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This easy Butternut Squash Chili is a delicious and hearty meal that the whole family will love. This tasty chili recipe has Instant Pot, stovetop, and meatless options.
Today, with this incredible butternut squash chili, we’re kicking canned soup to the curb and making home cooking cool again.
If you’re looking for chicken chili, you’ll love our easy Instant Pot chicken chili. If you need a bean-free version, Instant Pot turkey chili is the way to go.
Ingredients
WHAT KIND OF BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAN I USE IN Chili?
You can buy butternut squash “pre-cubed” or whole.
I prefer using frozen butternut squash cubes in this chili, because it’s affordable, fast, and easy. You do not need to defrost the squash before adding it to the chili.
How to Make Butternut Squash Chili
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
This will cover the Instant Pot method, but you’ll also find stovetop options in the printable recipe card.
Press “saute” on the Instant Pot and allow it to heat up. Add the ground sausage to the insert of the Instant Pot, and cook until browned {~5 minutes}. Drain any grease
Add the beef broth and use a wooden spoon to deglaze (scrape) any browned sausage off the bottom of the Instant Pot insert. Food stuck to the bottom of an Instant Pot may prevent it from coming to pressure or it may give you a burn notice.
Next up, add the rest of the ingredients: butternut squash, onions, garlic, canned tomatoes, spices, and beans.
Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Then press Manual>High Pressure>8 minutes.
When the chili has finished cooking, the Instant Pot will beep and switch to ”keep warm”. Allow it to sit with the lid on for 10 minutes and then do a manual release with the nozzle set to venting.
Carefully open the lid and give everything a stir. If you’re happy with the consistency, serve it as is and go live your best life.
I love to thicken it up a bit, which requires an easy (but) fast extra step. Start by combining 3 tbsp of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of broth from the instant pot in a small bowl. Whisk it really well and add it back to the chili in the Instant Pot.
Press “saute” again on the Instant Pot and cook the chili with the cornstarch slurry for 3-5 minutes, or until thickened.
Variations
Feel free to make this chili plant-based by replacing the sausage with additional beans, or vegan sausage crumbles. You can also use vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
If you prefer a thicker chili, you can: 1) thicken the finished chili with a cornstarch slurry (see recipe card for details) 2) use an immersion blender to puree a bit of the chili after it has cooked or 3) add 4 oz of softened cream cheese (so good).
If you’re cooking for people with milder tastebuds, you can start by adding less chili powder than recommended. Taste the chili once it has finished cooking, and add more chili powder, a pinch at a time until it is perfect for you.
Make your prep even easier by learning how to freeze garlic and how to freeze onions.
Use any leftover squash to make air fryer butternut squash. And in a pinch, you can use frozen pumpkin instead of butternut squash.
Pro Tips/Recipes Notes
- Once the meat is about halfway cooked, I use a meat masher or pastry cutter to dice it up into really small pieces.
- Sub in stewed tomatoes for diced if you have any. Related: Canning Stewed Tomatoes
Butternut Squash Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground sausage {or ground beef, chicken, or turkey}
- 1.5 cups beef broth
- 2 1/4 cups butternut squash {~10 oz}
- 1 cup onion {diced}
- 4 cloves garlic {minced or pressed}
- 1 can tomato sauce {14 oz}
- 1 can diced tomatoes, including juices {14 oz}
- 1 tbsp chili powder {less for milder chili}
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp prepared BBQ sauce
- 1 can pinto beans {15 oz can, drained}
- 1 can kidney beans {15 oz can, drained}
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Press "Saute" on the Instant Pot and allow it to get hot.
- Add the ground sausage and cook until browned {~5 minutes}. Drain any grease.1 lb ground sausage
- Add beef broth and use a wooden spoon to deglaze (scrape) any browned sausage off the bottom of the Instant Pot insert.1.5 cups beef broth
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir 1-2 times.1 cup onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can diced tomatoes, including juices, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 2 tbsp prepared BBQ sauce, 1 can pinto beans, 1 can kidney beans, 2 1/4 cups butternut squash
- Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>8 minutes.
- When the chili has finished cooking, the Instant Pot will beep and switch to ”keep warm". Allow it to sit with the lid on for 10 minutes and then do a manual release with the nozzle set to venting.
- {OPTIONAL} To thicken: combine 3 tbsp of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of broth from the instant pot in a small bowl (this creates a “slurry”). Whisk really well and stir into the chili. Press "saute" on the Instant Pot and allow it cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with shredded cheese, green onions, sour cream, Greek yogurt, or any of your favorite chili toppings.salt & pepper to taste
Notes
Stovetop Instructions
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In a heavy-bottomed pan (like a dutch oven), brown the meat.
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Use a slotted spoon and transfer it to a bowl. Drain all but 1 tbsp of any fat that remains.
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Add the diced onion in the pan and stirring often, cook them down until soft; about 8 minutes.
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Add the garlic, and cook for an additional minute.
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Add the rest of the ingredients, excluding the beans, and cook for 20 minutes. Mash up the butternut squash in the pot and let it thicken the chili. Some chunks remaining are totally fine!
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Add the beans, and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
