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Chicken Chili with Pumpkin & Chocolate

Chili loves pumpkin and chocolate! Use these fun ingredients to help revitalize an old favourite. The pumpkin adds fibre and body while the chocolate and cocoa powder blend in creating rich, smooth flavour. Make this quick, warming dish with lean ground chicken to hit the spot on a cold day.
Serves: 8
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 45 min

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion(s), diced
3 cups pumpkin, fresh, peeled and diced
or
3 cups butternut squash, fresh, peeled and diced
½ jalapeño pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
½ tsp cinnamon, ground
1 lb lean ground chicken
2 cups tomato sauce, unsalted
1 cup water
1 tbsp chocolate chips, dark, semi-sweet
2 cups canned lentils, with liquid
2 cups canned black beans, with liquid
¼ tsp salt
8 sprigs cilantro, fresh, optional garnish

Food Safety

Before you start, wash all surfaces and your hands with soap and warm water, and remember to wash your hands, utensils and cutting boards after they touch raw meat or eggs. Avoid cross-contamination by using a different cutting board for your meat and other ingredients. Make sure you’re cooking to safe temperatures and chilling any leftovers within two hours. For more food safety tips, visit our Food Safety at Home Section.

Steps

  1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and stir and sauté until softened.

  2. Peel and cut fresh pumpkin into ½ inch (12.5 mL) cubes. Add to the onions with the minced jalapeno pepper and garlic. Sprinkle over chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, unsweetened cocoa powder and cinnamon. Stir and mix well.

  3. Add ground chicken and sauté until cooked through. Use the back of a wooden spoon to break the meat into smaller pieces during cooking.

  4. Pour over tomato sauce and water. Stir well. Mix in unsweetened chocolate chips and the lentils and black beans with their liquid. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes. Season with additional salt if desired.

  5. To serve garnish bowls with fresh sprigs of cilantro (optional garnish).

Nutrition Info

Per 300 g serving Amount
Calories300
Protein20 g
Fat11 g
Saturated Fat0.5 g
Carbohydrate32 g
Fibre8 g
Sugar6 g
Cholesterol45 mg
Sodium350 mg
Per 300 g serving % Daily Value
Potassium23
Calcium6
Iron25
Vitamin A20
Vitamin C25
Vitamin B618
Folate79
Zinc17