Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili

During cold weather, I love making my favorite comfort foods in the Crockpot -and what could be more comforting than a big bowl of homemade chili. This slow cooker butternut squash chili showcases everything there is to love about beef and bean chili plus sweet and creamy butternut squash.

This recipe is inspired by my friend Donna’s ground turkey chili. It’s truly the best, but my husband won’t touch ground turkey with a ten-foot pole, so beef it is. That said, if you’d like to use ground turkey instead of ground beef, go for it!

Are you ready to make the best butternut squash chili? Dust off the Crockpot, and let’s do it!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Fix it and forget it! Your slow cooker does most of the work for you.
• It’s rich in lean protein and fiber-rich beans and veggies.
• Beef and veggie chili is inherently gluten-free.
• It’s versatile and easy to put your spin on it.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Oil: You’ll need a small amount of oil to coat the pan and prevent sticking, like olive or avocado oil.
• Ground Beef: I like to use 92% lean ground beef. Feel free to use less lean ground beef if you’re okay with the extra fat and calories.
• Frozen Vegetables: I used a diced onion, celery, pepper, and parsley blend. Feel free to use a different mix as long as it contains onions.
• Garlic: intensifies the savory flavor.
• Butternut Squash: adds a heavy serving of nutrients. One cup has more potassium than a banana!
• Crushed Tomatoes: add volume to the broth base of the chili. I used fire-roasted tomatoes.
• Tomato Sauce: deepens the flavors and helps thicken.
• Beans: You’ll need 60 ounces (4 cans) total. The options are endless here. I did black beans, kidney beans, northern beans, and cannellini beans.
• Chili Spices: Chili wouldn’t be complete without lots of spice. Chili powder and cumin are the perfect combo of spicy and smoky flavor. Use more or less of each to your liking.
• Salt & Pepper: to balance the flavors.

How To Make Butternut Squash Chili In A Slowcooker

Step 1: Cook beef and vegetables. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the beef, frozen veggies, and garlic to the pan, and cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Step 2: Add to slow cooker. Drain away any excess liquid and transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and give everything a good stir.

Step 3: Cook chili. Slow cook until the butternut squash is tender (about 4 hours or on high or 8 hours on low). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Instant Pot Instructions

Follow the instructions below for your Instant Pot pressure cooker:

1. With the Instant Pot on SAUTE, heat the oil. Then, add the ground beef and garlic to the pot and saute until the meat is no longer pink.
2. Add the frozen veggies and the remaining ingredients and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure—season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe Tips

• Prepping the squash – Cutting butternut squash isn’t exactly simple, so I usually grab them pre-chopped from the store. However, if you want to take on the challenge, make sure you have a very sharp knife and check out this resource on cutting and peeling butternut squash.
• Add cocoa powder – This may seem strange, but a tablespoon of cocoa brightens up the other ingredients and makes the flavors more vibrant.

Variations

Beans – Feel free to use a variety of delicious beans (red kidney beans, black beans, red beans, pinto beans, navy beans, Northern beans, cannellini beans, etc.)

Squash – Not feeling butternut squash? Check out the list below for the best substitutions. Keep in mind, they each have a unique flavor.

• Acorn Squash
• Sweet Potato
• Pumpkin
• Delicata (skin left intact)
• Carrots
• Honeynut
• Kabocha

Additional chili spices – Keep it simple with cumin and chili powder, or kick it up a notch with spices like cayenne, smoked paprika, Aleppo pepper, sweet paprika, fennel, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Chili Topping Ideas

A bowl of homemade chili isn’t complete without the toppings. Serve your chili straight from the slow cooker alongside a chili toppings bar, including:

• Shredded Cheddar
• Sour Cream
• Jalapeno Slices
• Chopped Chives
• Tortilla Strips
• Crackers
• Diced Avocado
• Chopped Cilantro
• Diced Red Onion
• Cornbread

Storing & Freezing

Storing: After cooling to room temperature, store chili in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.

Freezing: Chili is a great meal to make and freeze for later. You can freeze it in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stove over medium heat or in the slow cooker over high heat.

More Chili Recipes

Slow Cooker Brisket Chili

Slow Cooker Bison Chili

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Chili

Slow Cooker Beef Black Bean Chili

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