Name: Guinness Pumpkin Chili
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into ¼-inch pieces; 1 large sweet onion, chopped; 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped; 4 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped; ¼ cup chili powder; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 2 teaspoons salt; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 2 (12-ounce) bottles Guinness Stout; 1 (29-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree; 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained; 1 cup chicken broth, plus more as needed; 1–2 bay leaves; 2 cups peeled sweet potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes; 2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; Diced avocado; Sour cream; Chopped fresh cilantro; Diced red onion; Tortilla chips

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Guinness pumpkin chili with beef, kidney beans and sweet potatoes in a white bowl

Guinness pumpkin chili is a hearty beef chili made with stout, pumpkin puree, sweet potatoes and kidney beans. Ground beef gives the broth body, while finely diced stew meat adds tender bites. Smoky chipotle and a little cinnamon round out a savory pot that makes approximately 10 servings-just right for a fall dinner with leftovers or a game-day table.

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and about 1 hour 45 minutes of stovetop cooking. Give the diced beef the time it needs to become tender before adding the sweet potatoes. If you're choosing dinner for a chilly evening, you'll find more ideas in these fall dinner recipes.

Overhead view of Guinness pumpkin chili with lime and tortilla chips

I wanted a savory way to use pumpkin, and the combination of ground beef and finely diced stew meat gives this chili the hearty texture I was after. The pumpkin blends into the broth; the visible cubes in the finished pot are sweet potatoes.

Ingredients You'll Need

Ground beef, finely diced beef, pumpkin puree, stout, sweet potatoes and kidney beans

Beef: Ground beef and finely diced beef stew meat.
Vegetables and peppers: Chopped sweet onion and red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced jalapeños, minced garlic, and chopped chipotle peppers in adobo.
Seasonings: Chili powder, ground cumin, salt, ground cinnamon, and bay leaves.
The base: Guinness Stout, plain pumpkin puree, undrained diced tomatoes with green chiles, and chicken broth.
Late additions: Peeled, cubed sweet potatoes, drained canned red kidney beans, and fresh lime juice.
Optional toppings: Diced avocado, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, diced red onion, and tortilla chips.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Choose a standard 10-ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chiles; keep its juices.

For milder chili, use 1-2 jalapeños and 1 chipotle pepper, along with mild diced tomatoes with green chiles. Pinto or black beans can replace the kidney beans in the same amount, and peeled butternut squash can replace the sweet potatoes.

Tools That Make It Easier

I use these tools when I make Guinness pumpkin chili.

Large, heavy pot or Dutch oven with lid
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Measuring cups and spoons
Large bowl for browned meat
Wooden or silicone cooking utensil
Ladle
Food thermometer
Beautiful 6-quart 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker (for the alternate method)

How to Make Guinness Pumpkin Chili

Brown the meat, build the stout-and-pumpkin base, then let the beef become nearly tender before adding the sweet potatoes and beans.

1. Brown both kinds of beef

Pat the diced stew meat dry with paper towels. Prepare the vegetables and measure the seasonings before starting. Set the sweet potatoes, kidney beans, and lime juice aside to add toward the end of cooking.

Heat a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 5-7 minutes, breaking it into crumbles. Transfer to a bowl, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon of rendered fat in the pot.

Brown the diced stew meat in the reserved fat for 5-7 minutes, working in batches if needed. Transfer it to the bowl with the ground beef.

Diced beef browning in a red Dutch oven with cooked ground beef set aside

2. Soften the vegetables and bloom the spices

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.

Stir in the garlic, chipotle peppers, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cinnamon. Cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Onion and peppers coated in chili spices in a red Dutch oven

3. Add the stout and simmer gently

Pour in the Guinness and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits. Stir in the pumpkin, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, and both meats, including any accumulated juices.

Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and cook for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the diced beef is nearly tender. Add broth in small amounts if the chili becomes too thick.

Beef in pumpkin and stout broth with bay leaves before adding potatoes and beans

4. Add the sweet potatoes and beans

Stir in the sweet potatoes and kidney beans. Continue simmering for 20-30 minutes, or until the cubes are tender and the beef yields easily when pressed with a fork. Allow additional time if needed.

Kidney beans and diced sweet potatoes being added to beef chili

5. Finish with lime and serve

Remove the bay leaves and stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Ladle into bowls and serve with your choice of toppings.

Finished pumpkin chili served beside fresh lime and a gold spoon

Tips for Guinness Pumpkin Chili

Pat the diced stew meat dry before browning. Work in batches when needed so the meat can sear instead of steaming.

Keep the sweet potatoes, kidney beans, and lime juice separate during prep so you can add each at the right stage.

How to Keep the Beef Tender and the Potatoes Intact

Check the beef before adding the sweet potatoes. If it still feels firm, keep simmering the beef first; adding the cubes later keeps them from breaking down while the meat finishes.

Keep the simmer gentle and stir occasionally, reaching the bottom of the pot. If the chili gets too thick before the meat is ready, add chicken broth in small amounts. A little lime juice at the end brightens the stout-and-pumpkin broth.

The Best Way to Store Leftovers

Refrigerate in shallow, airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking. Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions or a larger batch to 165°F, adding a little broth as needed.

Freeze the chili without toppings for up to 3 months, leaving room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The sweet potatoes may soften further after freezing.

