No-Bean Pumpkin Chili (with Beef, Peppers, and Olives)
This delicious no-bean chili with pumpkin, beef, peppers, and olives is a great low-carb chili option for pumpkin fans! And if you like the idea of a chili recipe with pumpkin, I promise you won’t miss the beans!
PIN the No-Bean Chili to make it later!
No-Bean Pumpkin Chili (with Beef, Peppers, and Olives) is for people who love chili that’s loaded with pumpkin flavor but don’t want many carbs! Trust me when I say this no-bean chili is so satisfying!
The chili has lots of ground beef, chopped green pepper, diced green chiles, and olives, and just one can of pumpkin puree, so there’s not a huge amount of high-carb pumpkin! But the pumpkin gives the no-bean chili a slight sweetness that’s delicious with the spices that make it taste like chili.
Of course, there’s a popular recipe on the blog for Pumpkin Chili to make in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot. In fact my nephew Matt and his wife Lindy won a chili-making contest with that pumpkin chili recipe! But that recipe uses three cans of beans so it’s not going to work if you’re eating low-carb or avoiding beans.
And I love to make soup and chili on the stove and make the house smell great! So when the idea popped into my mind for a no-bean chili with pumpkin, I had to see what I could come up with! I’m featuring this chili recipe for my Friday Favorite’s pick this week, and I think this would make a great dinner for Halloween night. The recipe makes quite a bit, so you might even have some left over to put in the freezer for a cold evening when chili sounds good!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- ground beef
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper
- onion
- green bell pepper
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- 7 oz. can diced green chiles (affiliate link)
- Spike Seasoning (affiliate link)
- ground Cumin (affiliate link)
- Chili Powder (affiliate link)
- dried cilantro (affiliate link) (optional, but good if you have some and like cilantro)
- Mexican Oregano (affiliate link)
- canned beef broth (affiliate link)
- canned petite dice tomatoes
- 15 oz. can pure Pumpkin Puree (affiliate link)
- 6 oz. can black olives
- chopped cilantro (optional)
- thinly sliced green onion
- Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link)
Why would you add pumpkin to chili?
Pumpkin chili is probably not for people who are confirmed pumpkin haters, although this chili doesn’t have a strong pumpkin flavor. The pumpkin adds a slight sweetness to chili which many people really enjoy.
How low in carbs is the No-Bean Chili?
This tasty pumpkin chili is surprisingly low in carbs with 9 net carbs and 34 grams of protein per serving!
Can you make no-bean pumpkin chili without cilantro?
If you’re not a cilantro fan you can definitely leave out the dried and fresh cilantro and use a bit more thinly-sliced green onion.
How long will no-bean pumpkin chili keep?
This pumpkin chili will keep at least a week in the fridge, and the flavors almost seem to improve when it’s reheated. And you can freeze this chili for about 6 months if it’s in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
Want more chili recipes?
For more delicious chili recipes including more chili without beans, check out Amazing Low-Carb and Keto Chili Recipes.
How to Make the No-Bean Pumpkin Chili:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Brown ground beef well, season with salt and pepper, and add it to the soup pot.
- Saute chopped green pepper and onion until they’re starting to soften; then add minced garlic and diced green chiles and cook 2 minutes more.
- Add all the spices and dried herbs and cook 1-2 minutes more, then add that to the soup pot.
- Deglaze frying pan with one can of beef broth and add that liquid to the soup pot as well as the other can of beef broth, the petite diced tomatoes, the pumpkin, and the halved olives.
- Let the chili simmer 45 – 90 minutes on low heat.
- Then add the chopped cilantro, sliced green onion, and Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) and simmer 10 minutes more.
- Serve the no-bean chili hot, with additional sliced green onions, chopped cilantro and Green Tabasco Sauce to add at the table.
- Some grated cheese and sour cream would be great on this too!
Weekend Food Prep:
This no-bean chili recipe recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
No-Bean Pumpkin Chili (with Beef, Peppers, and Olives)
This no-bean chili is loaded with flavor without having too many carbs. And Pumpkin Chili with Beef, Peppers, and Olives would be delicious for Halloween night!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground beef (see notes)
- 4 tsp. olive oil, divided
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- 1 medium onion, chopped in half-inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped in half-inch pieces
- 1 T minced garlic
- 7 oz. can diced green chiles (see notes)
- 1 T Spike Seasoning (see notes)
- 1 T ground cumin
- 1 T chili powder
- 1 T dried cilantro (optional, but good if you have some)
- 1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano (see notes)
- 2 14 oz. cans beef broth
- 2 14.5 oz cans petite dice tomatoes
- 1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin puree
- 1 6 oz. can black olives, drained and cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro, plus more to add at the table (optional)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion, plus more to add at the table
- 2 T Green Tabasco Sauce (Use more or less to taste.)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tsp. oil in a large non-stick frying pan. (I used my favorite Green Pan (affiliate link) for this.) Add the ground beef and brown well over medium-high heat, stirring often and breaking apart with the turner (or a potato masher) as it cooks.
