Introduce your little one to cozy, nutrient-rich chili with this baby and toddler friendly pumpkin turkey chili. With mild spice and thickened with canned pumpkin, it is a delicious meal the whole family will love when the weather cools down.
This post has been written and medically reviewed by Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist).
Pumpkin Turkey Chili
If a steamy bowl of chili is what you crave when it gets cold out, but you also a have little ones to feed, this is the family-friendly recipe for you! This chili is super easy to make with just a handful of ingredients. It comes together quickly and is thick, hearty, and not too spicy - making it great to share with even the youngest of eaters. Because it is nice and thick thanks to canned pumpkin, you can even share this chili with baby led weaning babies starting from 6 months. Pumpkin turkey chili is rich in several key nutrients their growing bodies need, including protein, fiber, iron, zinc, B vitamins, and vitamin A.
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Ingredients
- Ground turkey You can also use ground beef, venison, or bison.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Spices Chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and a hint of nutmeg. If you want to spice things up, you have the option of adding chipotle powder, too. (This is the only chili powder my husband will use for chili!)
- Beans I used canned black beans and pinto beans, but other beans such as kidney beans or white beans will work too.
- Pumpkin Puree Make sure you're using 100% pumpkin, not pie filling. Canned and homemade both work!
- Beef broth I use low sodium beef broth. If you only have vegetable or chicken broth, those work too.
- Olive or avocado oil For cooking the onion and garlic.
Helpful equipment: Sharp knife, and large pot with a lid, such as a Dutch oven.
Step By Step Instructions
For the full printable recipe, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Dice the onion into a fine dice and mince the garlic.
- Heat the pot over medium meat on the stove. Add the oil, then add the onion and garlic and cook for a couple minutes until soft.
- Stir in the spices and cook for a minute longer to get the spices nice and toasty.
- Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon or meat chopper.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients (beans, pumpkin, broth) and simmer on low, covered, for at least 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and simmer until thickened to your liking. If it gets too thick, add more broth or water.
Tips and Recipe Variations
- The longer the chili simmers with the lid on, the more the flavors will blend. I recommend at least 20 minutes, but you can go longer or shorter depending on the time you have.
- Add salt according to your family's preference. Some people like to leave it out for babies under 12 months, but I'm ok with a little pinch in recipes like this.
- This recipe is pretty mild as written. If you want to make things a little more spicy, you can add 1 teaspoon of chipotle powder or 2 teaspoon of liquid from a can of chipotle chilis. The flavor is amazing without adding too much extra spice, but use your discretion.
- Feel free to sub mashed sweet potato or butternut squash for the pumpkin.
- See "Ingredients" section above for other swaps you can make.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months. I like to freeze soups and chili in silicone freezer blocks and then transfer to a freezer bag once solid.
Reheat chili over low heat on the stove until simmering, adding more broth or water as needed.
How To Serve Chili To Babies 6 Months and Up
You can give baby led weaning babies as young as 6 months chili. I like to serve it with a little bit of shredded cheese and sour cream on a rimmed plate or suction bowl. Let baby scoop it up with hands (Yes, it will get messy! Here are my top tips for handling the mess.) Or preload it onto a spoon and hand to baby or set it on his tray. Once toddlers can use utensils, they are good to go with this chili. Most will not eat very much, so start with a small amount.
For more tips on serving chili to babies and taming down the heat, I have a whole post on chili for babies you can read!
Track your baby's journey through starting solids! Get my 100 First Foods Checklist and Allergen Checklist Bundle today!
Baby Friendly Pumpkin Turkey Chili
Introduce your little one to cozy, nutrient-rich chili with this baby and toddler friendly pumpkin turkey chili. With mild spice and thickened with canned pumpkin, it is a delicious meal the whole family will love when the weather cools down.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 adult servings 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp oil, such as avocado or olive oil
- 1 tbsp chili powder (this is our favorite for chili)
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- salt to taste (optional for babies under 12 months)
- 1 lb ground turkey (or beef, bison, or vension)
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth
Instructions
- Dice the onion finely and mince the garlic.
- Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, until softened a little.
- Add the spices and cook for another minute.
- Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up into small pieces with your spoon or a meat chopper.
- Once the turkey is browned, add the remaining ingredients (pumpkin, beans and broth). Stir and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer over low heat with the lid on for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer uncovered until thickened to your liking.
- Serve with any toppings you'd like, such as shredded cheese, sour cream, or avocado.
Notes
- If you have a little more time, let the chili simmer longer than 20 minutes to help the flavors meld.
- If the chili gets too thick, add more broth or water as needed.
- This chili is super mild. For a little more spice, add 1 teaspoon chipotle powder OR 2 teaspoon liquid from canned chipotles. The flavor chipotle adds is delicious!
- Feel free to swap out the beans for what you have on hand, such as kidney beans or white beans.
- You can swap the pumpkin for mashed sweet potato if that's what you have.
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