This Butternut Squash Chili is made for all those chilly evenings. Gather the family around the table and warm up with a delicious bowl of this hearty and healthy dinner.
Butternut Squash Chili
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend! It always comes and goes way too quickly.
Despite knowing better, I always let the boys stay up way too late during the holiday breaks (movies, popcorn, or games, anyone?!)
We totally pay for it Monday morning. That’s where this Butternut Squash Chili swoops in to save the day…or maybe the week.
Perfect chili for chilly days
Speaking of Mondays, Miss Snowstorm has decided to waltz in on the first day back to business. Snow blowers are out there in full force. Snow plows are doing their darndest to keep up.
I did my annual mad scramble for all the kids’ snow gear that has been long forgotten in The Closet Abyss. I literally looked crazy, knee deep all the outgrown boots and beanie hats with their puff balls falling off.
But here’s my happy in the blizzard: Butternut Squash Chili.
It’s sooooo chili time.
Why this is the best chili ever
This is not just any chili. This holiday inspired chili is hearty, healthy, and teeming with turkey and squash. Delicious (and easy) satisfaction in a bowl.
The use of fall squash rewards us with such vibrant colors, texture, and flavor. Not to mention it’s loaded with nutrients our bodies crave.
This chili recipe has it all: ease, simplicity, healthful ingredients, and most importantly – big flavors. There’s nothing bland or boring about this pot of chili.
My big extended family, who will forever remain in So. Cal., faithfully torments me with announcements of their 80-degree Decembers.
But there’s something kind of magical about the seasons in the Midwest. Here’s to snow boots that fit and beanie hats with puff balls sewn back on.
And to sitting down to steaming hot bowl of chili with your favorite people.
Enjoy!
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This Butternut Squash Chili is made for all those chilly evenings. Gather the family around the table and warm up with a delicious bowl of this hearty and healthy dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 TB olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 7 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 TB chili powder
- 1 TB ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 3 TB tomato paste
- 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 cans (14.5 oz each) fire-roasted tomatoes, with juices
- 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
- 2 (14 oz each) cans black beans, rinsed well and drained
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled/seeded, and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- shredded cheddar cheese for topping, optional
Instructions
- In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil until hot. Add onion and garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sugar, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, and coriander. Stir to combine, 10 seconds.
- Add ground turkey to pot and sprinkle 1 tsp salt over it; cook/stir to break up into small pieces. When turkey is cooked through, add tomato paste and stir 30 seconds.
- Add bell peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes with juices, and broth. Scrape bottom of pan while stirring. Bring chili to a simmer; simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add beans and squash. Bring chili back to a simmer and simmer covered another 20 minutes or just until squash is tender but not mushy. Remove from heat. Add additional salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve warm, with shredded cheddar if desired.
Notes
Chili keeps well; simply cover and chill in fridge. Reheat by bringing back to simmer on stovetop.
Make it meatless by using veggie broth and omitting turkey.
This butternut chili goes beautifully with Honey Cornbread Muffins (No Refined Sugar)
Keywords: butternut squash chili
Source: Chew Out Loud
For the love of chili:
- Lentil Black Bean Chili. Super hearty and delicious, with or without the meat.
- Slow Cooker Chili with Black Beans and Corn. Slow cookers are boss at making chili.
3. Turkey or Beef Chili with Sriracha. This chili recipe uses the ease of a slow cooker and the kick of Sriracha.
- White Chicken Chili. Throw it all in the slow cooker, without pre-cooking the chicken. This is the easiest and tastiest white chicken chili we’ve ever tasted (and we’ve tasted a whole lotta chili.)
I made Butternut Squash Chili last night. I substituted chunks of fresh pumpkin for the squash because I still have a pumpkin left from Halloween and I’m determined to use every nutritious bite of it. I also used ground beef rather than turkey since one of my New Year’s resolutions is to cook my way through my freezer and I didn’t have turkey. I wasn’t sure about cinnamon in chili but my adult daughter, my husband, and I all loved the spicy, subtle flavor it imparted to the dish. Thank you for a great recipe!
You’re so welcome, Giselle! Glad you guys all liked this 🙂 🙂 Thanks for coming over to let us know (pumpkin sounds yum, btw) and hope you continue finding recipes you love here at COL!