- When beef is nicely browned, season it with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste and add it to a large soup pot that’s big enough to hold all the ingredients.
- Add the other 2 tsp. olive oil to the frying pan, add the chopped onion and green pepper, and cook over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and diced green chiles (with juice) and cook about 2 minutes more.
- Add the Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), ground cumin, chili powder, dried cilantro (if using) and dried oregano and cook a minute or two longer. Then add the onion-pepper-spice mixture to the soup pot.
- Deglaze the frying pan with one can of beef broth and add it the soup pot with the other can beef broth, diced tomatoes plus juice, the pumpkin, and the olive halves.
- Let the chili simmer over low heat for 45-90 minutes, stirring a few times. (It can cook a bit longer than 90 minutes if needed as long as the heat is low.)
- About 20 minutes before you want to serve, add the finely chopped cilantro, thinly sliced green onions, and Green Tabasco Sauce. Let chili simmer 10 minutes more with those ingredients added.
- Serve the no-bean chili hot, with additional chopped cilantro, sliced green onion, and more Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) to add at the table if desired.
Notes
I used ground beef with only 10% fat; you might need to drain the pan after you cook the beef if you use a fattier mix of ground beef. I use Anaheim chiles for the diced green chiles (affiliate link) not Jalapenos, unless you want it really spicy. I used Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) but use any all-purpose seasoning blend. I would prefer Mexican Oregano (affiliate link) for this recipe, but you can use any oregano you have.
This freezes well, and can be easily reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
Recipe created by Kalyn and Jake and inspired by CrockPot Pumpkin Chili.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 409Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 101mgSodium 1402mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 4gSugar 4gProtein 34g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet /Low-Glycemic Diet /South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This no-bean chili with pumpkin is low in net carbs and would work for low-carb diet plans but maybe not for Keto. (Check the net carbs and see what you think.) Using pumpkin limits the chili recipe to phase two or three for the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Chili Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for no-bean chili with pumpkin, beef, peppers, and olives was posted in 2016. It was last updated with more information in 2025.
14 Comments on “No-Bean Pumpkin Chili (with Beef, Peppers, and Olives)”
This soup is an absolute winner! I didn’t add cilantro or olives, also reducing the green chilis to 2 oz. for a milder flavor. It still had enough spice! I could only find Spike online as none of my local stores carry it. Spike has a wonderful flavor. I will use it in other recipes. The pumpkin gave the soup an unusual richness. Both my husband and I loved it and will make it again!!
So happy you loved it and were able to adapt to your preferences. I am a huge fan of Spike. I used to be able to buy it in the grocery store, but I’ve been guying it from Amazon for many years now.
I made this chili for dinner yesterday since I love pumpkin and hate beans. It was very good! I skipped the cilantro and may also leave out the black olives next time. I don’t recall ever seeing Spike seasoning where I live, but I did find a recipe on another site to make it myself so that is what I used. I let it simmer for 2 hours and topped it with sour cream and shredded cheese.
Hi Karen, so glad you enjoyed it! And I love that you adapted to your own preferences. I always do that when I follow a recipe, lol!
Love this recipe and the slow simmer is a must. I added an additional 1/2 tablespoon each of chili powder and cumin. It freezes well.
SO glad you’re enjoying it!
I used ground turkey and used no fat in the cooking. The turkey released enough liquid for me to cook the peppers and onions. Adding carbs & fat in the form of beans and guacamole as sides made this a hearty, balanced, and delicious meal. Thanks for another great recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it and were able to adapt it to your preferred way of eating!
I have made this numerous times already and everyone I've fed it to raves about the recipe. Thanks for sharing! It is my new favorite chili recipe.
Thanks for that nice feedback; so glad you are enjoying it!
Can’t get Spike here. So, what is the combo of the spices in it?
Spike has about 40 different spices so you can’t really duplicate it, but just use any all-purpose savory seasoning blend.
I have a can of pumpkin on my pantry shelf, just waiting for inspiration. This is it! And now that the weather has taken a cold turn here in Boston, I'm in the mood for chili.
Thanks Lydia; it really was so good!