin season with this spiced pumpkin, carrot and sweet potato soup
- Veggie chilli made with Quorn and packed with vegetables is a crowd pleaser.
Whether you are cutting back on red meat, cutting back on cost, or just looking for something different,this colourful, tasty chicken chilli dish with pumpkin and white beans makes a great change from more traditional chilli dishes.
It’s easy to add extra vegetables and beans to bulk it up and the chicken takes up other flavours well, giving a lovely coherence to the dish. It’s faster to cook than a conventional beef chilli and great for filling the freezer.
Why make pumpkin chilli chicken
- full of flavour
- a lighter chilli
- easy to make and suits bulk cooking
- most of the ingredients are from the store cupboard
- an economical, seasonal chilli
Pumpkin chilli chicken ingredients
- Pumpkin – half a small culinary pumpkin or other autumn/winter squash. Don’t buy the big ones used for Halloween displays, as they can be watery and lack flavour. You can use the whole thing to make the chilli go further, if you are catering for a crowd.
- Onion and garlic
- Peppers – whichever colour you like
- Chicken – I nearly always use thighs, as they have more flavour and are usually more economical, but I had some reduced-price chicken breasts in the freezer, so used them. Either will work well.
- Kidney beans in chilli sauce – a can of these is one of my favourite ingredients. If you can’t find them, use a can of kidney beans and a generous dash of chilli sauce.
- Cannellini beans – for extra protein, and the lighter beans suit the chicken
- Cocoa – makes a richer chilli
- Canned tomatoes – they don’t need to be expensive as long as they are not too watery or metallic tasting.
- Spices – chipotle chilli for a hint of smoke, cumin, paprika, ground coriander
How to make pumpkin chilli chicken – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Start by preparing the vegetables. Cut the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds, and then use a strong, sharp peeler to take off the skin before chopping. Deseed and chop the pepper and skin and chop the onion and garlic.
Step Two – In a large casserole dish, fry the peppers and onion gently in a little oil. While they soften, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.
Step Three – When the onion is golden and soft, add the chicken and garlic to the pot. Fry gently for about 5 minutes.
Step Four – Add the spices, stir and fry until fragrant.
Step Five – Add the tomatoes, the beans (rinse the cannellini beans), the pumpkin and the cocoa. If your kidney beans did not come in chilli sauce, add a little of that too, and a splash of water if the mixture needs loosening. Season with pepper and salt, and put the lid on.
Step Six – Transfer to the oven and cook at 160 °C / 140 °C fan / Gas Mark 3 / 325 °F for 2 hours.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
It really does not matter whether you preheat the oven or not for this sort of dish. Modern ovens get hot fast, and you may as well put the energy used to preheat towards cooking instead.
Serving suggestion
Serve as you would a beef or vegetable chilli, with rice (try my easy spicy rice with a pinch of fajita seasoning), with potato or sweet potato wedges, in tortillas or in tacos.
I like to serve lots of toppings and garnishes too. My easy guacamole, sour cream and chive dip, salads, lime wedges, grated cheese, nacho chips and plenty of chopped coriander turn an easy supper into a feast.
Variations
- To make it in the slow cooker, follow the method above to the end of Step 4. Then put everything in the slow cooker. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 3–4 hours on high or 6–7 on low. I usually start on high for half an hour and then switch to low.
Leave the lid ajar for the last 20 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- You can use the whole pumpkin to stretch the dish and add extra vegetables to taste. Baby corn, green beans and extra canned beans are all good.
- No pumpkin – use a butternut squash instead.
- Adjust the heat and spicing to your taste but bear in mind that the spices develop with time and cooking, so don’t go too wild at the start.
Storage
This chilli will mature if left overnight, with the spices becoming a little more pronounced and better combined with all the other ingredients.
Fridge – This pumpkin chilli chicken will keep well for three days in the fridge. As soon as it is cool enough, cover it and transfer to the fridge.
