Pumpkin Jalapeno Chili Recipe +Halloween Party Ideas

Pumpkin and jalapeño might not be the first combination that comes to mind when you think of chili, but they make a surprisingly delicious pair. The pumpkin adds a subtle richness and just enough sweetness to balance the heat from the jalapeños, while all the familiar chili spices bring everything together.

A cozy chili with a little pumpkin and a lot of flavor

This Pumpkin Jalapeño Chili is hearty, flavorful, and easy to make, making it a great dinner for a cool fall day or anytime you’re craving a bowl of comforting chili with a little extra kick. It’s the kind of recipe that tastes even better the next day, so make a big pot and enjoy the leftovers for lunch or dinner.

OMG, this is just the best pumpkin chili recipe ever!

So delicious and easy to make, and perfect when the weather starts cooling off. It’s my go-to recipe for Halloween night and Halloween parties. When my kids were young, I would throw a party every year for Halloween! This was one of the most enjoyed recipes. 

We’d do bobbing for apples, and all the fun stuff. 

But as far as the main dish goes, when you have just a few or lots of people to feed, this is the best, the leftovers heat up so well, too.

You can use ground beef, or ground chicken, or ground turkey in this dish if you prefer. 

It’s super fun piled on a bag of Fritos too! I’ll show you later…

Easy Pumpkin Jalapeño Chili with Ground Beef

When I plan a Halloween party, the first thing I think of is the food. Tell me I’m not the only one. For some, it’s the shopping, decorating, or costumes. For me, it’s all about the food.

This Halloween Party features my new Pumpkin Jalapeno Chili. I’ve attempted pumpkin chili before with mediocre results.

This year I got it right. Yippee! I like to keep the food simple and delicious so that I can enjoy the party.

Halloween Party  food

 The party food included caramel apples, Pumpkin Jalapeno Chili, pretzels with caramel and sprinkles, radish eyeballs with cream cheese and olives, breadstick skeleton bones, and mozzarella fingers with grape tomatoes.

But the main event is always chili,

The other recipe I make often is my Green Chicken Chili

Be sure to whip up a batch of my Cornbread Recipe it goes with any variety of chili and is a crowd pleaser!

There were plenty of bags of Fritos to load the chili.

The spiderweb tablecloth made this table really stand out and everyone loved it.

As soon as I saw the witch’s hat and cape, I knew I had to decorate using them. I thought the watermelon made a great witch’s prop, don’t you?

A cozy pumpkin chili recipe with jalapeños for just the right kick

It wouldn’t be Halloween without lots of candy.

Do you keep a candy jar by the door? I do, all year round, you can find something sweet, just in case you need something to grab as you run out the door

What a fun party!

Halloween Party Games

Kids always like eating powdered donuts off the clothesline… without using their hands

They always have fun wrapping each other in toilet paper as mummies…

Bobbing for apples

Running around with brooms like witches and more fun, racing from one end of the yard to the other.

It doesn’t need to be a giant party for kids to have fun; have them invite a friend or two over and have fun.

Mummy cupcakes are always a big hit at Halloween Parties.

This pumpkin chili recipe is bound to be your new Fall favorite recipe, perfect for Halloween, cool evenings, Halloween parties, eating in the drivway with a fire pit while handing out Halloween candy, invite some neighbors over and have fun!

More of my Pumpkin Recipes can be found here