What to Serve with Guinness Pumpkin Chili

Cornbread, warm flour tortillas or tortilla chips work well alongside this hearty chili. Offer avocado, sour cream, cilantro and diced red onion in small bowls so everyone can finish their own serving.

Try sweet cornbread or green chile and cheddar corn muffins for dipping. For a crisp side, pickled cabbage slaw gives the meal a bright contrast.

Sweet Cornbread

Green Chile & Cheddar Corn Muffins

Pickled Cabbage Slaw

Low-angle view of pumpkin chili in a white ceramic bowl

A Few More Questions

Does pumpkin make the chili sweet?

Plain pumpkin puree adds body and earthy flavor. The sweet potatoes bring a little sweetness, balanced here with beef, stout, peppers and lime. Do not use sweetened pumpkin pie filling.

Can I leave out the beer?

Yes. Replace both 12-ounce bottles of Guinness with 3 cups beef broth for the alcohol-free version. Keep the separate 1 cup chicken broth in the ingredient list. The finished chili will be less malty.

Can I make this in a pressure cooker?

This recipe includes stovetop and Beautiful slow-cooker directions. A pressure-cooker method has not been provided for this tested version, so use one of those methods.

Close-up of beef, kidney beans and sweet potato pieces in pumpkin chili

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Recipe

Guinness Pumpkin Chili

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Guinness pumpkin chili combines two kinds of beef, sweet potatoes and kidney beans in a smoky, stout-rich broth. A hearty pot for fall dinners and game day.

Author: Jennifer Locklin
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Yield: Approximately 10 servings 1x
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American, Tex-Mex

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 pound ground beef
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
¼ cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 (12-ounce) bottles Guinness Stout
1 (29-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 cup chicken broth, plus more as needed
1-2 bay leaves
2 cups peeled sweet potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Optional Toppings

Diced avocado
Sour cream
Chopped fresh cilantro
Diced red onion
Tortilla chips

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Instructions

Pat the diced stew meat dry with paper towels. Prepare the vegetables and measure the seasonings before starting. Set the sweet potatoes, kidney beans, and lime juice aside to add toward the end of cooking.
Heat a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 5-7 minutes, breaking it into crumbles. Transfer to a bowl, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon of rendered fat in the pot.
Brown the diced stew meat in the reserved fat for 5-7 minutes, working in batches if needed. Transfer it to the bowl with the ground beef.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.
Stir in the garlic, chipotle peppers, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cinnamon. Cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Pour in the Guinness and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits. Stir in the pumpkin, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, and both meats, including any accumulated juices.
Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and cook for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the diced beef is nearly tender. Add broth in small amounts if the chili becomes too thick.
Stir in the sweet potatoes and kidney beans. Continue simmering for 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the beef yields easily when pressed with a fork. Allow additional time if needed.
Remove the bay leaves and stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Ladle into bowls and serve with your choice of toppings.

Notes

Beautiful 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker Method

Estimated cooking time: 25-30 minutes browning, followed by 6-8 hours on LOW or 4-5 hours on HIGH.

These directions use the Beautiful 6-quart model's SEAR/SAUTÉ, SLOW COOK, and SIMMER functions. Leave at least 2 inches between the chili and the top of the cooking pot; reduce the batch if necessary.

Select SEAR/SAUTÉ, set the temperature to 350°F, and set the timer for 30 minutes. With the lid off, brown the ground beef, then the diced beef, following the stovetop method. Transfer the meat to a bowl.
Cook the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños in the reserved fat until softened. Add the garlic, chipotles, and dry seasonings; stir for 30 seconds.
Add the Guinness and scrape the pot with a wooden or silicone utensil. Stir in the pumpkin, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, and browned meat.
End the sauté cycle. Cover and select SLOW COOK. Use TEMP to choose LO and TIME to set 8 hours, or choose HI and set 5 hours. Press the power button to begin. These are recipe timing estimates; check the beef for tenderness before serving.
Add the sweet potatoes for the final 2-3 hours on LOW or 1½-2 hours on HIGH. Add the drained kidney beans during the final 30 minutes. Continue cooking until the beef and sweet potatoes are tender.
For thicker chili, select SIMMER, choose level 1, and cook uncovered for 10-20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Discard the bay leaves, stir in the lime juice, and serve with toppings.

Recipe Notes

Ingredients: Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The diced tomatoes with green chiles are written for a standard 10-ounce can.

Substitutions: Replace kidney beans with an equal amount of canned pinto or black beans. Peeled butternut squash can replace the sweet potatoes. For an alcohol-free version, substitute 3 cups beef broth for the Guinness; the flavor will be less malty.

Heat level: For milder chili, use 1-2 jalapeños and 1 chipotle pepper. Choose mild diced tomatoes with green chiles.

Cooking time: Stew meat varies by cut. Use tenderness as the final guide, and give the beef additional simmering time before adding the sweet potatoes if it remains firm.

Serving suggestions and pairings: Serve with cornbread, warm flour tortillas, or tortilla chips. A cabbage slaw or simple green salad makes a useful side.

Storage: Refrigerate in shallow, airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking. Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions or a larger batch to 165°F, adding a little broth as needed.

Freezing: Freeze without toppings in airtight containers for up to 3 months, leaving room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The sweet potatoes may soften further after freezing.