Description
Not your average chili, this butternut squash and turkey chili used red lentils and is simmered in a flavorful coconut milk and tomato broth. Make this in your pressure cooker or on the stove top!
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 5 cups)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 – 14 oz can light coconut milk
- 1/2 cup dried red lentils, rinsed
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2–3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1–2 cups chopped kale or spinach
- chopped cilantro and sliced green onions, for garnish
- cooked brown rice or quinoa (optional)
Instructions
Pressure cooker:
- Push the sauté/browning/meat button on your pressure cooker. Add oil to the inner pot.
- Sauté onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes.
- Add ground turkey and cook until brown, about 5-7 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat while cooking.
- Add spices (turmeric, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, sea salt and pepper) and cook for an additional minute.
- Add butternut squash chunks, veggie broth, tomatoes, coconut milk, lentils, tomato paste and apple cider vinegar to the pot.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker, lock lid and make sure the pressure release valve is closed.
- Press cancel on the pressure cooker and then press the soup/stew button. The timer should be set to 15-20 minutes.
- Once the timer reaches 0, the cooker will switch to keep warm. Carefully switch the pressure release valve to open (I use tongs for this). Once the steam is released, remove the lid and add in chopped kale or spinach. Give the chili a stir and let sit for a couple minutes to allow the greens to wilt.
- Portion chili into bowls, top each bowl with fresh cilantro and green onions before serving. You can also serve the chili over brown rice if you’d like.
Stove Top:
- Add oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
- Add ground turkey and cook until brown, about 5-7 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat while cooking.
- Add spices (turmeric, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, sea salt and pepper) and cook for an additional minute.
- Add butternut squash chunks, veggie broth, tomatoes, coconut milk, red lentils, tomato paste and apple cider vinegar to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Bring mixture to a boil. Once bubbling, reduce heat to medium and simmer the chili uncovered for about 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the butternut squash is fork-tender and the lentils are cooked, reduce heat to low.
- Add in kale or spinach, stir to combine and let sit for a couple minutes to allow the greens to wilt.
- Portion chili into bowls, top each bowl with fresh cilantro and green onions before serving. You can also serve the chili over brown rice if you’d like.
Notes
- If you’re serving a crowd or just want to extend the servings of the chili you can serve it over brown rice or quinoa. We did this one night and it was delicious!
- Inspired and adapted from Oh She Glows.
- Category: Lunch/Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 314
- Sugar: 9g
- Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 21g
Keywords: butternut squash turkey chili
Leave a Comment
This was tasty right away after I made it, but it was sooo good the next day. I had a package of cubed butternut squash from Costco and used the whole thing even though it was more than what the recipe called for. I will be saving this recipe. Thanks!
★★★★★
Woo!! So glad you loved this recipe, Mary. Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it!
This is one of my winter go to recipes now! Thank you!!
★★★★★
Yay!! So glad you’ve been loving this recipe, Charly. 🙂
This was so delicious! A perfect combination of flavors! We each had a few bowls- it went on the list to make again. Thank you!
★★★★★
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kathleen. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Really tasty recipe, thank you. Only suggestion: on stovetop version you need significantly more oil to get the alliums and turkey going/ more like 2-3 TBSP. I’ll be coming back to this recipe!!
★★★★★
Thanks for the feedback, Andrea. I’m glad this recipe was a hit!! Thanks for making it. 🙂
This recipe is amazing! The turmeric and cinnamon make the spice mixture so good, and combined with the butternut squash it’s the perfect Fall recipe. This is my new favourite EBF recipe and I will be making it again soon!
★★★★★
So glad you loved this chili, Brittany! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Made this recipe exactly as listed and omg IT WAS SO FREAKING GOOD!!! We could not stop eating it (including my husband and kids). It is so comforting without being too heavy and the flavors are amazing! The kale at the end added great texture and the toppings were perfect! I’ve shared this with lots of friends already and will most definitely make again! Thank you!
★★★★★
Ahh yay, that seriously makes me so happy to hear!! I’m so glad this chili was a hit with your entire fam. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating, Merryl. I really appreciate it!
When I first read this, I thought the combination of spices and ingredients sounded strange, but they come together in a delicious way. It’s such a unique and flavorful dish. Moral of the story: don’t judge it until you taste it! Definitely will continue to make this again and again!
★★★★★
Woo!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Marisa. Thanks for giving it a chance. 🙂
Absolutely delicious! My husband loved it too. Will definitely make it again!
