I Asked 5 Chefs the Secret to Better Chili, and Their Answers Were Identical

Few dishes inspire such loyalty and debate as chili. It's cozy enough for a snow day, competitive enough for a firehouse cook-off, and forgiving enough to absorb whatever cans of beans and tomato products you’ve got rattling around the pantry. So when I went looking for one simple upgrade—one stir-in that could add richness, deepen flavor, and improve texture without turning chili into a fussy project—I didn’t expect consensus.

But five chefs all gave me the same answer: canned pumpkin purée. And it's probably still in your pantry, left over from peak sweater-weather PSL-everything season.

Meet the Experts

• Emily Dixon: Recipe Developer and Founder of One Lovely Life
• Stephanie Pixley: Recipe Developer/Chef and Deputy Food Editor at America's Test Kitchen
• Kendra Vaculin: Recipe Developer and Food Writer
• Rebecca Schlosberg, MS, RDN: Baker and culinary dietitian
• Jessica Gavin: Certified Culinary Scientist and author of Easy Culinary Science for Better Cooking

The Secret to Better Chili

Before you panic: no, pumpkin doesn't turn your chili into a "fall y'all" situation. It's naturally starchy, giving chili a richer, heartier body and texture without flour, cornstarch, or over-reducing. Its mild flavor and sweetness disappear into bold, spiced chili, rounding out heat and acidity for perfect balance.

Dixon credits canned pumpkin purée for helping her chili win blue ribbons—and repeat invitations. She relies on its subtle, smooth texture, which she says "blends easily into boldly seasoned recipes...without dominating the flavor."

While she wouldn't recommend it in white or green chilis, she’s had readers report success everywhere else. "It has been entered into office, neighborhood, and church cook-offs across the country, and even a county fair," she says. Friends, judges, and guests "love that it's thick and hearty, and while it doesn't taste pumpkiny, [it adds] that extra little something that keeps people coming back for more."

Pixley recalls the first using canned pumpkin while developing Nutritious Delicious at America's Test Kitchen, where the goal was maximizing nutrition without sacrificing flavor. "It was a nifty trick...it added a silky vegetal backbone without having too distinctive of a flavor," she explains.

But Pixley didn't stop once the cookbook was finished. Pumpkin remains her go-to trick to thicken her chilis without overshadowing the classic aromatics and spices that make chili, chili. Health benefits may have sparked the idea, but she keeps using it because it works, not because it’s virtuous.

Vaculin agrees: pumpkin's slightly vegetal flavor "plays nicely with other chili inclusions like meat, dried or fresh chiles, and beans." She uses it in both meaty chilis and bean-based chilis and recommends cooking the purée with aromatics, like tomato paste, to remove excess moisture.

From a food science perspective, Gavin was instantly sold. "I’m always looking at what ingredients can do functionally, and pumpkin purée immediately stood out," she explains. It acts as a natural thickener, giving chili a more cohesive body, similar to what you'd get from a long simmer. "Plus, canned pumpkin is convenient and consistent, so it’s an easy way to add depth, nutrients, and texture with minimal effort."

Schlosberg first discovered pumpkin as a dairy-free substitute for heavy cream to thicken soups, then realized it worked beautifully in stews and chilis. Along with a luxurious texture and balanced flavor, pumpkin adds fiber and so many good-for-you nutrients like Vitamin A (from beta-carotene), fiber, potassium, and antioxidants—making chili feel more satisfying without feeling healthier.