Freezer – As long as you are using fresh chicken, you can freeze this pumpkin chicken chilli recipe. Transfer it to suitable containers according to whether you want portions for one, two or more, and as soon as they are cool, put the lids on and move to the freezer. Keeps well for three months.
Hints and tips
- This is a very forgiving dish, so don’t be afraid to experiment, varying the spicing and adding extra vegetables to taste. Just don’t over do the chilli spice at the start, as the heat can build.
- Don’t be tempted to start frying the garlic along with the onion, which needs more time. No one likes burnt garlic.
FAQs
Pumpkin is a great vegetable, nutritious and delicious. The sweetness pairs well with chilli heat, and they do say that if it grows together, it goes together. In this recipe, pumpkin provides extra nutrition as well as flavour and keeps the dish light and lean.
I think it’s about balancing flavours and allowing them time to develop. The chicken cooks faster than a beef chilli but you still need to allow time for all the flavours to infuse, so never rush. The cocoa helps too, adding a real depth to your chilli.
If you double the recipe then it will take a little longer to cook, as the ingredients will take longer to heat up. However when you double this type of recipe (stew, casserole etc) you usually do not need to double the liquid. Especially if making in a slow cooker.
More chilli recipes
- Classic chilli con carne – cook low and slow for perfect fall apart beef chilli
- Butternut and black bean chilli – easy veggie chilli
- Slow cooker cornbread – perfect for serving with your chilli
- How to make a classic chilli sauce
Pumpkin Chilli Chicken
Ingredients
- 250–300 g pumpkin (peeled and chopped)
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 onion (large)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp oil
- 350–400 g chicken (2 breast fillets or 4 thighs)
- 1 tsp ground chilli
- 1 tsp paprika (use smoked if you like)
- 1 tsp ground coriander seed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 can tomatoes
- 1 can cannellini beans
- 1 can kidney beans in chilli sauce (or 1 can kidney beans and a tablespoon of chilli sauce)
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- pepper and salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. Cut the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds, and then use a strong, sharp peeler to take off the skin before chopping. Deseed and chop the pepper, and skin and chop the onion and garlic.250–300 g pumpkin, 2 bell peppers, 2 cloves garlic, 1 onion
- In a large casserole dish, fry the peppers and onion gently in a little oil. While they soften, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.1 tsp oil, 350–400 g chicken
- When the onion is golden and soft, add the chicken and garlic to the pot. Fry gently for about 5 minutes.
- Add the spices, stir and fry until fragrant.1 tsp ground chilli, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp ground coriander seed, 1 tsp ground cumin
- Add the tomatoes, the beans (rinse the cannellini beans), the pumpkin and the cocoa. If your kidney beans did not come in chilli sauce, add a little of that too, and a splash of water if the mixture needs loosening. Season with pepper and salt, and put the lid on.1 can tomatoes, 1 can cannellini beans, 1 can kidney beans in chilli sauce, 2 tsp cocoa powder
- Transfer to the oven and cook at 160 °C / 140 °C fan / Gas Mark 3 /325 °F for 2 hours.
Notes
Slow cooker method
- To make it in the slow cooker, follow the method above to the end of Step 4. Then put everything in the slow cooker. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 3–4 hours on high or 6–7 on low. I usually start on high for half an hour and then switch to low. Leave the lid ajar for the last 20 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Storage
This chilli will mature if left overnight, with the spices becoming a little more pronounced and better combined with all the other ingredients. Fridge – This pumpkin chilli chicken will keep well for three days in the fridge. As soon as it is cool enough, cover it and transfer to the fridge. Freezer – As long as you are using fresh chicken, you can freeze this pumpkin chicken chilli recipe. Transfer it to suitable containers according to whether you want portions for one, two or more, and as soon as they are cool, put the lids on and move to the freezer. Keeps well for three months.Hints and tips
- This is a very forgiving dish, so don’t be afraid to experiment, varying the spicing and adding extra vegetables to taste. Just don’t over do the chilli spice at the start, as the heat can build.
- Don’t be tempted to start frying the garlic along with the onion, which needs more time. No one likes burnt garlic.
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