Easy Pumpkin Chili Sauce
This 5-ingredient Easy Pumpkin Chili Sauce is spicy, sweet, and oh so scrumptious. This sauce can be prepared in less than 10 minutes and pairs perfectly with everything from appetizers, mains, and sides.
This Easy Pumpkin Chili Sauce always has my daughter and me licking our fingers and our plates. I have been making this sauce for a while now. And it’s a recipe that does not disappoint.
What are the ingredients needed to make this pumpkin chili sauce?
You need only 5 ingredients to make this sauce, and they are:
- maple syrup,
- 100% pure pumpkin puree,
- fresh garlic,
- red wine vinegar, and
- chili flakes.
Can this sauce really be ready in less than 10 minutes?
Most definitely! All you need to do to prepare this pumpkin chili sauce is to add the ingredients to a heavy bottom pan and let them simmer for 4 – 6 minutes, stirring vigorously, so they don’t burn.
The hardest step in making this sauce is peeling the garlic and grating it. The next hardest step is opening the can of pumpkin puree.
How do you serve this sauce?
This pumpkin chili sauce can be served warm or cold.
In the past, I have slathered chicken drumsticks with this sauce. I have also served it on top of little phyllo dough appetizers.
These days I usually serve this sauce with everything from these Baked Purple Sweet Potato Fritters to this roasted cabbage. Sometimes, I make a batch of this and serve it on a charcuterie board along with some mango chutney, sweet chili sauce, veggie crudites, homemade crackers, and some cut-up pita bread.
This sauce happened one day when I wanted to make a batch of some homemade sweet chili sauce and did not have any tomato paste.
I did have some pumpkin puree and decided to experiment with it instead. And, the result was simply delicious.
From September 2018:
I first shared this pumpkin chili sauce when my daughter and I attended a football game at the University of GA in Athens. On game days, the little college town of Athens would transform into a sea of red and black in anticipation of a Bulldogs win.
Now, I am not a football fan at all. If I am invited to a friend’s place to watch a game, I show up. But, truth be told, I have no idea who is playing who or even for that matter what sport it is. The main attraction for me is the table of food!
One time we even had a tailgating get-together, and my daughter and I went all out and decked out the truck of my car! We had chicken drumsticks with pumpkin chili sauce, some phyllo appetizers (recipe below), and a plethora of drinks, and veggies.
How do you make these Potato Hatch Chili Phyllo Shells?
Ingredients to make these appetizers are:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- onion
- fresh garlic
- yellow potatoes
- hatch chilies
- coriander
- smoked paprika
- parsley
- And store-bought phyllo shells (baked according to pkg directions)
Directions to make these appetizers:
- Peel and finely chop up the onion and garlic.
- Place a pan over medium heat with the EVOO. Then add chopped onion and garlic into the pan and let sauté about 7-10 minutes, stirring ever so often to keep onion and garlic from burning.
- While onion and garlic are cooking, wash and dice potatoes into very tiny pieces and hatch chilies too. Then add diced potato and hatch chili to onion and garlic mix along with the smoked paprika, 1 tsp of the parsley and coriander.
- Turn the heat down a bit and sauté about 10 more minutes or until potato bits are tender.
- Taste at this point and season with salt and pepper accordingly.
- Spoon potato hatch chili mix into pre baked phyllo shells.
- Garnish with the remaining tsp of parsley and chili flakes (optional).
- Add a small dollop of the pumpkin chili sauce onto the Potato Hatch Chili Phyllo Shells and enjoy!
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup 100% pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 4 cloves fresh garlic
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp red pepper flakes or 1 tablespoon for a less spicy sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Pumpkin Chili Sauce
- Add maple syrup, pumpkin puree, red wine vinegar, and chili flakes to a pan over medium/low heat.
- Peel the garlic cloves.
- Using a grater, carefully grate the garlic cloves into the maple pumpkin puree mix in the pan.
- Let cook for 4-6 minutes over medium/low heat, stirring often. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and enjoy as a marinade or topping.
Super yummy! Can’t wait to try your pumpkin chili sauce since I adore spicy flavour and pumpkin!