I made this fantastic recipe for supper last night and am sooo happy! It is extremely cold out here in Regina, Saskatchewan and that recipe was exactly what my tummy was looking for – warm, hearty + comfort food at its best! It’s totally a keeper!
Thanks so much for sharing it!
You’re so welcome, Shirley. Sooo happy everyone enjoyed this! 🙂
Best chili yet… my husband love this much better than my regular chili… I added in roasted red peppers along with the fire roasted tomatoes… also instead of chili powder I add chili garlic sauce because we love spicy….and wow does it taste great! With that you can spice it up as much as you want….thanks for sharing this recipe….
You’re so welcome, Lisa, and thanks for taking time to come here today! 🙂
How many calories is in one serving? I see it serves 8, but I can’t find the calorie info! Thanks!
Thanks for asking, Lisa! We currently don’t use a calorie counter here, but there are lots of apps available to help estimate online. That said, this would definitely be one of the “healthier” chilis out there (my guess.) 🙂
It’s 419 calories a serving. I added it in my fitness pal. This is honestly one of the best recipes I’ve found online and I absolutely love it! We ate all of it in two days beteeen myself and my boyfriend and I just got home with groceries to make it again!
Thanks so much for sharing that, Heather! Awesome 🙂
Thanks Heather, I was just about to add it to myfitnesspal! Cant wait to try it!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! Super simple and fresh ingredients. My boyfriend had two helpings (hmmm.. so did I… heh). I added some paprika and instead of finishing with salt I finished with a bit of vegeta. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome job, Susie! So glad you guys loved it; thanks for taking time to come let us know! Happy fall 🙂
Can this be frozen and reheated?
Kayla, I haven’t tried freezing, but I think if you place cling wrap directly over the surface of chili and keep it airtight, you should be able to freeze it. Enjoy! 🙂
This was one of the best chili recipes I have tried. I used one pound of ground turkey but halved everything else as it is just my husband and myself. The mixture of the spices, squash, and fire roasted tomatoes was perfect. I cooked it all together for a bit and then put cornbread mixture on top and baked for 20 minutes. It worked well. Thank you for this recipe.
Yay, Rebecca! So glad you guys loved it. Thanks for coming over today. Have a wonderful winter season!
Just checking, the squash is not precooked in any way. We cube cube it raw? Can I use ground beef?
Can’t wait to start cooking it!
You can cube it raw or buy the pre-cubed bags. Yes on ground beef, just season it the same way. Hope you absolutely love it!
I bought 30 pounds of butternut squash before the farm stand closed and needed recipes. This was delicious and perfect for fall/winter in New England. Made a batch and froze some. One change I made, I only used one large green bell pepper and added two Serrano peppers.
So glad you guys enjoyed this, Teresa! Smart to stash up on the butternuts before they go 🙂 Happy New year!
I made this tonight for dinner and it was scrumptious! My new favorite chili recipe to say the least; even my 3 yr old ate her entire bowl!! I was a little leary of the cinnamon ingredient but man, it made the dish!! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe : ) We added fresh cilantro as a garnish with a dab of sour cream, yumm!
Yay, so happy to hear all about it, Kristina! When my kiddos eat their whole bowl, it’s a big deal so I totally get it 🙂
Seriously the best chili ever! Thank you so much for this recipe! I add all the color peppers and I throw it in a crockpot after I sauté the meat with spices. So easy and one of my favorite parts of fall:) I’ll have to try some more of your recipes. Only thing I hate is peeling that darn butternut squash! It’s a workout!
So glad that you guys liked this, Jamila! Yay …now we just need to invent an automatic squash cutter
I made this chili last winter 2016 and couldn’t wait for a cold day again to make it! Sept. 2nd 2017 I did so and still love it! Not often I make the same recipe twice but this is one I will continue to make year after year! Thanks!!!
Sooo happy to hear it, Chica! It is one of our fall faves also
Seems like a lot of garlic…..Is the garlic taste overpowering? Thanks!
Wow! This turned out so good!! Definitely a recipe I’ll make again. Tried it for a dinner party and glad I doubled the recipe because everyone had at least 2 bowls!! Thank you!!
Could this be made in a crock pot?
Can this be made in a crock pot?
