Chili is the perfect comfort food meal on a cold winter day, and this pumpkin and beef Texas chili is a great choice that is sure to be a hit on your menu. You’ll love the big chunks of beef, classic chili spices, and the sweetness of pumpkin in each bite. A truly unique and absolutely delicious version of chili.
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Beef Texas Chili
This dish is very strong in flavor, hot, and filling, making it perfect for cooler temperatures. Of course, in the spirit of a paleo diet, we leave out the beans in this Texan chili recipe, focusing instead on the flavors of the beef, pumpkin, and tomatoes.
If you like spicy chili, you’ll find this is more of medium heat. You can easily adjust the heat with the addition of jalapeno o additional chili powder seasoning.
If you want to cut through the richness and spice of this beef Texas chili recipe, you may want to serve a side of this creamy cucumber salad. It’s a light and tasty option that pairs well with the richness of this beef chili.
Ingredients
Serves: 8 Prep Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- 6 large chilies
- 1 cup diced bacon
- 4 cups onions, chopped
- 5 lbs stewing beef, cut into 3″ cubes
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 (28oz) cans of diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro stems, save leaves for garnish
- 4 cups fresh pumpkin, cut into 2″ cubes
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How to Make Pumpkin and Beef Texas Chili
Place the chilies in a large bowl and cover them with boiling water. Set these aside and let them soak for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
In a large Dutch oven or oven-proof stockpot, sautee the bacon, over medium heat, until it is browned. Then, add the onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the beef to the Dutch oven, and season it generously with salt and black pepper. Stir everything together to coat, and then remove from heat and set the pot aside.
Next, strain the chilies, reserving the liquid. Then, place the chilies into a blender with 1 cup of the liquid, the garlic, chili powder, cumin seeds, oregano, coriander, and sea salt. Pulse to a puree, adding additional liquid from soaking if the mixture is too thick.
Pour the chili puree into the Dutch oven with the beef. Then, add in the tomatoes, beef stock, and chopped cilantro stems. Stir this together to combine, then bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, cover, and put into the preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove the lid, and stir. Then, let the mixture cook another 1 hour in the oven until the beef is fork tender.
Add in the pumpkin, stir well, and continue cooking, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until the pumpkin softens. If needed, add the additional soaking liquid from the chilies to keep the meat covered in liquid while it cooks.
Remove from the oven, taste, and season with additional salt and black pepper as needed. Then serve garnished with cilantro leaves, and any other paleo chili toppings you desire.
More Chili Recipes
Chili is one of our favorite dishes to make. It is budget-friendly, everyone can customize it with toppings, and it freezes beautifully. If you want more chili ideas, below are a few of our family favorites. Take a moment to bookmark, print, or pin these recipes so they are easy to find when you are ready to cook!
📖 Recipe
Beef Texas Chili with Pumpkin
You’ll love the rich flavor from slow cooking this tasty beef Texas chili with pumpkin. Fresh chilies, a perfect blend of spices, and tender beef combine for a savory comfort food meal.
Ingredients
- 6 large chilies
- 1 cup diced bacon
- 4 cups onions chopped
- 5 lbs stewing beef cut into 3″ cubes
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 56 oz of canned diced tomatoes approximately 3 cups
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro stems save leaves for garnish
- 4 cups fresh pumpkin cut into 2″ cubes
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
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Pour boiling water over the chilies, in a large bowl. Set them aside, uncovered, to soak for 30 minutes. Then, preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
6 large chilies
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In an oven-proof stockpot, cook the bacon over medium heat until it is browned and beginning to crisp. Add in the onions, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
1 cup diced bacon, 4 cups onions
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Add the stew beef into the pot and season with salt and black pepper. Stir together and set it aside.
5 lbs stewing beef, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Next, strain the chilies, reserving the liquid. Then, place the chilies into a blender with 1 cup of the liquid, the garlic, chili powder, cumin seeds, oregano, coriander, and sea salt. Pulse to a puree, adding additional liquid from soaking if the mixture is too thick.
6 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
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Pour this chili mixture over the beef, then add in the tomatoes, beef stock, and chopped cilantro stems. Stir together to combine, then bring the mixture to a simmer on the stove top. Once simmering, cover the chili and put into the oven to cook for 2 hours.
56 oz of canned diced tomatoes, 1 ½ cups beef stock, ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro stems
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After 2 hours, remove the lid, and stir. Then, let the mixture cook another 1 hour in the oven until the beef is fork tender.
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Add in the pumpkin, stir well, and continue cooking, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until the pumpkin softens. If needed, add the additional soaking liquid from the chilies to keep the meat covered in liquid while it cooks.
4 cups fresh pumpkin
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Remove from the oven, taste, and season with additional salt and black pepper as needed. Then serve garnished with cilantro leaves, and any other paleo chili toppings you desire.
Notes
- Use poblano peppers, jalapenos, serrano peppers, pasilla peppers, or Aleppo peppers for this recipe.
- Ask your butcher for stewing beef. If not available, this can be made with a cubed chuck roast.
- For a smoother mixture, use pumpkin puree instead of cubed fresh pumpkin.
- Butternut squash can be used in place of pumpkin if needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 8gCalories: 952kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 57gFat: 69gSaturated Fat: 26gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 30gTrans Fat: 4gCholesterol: 221mgSodium: 1345mgPotassium: 1663mgFiber: 6gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 5854IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 170mgIron: 9mg