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    Home » Main Dishes » Pork

    Spicy Pork Chili with Pumpkin (91 cents/serving)

    Published: Oct 7, 2022 · Modified: May 3, 2023 by Jessica Fisher

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    pork chili in black bowl on black plate of chips
    bowl of pumpkin pie with words ENJOY on side, with text overlay.
    overhead view of bowl of chili on plate of chips, with text overlay.

    This Spicy Pork Chili Recipe with Pumpkin will wow everyone at your table. Tender chunks of pork simmer in a pumpkin-tomato sauce redolent with chile; it’s such a great way to warm up!

    Serve this hearty one pot, slow cooker chili alongside homemade tortilla chips and salsa or load it up with shredded cheese and serve some Garlic Focaccia on the side.

    black bowl of pork chili on black plate of tortilla chips on tray cloth on black table. this …
    Jump to:
    • Why Make This
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • FAQs
    • Recipe Costs
    • More Great Pork Recipes
    • Tell us what you think!
    • Spicy Pork Chili with Pumpkin

    When you’re looking for a hearty meal, you can’t go wrong with a pork chili. Not only does it boast stick-to-yer-ribs goodness, but it’s also incredibly economical. This pork chili with pumpkin is a flavorful one-pot dinner you’ll want to add to your regular weekly repertoire.

    Why Make This

    It’s super simple to make. Don’t let the length of the ingredients list fool you. This is one of the simplest set-it-and-forget-it meals you can make.

    It’s freezer-friendly. Feel free to make a double batch as this chili freezes and reheats beautifully, meaning you can have a simple dinner more than once this month.

    It’s delicious. There’s just something magical that the pumpkin puree and chile bring to this bean stew. It’s so yummy. You must make it!

    Ingredients

    Here’s what you need to make homemade pork chili with pumpkin:

    ingredients for pork chili laid out on table top.

    pork half loin roast – The pork loin is a large cut of meat that is often portioned smaller into halves or even chops. For this recipe, I can typically cut a half roast in half again. It’s an affordable cut that I can easily stretch over several meals.

    spices: salt, pepper, ground chile, and garlic powder – The spice list is pretty short, but also very important. Be sure to use ground chile also labeled chile powder, but NOT chili powder. Chili powder often has salt and other spices added to it. Since we’re already adding salt, you want to make sure you have ground chile.

    oil – Use whatever cooking oil you normally use. It’s just to keep the pork and onion from burning when you sauté them.

    onion – The onion gives great flavor and texture to the chili. You can use white or yellow onion.

    pumpkin puree – The pumpkin adds a really rich flavor to this pork chili. You can use canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) or cook your own pumpkin. In a pinch, use Homemade Butternut Squash Puree.

    tomato sauce and canned, diced tomatoes– The tomato sauce rounds out the sauce in this chili and the diced tomatoes add texture. If need be, you can swap in a can of crushed tomatoes for the two.

    black and pinto beans – I like using two colors of beans in this chili to give it visual interest. You can also add kidney beans for a third color. Remember it’s often cheaper to cook dried beans instead of using the canned variety.

    chopped green chiles – These add a little heat. You can substitute chopped jalapeños or Roasted Poblano Peppers if that’s what you have.

    Variations

    If you have leftover pulled pork from another night, you could substitute that for that 1 ½ pounds boneless pork called for in this recipe to make a pulled pork chili.

    If it’s easier or more affordable to buy ground pork, you can absolutely swap that in for the pork cubes.

    For a pork chili verde, swap out the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes for a jar of green salsa.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    It’s super simple to make this slow cooker pork chili:

    seasoning pork cubes with salt and pepper in a white bowl on a black table top.
    adding pork and onion to a hot skillet.
    stirring the pork and onion with a blue spatula in the skillet.
    sautéed pork and onion in the skillet.
    1. Season the pork cubes with salt and pepper to taste. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the pork cubes and chopped onion and sauté. Cook until the pork is lightly browned and the onion is clear.
    2. In the crock of a 6-quart slow cooker, whisk together the pumpkin puree, tomato sauce, chili powder and garlic powder. Add the meat mixture, beans, tomatoes, and chiles to the pot. Stir well to combine. Cover with the slow cooker lid and cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 6 to 8 hours on LOW. You can use the slow cooker function on your instant pot if you prefer.
    adding puree, sauce, and spices to the crock of the slow cooker.
    stirring together the pumpkin, tomato, and spices in the crock with a blue spatula.
    adding the beans, chiles, tomatoes, and pork and onion mixture to the crockpot.
    all the ingredients combined in the slow cooker crock.

    Serve this chili with lime wedges on the side and sour cream and shredded cheese for topping. Or check out this post on What to Serve with Chili for 20+ toppings, bases, and sides to go with this easy pork chili recipe.

    Freezing Instructions

    To freeze the chili: divide it into serving size portions and chill completely in the fridge prior to storing in the freezer. Be sure to label the container with the date and the contents.

    To serve: reheat from frozen in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop.

    FAQs

    Can you freeze pork chili?

    Pork chili freezes beautifully and can be reheated from frozen in the microwave or on the stovetop. Chill, package, label, and freeze.

