I’ve finally found a reason for pumpkin-flavored beer. This time of year everything is pumpkin flavored – donuts, coffee, cereal, yogurt – it’s nearly impossible to avoid it. I don’t go crazy for pumpkin flavored things but I do love a good pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread or Pumpkin and 5-Spice Powder Ice Cream.
To be honest, I’ve never had a pumpkin beer. It’s not something that Ed would ever seek out. I don’t drink a lot of beer but when I do, Ed usually picks it out for me. This recipe intrigued me as instead of adding a variety of spices the chili, the spices came from the beer.
Wegmans sells some of their beer by the bottle which was fortunate as I only needed two bottles. I had three options from which to choose and selected Lancaster Brewing Company’s Baked Pumpkin Ale. We’ve been to the Lancaster Brewing Company (we’re partial to Lancaster having met there in college) many times and have always been pleased with their beer and food. This ale is brewed with pumpkin and spices. I did take a sip prior to pouring it into the pot and was surprised at how flavorful the beer was.
To enhance the seasonality of this chili, you also add butternut squash. I would recommend cutting the squash smaller than I did for more uniformity in the chili. If you’re not a fan of butternut squash, this chili could stand on its own without it.
Other than a few tablespoons of tomato paste, there are no tomatoes in this recipe. The color comes from the puréed dried chiles. I used ancho chiles which added a great deep flavor (which worked well with the spices in the ale) without too much ‘hot’ spice. This is just the way I like chili.
Ed pointed out that this is a seasonal chili as pumpkin ale is only around for a few months (August to November) so unless you keep a supply on hand all year round, it’s best to make this when pumpkin ale is in season. While you could use another beer (such as a brown ale) it would lack the spice profile of the pumpkin ale. Of course you could always make your own pumpkin spice mix to add to the chili.
| Pumpkin Ale-Turkey Chili | | Print |
- 8 whole dried ancho chiles (see Notes)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 pounds ground turkey (preferably dark meat)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 16 to 20 ounces butternut squash, cut into small pieces (~ 4 cups) (see Notes)
- 2 - 12 ounce bottles pumpkin ale
- ½ apple cider or juice
- 2 - 15 ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 - 15 ounce cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- Kosher salt
- Garnish with: chopped cilantro, sliced jalapeños and/or lime wedges
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot (at least 7 quarts), toast chiles over medium heat, turning occasionally with tongs, until warm, fragrant and pliable, about 2 minutes. Let cool for a minute.
- Rip stems off the chiles and remove seeds and membranes. Rip into pieces taking care to remove all seeds. Place chiles in a medium pot and add broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove pot from heat and let stand until chiles are very soft, about 30 minutes. Transfer chiles and broth to a blender, Vitamix or food processor and purée until smooth. Set aside. (See Notes.)
- While chiles are softening, chop onion and slice garlic. In the same Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Season generously with Kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add ground turkey. Cook, breaking up with back of wooden spoon, until it’s cooked through and a bit browned, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, cumin and cocoa powder. Cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in butternut squash and pumpkin ale, and bring to a boil.
- Stir in reserved chile purée, apple cider or apple juice, black beans and pinto beans and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chili is thick and flavorful, about 60 minutes.
- Season with salt. Serve warm with garnishes.
* I bought already cubed butternut squash at the grocery store. I cut it into smaller pieces.
* Chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat on top of the stove or in a slow cooker.
Source: Adapted from Kristin Donnelly’s Modern Potluck (2016)
It was wonderful! A fun spin on traditional chili 🌶 ❤️
Genevieve – Thank you for your kind words! I’m glad it hit the spot!
I made it for Halloween. It was really enjoyable and a nice spin on chili!
Beth – A perfect chili for Halloween! I’m glad you enjoyed it.