Yes, Steph, you can do this in a slow cooker. You can use this slow cooker recipe I posted as a guide for how long to cook, etc. Hope you love this one! 🙂 https://www.chewoutloud.com/2015/01/19/slow-cooker-chili-black-beans-corn/
I made this for the third time and am obsessed! This time, I made it using the adopted crockpot recipe as suggested and it turned out great! Omitted the meat and substituted the broth for veggie stock to make it vegan for a bunch of yogis who enjoyed it just as much! I did not add the sugar and didn’t miss it one bit, as it is so naturally sweet 🙂 Thanks so much for this recipe that will definitely be a reoccurring one for years to come!
★★★★★
Yay, Melissa!! This just made my day 🙂 So happy you love this recipe as much as we do! Keep on cookin’ and happy fall 🙂
What about a pressure cooker? I just got an instant pot and am not good at adjusting for pressure cooking.
Joey, you can definitely use pressure cooker. Cook/brown the meat, onions, etc. as usual in the inner pot of your IP (use Sauté mode.) Once done, add all other ingredients, lock the lid, and set on Pressure Cook for 5 minutes. Then do a manual quick release. Hope that helps, and happy cooking!
To slow cook this; would I just brown the meat in a skillet with the onion then transfer to slow cooker and add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 6-7 hours?
Yes, that is correct, Danielle. Here is one of my slow cooker chili recipes for reference https://www.chewoutloud.com/2015/01/19/slow-cooker-chili-black-beans-corn/ 🙂 Hope you love it!!
Made the butternut squash chili today. It was a hit. So good! Most definitely going to make it again!
So happy you liked this, Deann! 🙂 🙂 🙂
So good! Do you know what is a serving size? 1 cup 2 cups?
I’d say about 1 cup or so, give or take 🙂 Glad you like this!
This sounds so delicious, love all the pictures, already feeling hungry. The cook time is okay for me as I have some time in the evenings to enjoy cooking for my family, will try this one out.
I made this tonight and it was great! Instead of the green bell peppers, I substituted a combination of jalapeño and yellow bell peppers, just personal preference. It added the perfect amount of heat!
So happy you guys liked this, Michele!! Thanks for letting us know and happy fall!! 🙂
Absolutely delicious. I added 1 pound of sweet italian turkey sausage along with the ground turkey. I didn’t have any ground coriander so I omitted it. I wasn’t sure about the cinnamon so only used 1/4 teaspoon. Served it with homemade garlic knots The wife and I both loved it. Thanks for a great recipe.
I love butternut squash so I think this is a great way to make chilli.
★★★★★
I’ve tried something similar to this lately. Been craving for it since then. It looks delicious!
I LOVE butternut squash and I love chili! I never thought to make them as one dish! Cant wait to try this!
★★★★★
It’s my favorite chili 🙂
I saved the slow cooker version of this recipe. I will make this on the weekend. My sons will love this for sure. I like that this is one complete meal – meat and veggies all in one pot!
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I’m super excited for you to taste it! Thanks for coming over, Annemarie!
These recipe is such an amazing recipe. This is looks so very delicious and looks healthy.
Butternut squash chili sounds really yummy and I would love to try this. I don’t know if Japan has butternut squash but I will look for it!
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You can certainly substitute with another hearty squash that’s similar in texture 🙂
This looks so delicious and perfect meal for this time of the year. I need to try it for myself x
Laura
https://pinkfrenzymissl.blogspot.com/
These are absolute comfort food, healthy and power-packed. Love these!
You’re so welcome 🙂
It’s so easy to cook and I’m sure it’s delicious.. Who won’t want a spicy squash..?! It will make a great pair for steamy rice..
★★★★★
awesome recipe and looks so delicious and healthy. Thanks for the recipe I’m gonna make this tonight. I love it.
This sounds PERFECT! Can’t wait to try it!
I guess I will surely love this recipe. I love spicy food so much. I’m gonna eat it with rice..
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I love that it is butternut squash season. I had butternut squash tonight and I never had it in chill form.
Yum..! It looks so festive..! Thanks for sharing the recipe.. I bet it’s so delicious..!
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These look so delicious. Will have to try to make this next week!
Yay! 🙂 Thanks, Jay!
This looks delicious, can’t wait to try it for my kids! What can I use instead of fire-roasted tomatoes? They don’t eat anything spicy!
The fire-roasted tomatoes aren’t spicy at all…they just have a depth of flavor that comes from roasting the tomatoes. It’s so so good 🙂 Hope your whole family loves this, Layla!