    What can you do with leftover pork chili?

    Leftover chili is delicious served atop Baked Potatoes or stirred into Stovetop Mac and Cheese. You can also use it as the filling for Chili Cheese Burritos.

    Is pork chili gluten-free?

    Pork and all the ingredients in this chili recipe are naturally gluten-free. To be on the safe side, be sure to read the labels to ensure that gluten hasn’t been added. This is particularly true for spices and tomato sauce.

    Recipe Costs

    Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.

    • pork half loin roast – $2.99
    • spices – $0.15
    • oil – $0.10
    • onion – $0.15
    • pumpkin puree – $0.45
    • tomato sauce – $0.45
    • beans – $2.00
    • diced tomatoes – $0.45
    • green chiles – $0.50

    Your price may vary depending on where and how you shop, but you can expect to pay about $7.24 for 8 servings of chili, or about 91 cents a serving.

    black bowl of chili marked ENJOY on plate of chips on black table top.

    More Great Pork Recipes

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    Tell us what you think!

    We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.

    pork chili in a bowl marked ENJOY with a plate of tortilla chips.
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    4.84 from 6 votes

    Spicy Pork Chili with Pumpkin

    This Spicy Pork Chili with Pumpkin will wow everyone at your table. Tender chunks of pork simmer in a pumpkin-tomato sauce redolent with chile.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time4 hours hrs
    Total Time4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 384kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • cutting board
    • chef's knife
    • 7-qt slow cooker
    • wire whisk
    • soup ladle

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ lb pork half loin roast cubed
    • salt
    • black pepper
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 onion (1 cup chopped)
    • 1 cup pumpkin puree
    • 8 oz tomato sauce
    • 2 tablespoon chile powder or ground chile
    • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
    • 1 40-ounce can pinto beans drained
    • 1 30-ounce can black beans drained
    • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
    • 1 4-ounce can green chiles (chopped)

    Instructions

    • Season the pork cubes with salt and pepper to taste. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the pork cubes and chopped onion and sauté. Cook until the pork is lightly browned and the onion is clear.
    • In the crock of a 6-quart slow cooker, whisk together the pumpkin puree, tomato sauce, chili powder and garlic powder. Add the meat mixture, beans, tomatoes, and chiles to the pot. Stir well to combine. Cover with the slow cooker lid and cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 6 to 8 hours on LOW.

    Notes

    Nutritional values are approximate and are based on ⅛ of the recipe. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 4 days.

    Variations

    If you have leftover pulled pork from another night, you could substitute that for that 1 ½ pounds boneless pork called for in this recipe to make a pulled pork chili.
    If it’s easier or more affordable to buy ground pork, you can absolutely swap that in for the pork cubes.
    For a pork chili verde, swap out the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes for a jar of green salsa.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1159mg | Potassium: 1409mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5572IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 7mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tell us what you think!Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.

    This post was originally published on December 7, 2015. It has been updated for content and clarity.

    « What to Serve with Chili: 20+ Toppings, Bases, & Sides
    Dessert Charcuterie Board »
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sally

      April 23, 2022 at 10:39 am

      I have a question about the size of the crockpot you cooked the chili in. Will it fit into an older 3 1/2 qt crockpot that is round instead of oval, or would I have to reduce the recipe? And if so, the times don’t really change, do they?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        April 25, 2022 at 2:58 pm

        Times shouldn’t change. You don’t want to fill the crockpot more than 2/3 full, so it will be close to fitting. Perhaps dial down the beans and add the last bit at the end. They’ll heat pretty quickly.

        Reply
    2. Adrienne

      October 24, 2021 at 5:38 pm

      5 stars
      We really enjoyed this one. I used home cooked black beans and I feel like it added an element and dimension of flavor. Canned work great, but the home cooked makes the chili richer.

      Reply
    3. Sandi

      December 10, 2015 at 6:41 am

      I don’t think I have pinto beans, but I have black and kidney which should work just as well, and I have all these other ingredients as well. Thanks to Costco’s pork special on Black Friday ($10 off the vacuum pack loin) I have about 15 lb of pork in the freezer for which I paid about $8. That’s on top of the several pounds I already had in the freezer! I made pulled pork with the Costco rib rub seasoning (I’ve learned I’m not so keen on the pork ribs but love the seasoning on regular pork and it goes fabulously well with Asian salads), made some I diced and simply tossed with spices and pan cooked, and am going to make BBQ pork although I like that a lot better than the kid does. This sounds like an excellent way to continue using some of it up and not be repetitive. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        December 11, 2015 at 11:18 am

        Sounds like you scored. Great job mixing things up.

        Reply
        • Sandi

          December 14, 2015 at 7:22 am

          I was getting the regular pork to make this when I found some kielbasa that had had the package torn so the meat was a bit dehydrated. I figured soaking it in something like this was a good way to not waste it, so I chopped it up and used it instead of the pork chops. I used fresh chopped garlic instead of powder, and had three different types of beans in it to use up some of what I had. I was surprised how dark the sauce turned but we enjoyed it and the non-spicy-loving kid ate two bowls, Thanks!

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    Hi, I'm Jessica! I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter their budget.

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