★★★★★
Been making your recipe for a while. Tho I split the lentils as they cook into the broth. This way there’s a lentil mouth feel. I don’t make regular chili anymore. The spice profile is wonderful. Thank you!
★★★★★
So glad you’re loving this chili, Janet!! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Can this be made in a slow cooker? If so, what are the directions?
Hey Victoria – Sure! It should definitely work in a slow cooker. Just follow steps 1-4 to sear/cook the turkey in a regular pot (unless your slow cooker allows for searing) and then add everything into the slow cooker. I’m not sure exactly how long it will take to cook because I haven’t tested it. That said, most stews and chilis are cooked on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 8-10 hours. Basically you’ll just want to cook until your butternut squash and lentils are tender. Let me know what you think if you end up trying it. 🙂
Super delicious and I would make this again! Thanks for the recipe 😊
★★★★★
Ahh yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed this chili recipe, Suzei. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
I was wondering if I can use sweet potatoes instead of squash since I dont have them.
Thanks!
Hey Laura – Definitely, you can use sweet potatoes instead of the squash. 🙂
How much would you say the five cups of squash weigh please? I’m new to cooking and not very savvy with volume to weight for most foods.
A 3-pound squash yields about 4 1/2 cups of uncooked squash, so 1 cup of butternut squash would weigh about 2/3 cup. Hopefully that helps!
Made this last night with no changes and it was excellent!
★★★★★
Made this according to recipe with one small change. I used garlic infused oil and skipped the garlic cloves. It was delicious and will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Lora! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it!
I’ve now made this twice and I love this unique take on turkey chili. I appreciate the complexity of the flavor profile the coconut milk and spices bring.
I’ve followed the stovetop recipe exactly the times I’ve made it and think the 25 minutes on medium without the lid is the key to it’s thickening.
Fans of a chili with more kick will just want to up the cayenne.
Yummy and healthy!
Also, it yields a TON of servings. As a singleton I freeze half for later and it taste’s just as lovely.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoy this turkey chili, Laura! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. 🙂
I haven’t made it yet but I can’t wait to try! I have full fat coconut milk and green lentils on hand, can I substitute those instead? Thanks!
★★★★★
Totally! Full fat coconut milk and green lentils should work just fine. 🙂 Definitely let me know how it turns out for you, Alessandra!
Way to liquify. This should be called soup not chilli!
Taste is nice though. Not sure if I will make again
★★★
Hey Dina – I’m so sorry to hear this recipe didn’t turn out for you. Did you end up adding any extra liquid or change anything about the recipe?
Very first recipe in my instant pot. Most excellent. Thank you for sharing. I didn’t have cayenne pepper, but fortunately was a good thing because it turned out great. Just a slight spicy warmth to it which made my beautiful wife happy.
★★★★★
Yay, I love hearing that, Bryan! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
Hi! Love your recipes, love your approach. Just wanted to know, in a recipe like this, is there a huge downside to using pre-cut frozen butternut squash? Or does it have to be fresh?
Blessings to you and your fam on the new addition! Thanks for the service you provide with this blog!
Hey Erin – I think using frozen butternut squash would be just fine! I would just make sure to thaw it out beforehand. 🙂
Made this today. Delicious and beautiful.
★★★★★
Yay, that makes me so happy to hear!! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating, Julie! I really appreciate it.
Could you make a double recipe of this in an 8 quart instapot?
★★★★★
Hi Kathy! I think you could double it and it would still fit in an 8 quart Instapot, but you’d need to check to make sure the volume doesn’t exceed the max fill line.
We just made this recipe and love it. I want to save it, but the link to pin it is not working.
★★★★★
Hi Leslie! I am so happy to hear that. 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it! I am sorry you’re having trouble pinning this recipe. I’m working with my developer to fix the pinning function but in the meantime you can repin from my pin here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/44754590035700629/. Let me know if that isn’t working for you.
This is so delicious. Wonderful flavors! Can this be frozen in batches? Not sure how it would taste after defrosting.
★★★★★
Yay! So pumped that you liked it, Diane. It’s one of my favorites too. And I so appreciate you coming back to leave a comment and star rating too. In terms of freezing this, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure how it would taste after defrosting. Let me know if you decide to try freezing it. I’m curious too!
Just made this tonight. It’s my second time using the Intant Pot. So delicious!
★★★★★