by Melanie
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili is the perfect fall meal. This recipe is easy to prepare. Just simply add in some of your fall favorite vegetables and let your slow cooker do the work. The results will warm you from the inside out!
Slow Cooker Chili is perfect served with cornbread and this butternut squash version is no exception! Any kind of bread or even homemade Buttermilk Biscuits are perfect for dipping and dunking!
Butternut Squash Greatness
My favorite winter vegetable is butternut squash. It’s got a great texture, a sweet taste, and is pretty versatile. You can eat it roasted in salads (with amazing warm apple cider vinaigrette), pasta, of course butternut squash soup… Yeah, it’s pretty awesome. Lately, I’ve been enjoying it in this veggie packed sweet and flavorful Butternut Squash Chili.
This warming chili is loaded with all kinds of veggies and has lots of flavor!
A Healthy Chili Option
Traditional chili is a fall/winter must but sometimes you don’t want something so heavy. Or maybe you’re a vegetarian/vegan or cooking for one. This chili is perfect! It’s comforting and full of so many yummy flavors from all the various veggies. The butternut squash adds a sweet flavor that will make you come back for a second bowl.
Adding lots of veggies makes this chili healthy and delicious! If you’d like to add in extra protein, chicken breasts can be added in (just like I add in my Slow Cooker Chicken Chili) and shredded before serving or you can use ground turkey as well.
Easy Slow Cooker Recipe
I don’t know about you, but the cold weather just makes me want to sit on the couch and cuddle with my kiddos. In other words, I get lazy and don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen.
It’s great when a recipe tastes good but it’s a bonus when it’s basically effortless. For this Butternut Squash Chili, all you have to do is cut up the veggies and toss them all in the Crock-Pot. Let the slow cooker do all the work and after 4 hours you’ll be enjoying a healthy meal that will warm you up from the inside out. And with how many treats and candy we’ll all be eating this fall/winter we could all use a good nourishing meal. Ya know, just to balance things out.
More Fall Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love
- Dr. Pepper Crock Pot Pulled Pork – Only 5 minutes prep!
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
- Crock Pot Cabbage Roll Soup – Reader Favorite!
- Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Slow Cooker Cajun Bean Turkey Soup Recipe
- Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles – Easy comfort food!
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Chili
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
For the Chili
- 1 butternut squash approx. 2 pounds, peeled, cut into half inch pieces
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can great northern beans drained and rinsed
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper each
For the Toppings
- cilantro
- sour cream
- chips
- cheese
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Instructions
- Place all chili ingredients in the slow cooker, mix, and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until butternut squash is tender.
- Remove 2 cups of the chili and mash, return to the pot and stir in.
- Serve with desired toppings.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Add more soup recipes to your meal rotation this fall!
Very good veggie chili. I used fresh tomatoes so added a teaspoon of salt. As most chili’s, better heated up the second day.
So happy you enjoyed it, Lynne! And I couldn’t agree more, leftover chili is the best.
Could you add ground beef or ground chicken cooked separately in fry pan on stove and add to butternut squash chili? Thank you. Tammy
Sure, that sounds delicious Tammy!
He recipes look amazing can’t wait to see more
Thanks Kathy!
I baked the squah 40 minutes at 350° and let it cool to make peeling and chopping easy.
Can you cook this recipe on low for 8 hrs?
That should work just fine!
How much water do I use
This recipe uses broth, water is not required.
Hey! I’m just in the process of making. I don’t have the northern beans. I could add another black bean. But wondering about a can of chickpeas? Would they become too mushy?
Do you recommend more black beans or go with chickpeas?
If I wanted to add quinoa. When would I do so?
Thanks so much
Chick peas would work great! THey tend to hold their shape well when cooked. I’ve never added quinoa, so my suggestion would be to serve the chili over the quinoa. Enjoy Kris!
Butternut squash chili was absolutely delicious and very easy to make even thhe kids ate it I recommend you try it I’m sure you will like it
Excellent recipe! I decided to make this at the last minute to use up a butternut squash and poblano pepper in my fridge Didn’t have Great Northern beans, so used 2 cans of black beans. Also didn’t have red bell pepper, so added 1 cup of frozen corn for variety. Used veggie stock to make this meatless for Lent. The squash gives it a slight sweet flavor. Served with some shredded Monterey Jack cheese and tortilla chips. Delicious!!
Can you substitute the great northern beans out for red lentils?
Hi Liz, we have only made this recipe as listed but would love to hear how it turns out with lentils! Enjoy!
i loved the results of this soup. the roasted garlic and cooked down shallots gave it depth. I used two medium butternut squash and it came out to about 6 quarts of soup, most of which is gone now! Thanks
I am so glad you liked this chili recipe Moses!
This chili turned out for me to make two dishes in one. I discovered I didn’t quite prefer the taste of the butternut squash inside the chili and decided I would make it again leaving out the squash. Then I fished out the butternut pieces, sprayed them with butter, salt, and pepper and it tasted AMAZING. So I decided I will make it again exactly the same way, butternut included, but will separate from the chili before serving. The chili without squash was DELICIOUS served with some fresh salsa and sweet onions. Superb!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m so glad you loved the chili Diane!
Could you please recommend a substitute for the maple syrup?
Hi Pat, this recipe doesn’t contain maple syrup.
Totally Awesome! I did not bother to cut the Squash into squares but after using a potato peeler I used a Meat Cleaver to cut the Butternut Squash into slim circle shapes. After cooking for a while, I did find that the Butternut Squash circles easily broke into two with just a spoon. Before cooking it was so picturesque that I share pictures of it on my email, facebook, and Twitter. It tasted so good. A thousand thanks.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Earl!!
I made this and added cayenne pepper, 1/3 cup quinoa and a sprig of fresh rosemary and some coriander! Sooooo delicious!
Yummy additions!
how many ounces for the can of tomatoes?! thanks! this looks awesome
This recipe needs 14.5oz can of tomatoes.
Do you know if this butternut chili could be frozen?Same goes for chicken chili and pumpkin soup. I like to make these kinds of things and freeze for another dinner or lunch. Thanks
Yes, this recipe would freeze well.
This is brilliant! I just had spaghetti squash at a restaurant last night – and I couldn’t think of how they cooked it so well! This must be how! So glad to have read this – perfect timing!
Victoria Tegg
Glad we could help Victoria! Enjoy!