Oh man, I miss tailgating in the South! It’s just not the same up here in the northeast. Everyone loves their pro football, and I can’t find anyone to talk college football with me! Speaking of college football, I learned that one of the best times to go grocery shopping was actually in the middle of a football game. The place was deserted! (Of course, I was usually watching that game or at the stadium myself.)
What a fun idea to make a pumpkin chili sauce. I’ve never thought about that combo of flavors, but it could totally work. I need to try this…and ASAP! I’ll be down there for gameday, ok? 🙂
That all looks as good as good can be and a whole lot of fun!
These recipes will be a hit for tailgating, or for supper- what an awesome use of pumpkin!
Oh my goodness, you’re my fav tailgating event person!!! This looks incredible n I’ve to try those shells soon
The spicy pumpkin chili sauce looks incredible! I can’t wait to try it!!
I am loving all the pumpkin recipes! Fantastic pumpkin tailgating recipes. The pumpkin chili sauce sounds so versatile and perfect to make in the fall!
My best childhood memories are of tailgating before University of Oregon games. Football season is definitely one of my favorites and now I MUST TRY your pumpkin chili sauce. I’m thinking next Saturday. . .with maybe a few practice runs before then. You know, just to be sure I have the hang of it before game day :). YUM!
WOW! I love this pumpkin-based sauce. But what you’ve put it on is really fantastic! Your photos are great – happy football season!
When I saw this roasted chicken, I almost passed out as it looks fantastic, Shashi (Thus, the recipe must be declared dangerous and removed from the Internet haha). Love this pumpkin sauce, so unique. The combo of pumpkin, honey, garlic, and chilli must be delicious, so I’ll need to give it a try (Well I’ll just reduce the amount of hot peppers a bit to my liking…like only 1/4 teaspoon) 🙂 Great job!
What a great way to dive into tailgating. Really loving that Bulldog spirit. But then living in Sweden I have, as they say (I think), “No dog in that fight”. Your pumpkin chili sauce sounds amazing, got to have some, but we can’t easily get pumpkin puree here. What do you think of using baked butternut squash puree?
My best childhood memories are of tailgating before University of Oregon games. Football season is definitely one of my favorites and now I MUST TRY your pumpkin chili sauce. I’m thinking next Saturday. . .with maybe a few practice runs before then. You know, just to be sure I have the hang of it before game day :). YUM!
What a great way to dive into tailgating. Really loving that Bulldog spirit. But then living in Sweden I have, as they say (I think), “No dog in that fight”. Your pumpkin chili sauce sounds amazing, got to have some, but we can’t easily get pumpkin puree here. What do you think of using baked butternut squash puree?
I am loving all the pumpkin recipes! Fantastic pumpkin tailgating recipes. The pumpkin chili sauce sounds so versatile and perfect to make in the fall!
Oh my goodness, you’re my fav tailgating event person!!! This looks incredible n I’ve to try those shells soon
The spicy pumpkin chili sauce looks incredible! I can’t wait to try it!!
These recipes will be a hit for tailgating, or for supper- what an awesome use of pumpkin!
That all looks as good as good can be and a whole lot of fun!
When I saw this roasted chicken, I almost passed out as it looks fantastic, Shashi (Thus, the recipe must be declared dangerous and removed from the Internet haha). Love this pumpkin sauce, so unique. The combo of pumpkin, honey, garlic, and chilli must be delicious, so I’ll need to give it a try (Well I’ll just reduce the amount of hot peppers a bit to my liking…like only 1/4 teaspoon) 🙂 Great job!
Oh this is a great idea using pumpkin! So easy and looks like a great sauce for appetizers!
This sauce sounds sound so good and what a happy accident!
Never tried pumpkin chili sauce before. Sounds so delicious. Pinned to make this soon.
Gimme all the pumpkin things. So happy to have another pumpkin recipe!
Love how easy this delicious sauce comes together. Fabulous as a dip and topping for so many autumn appetizers. Sweet, spicy and savory deliciousness.
Going to try this on Tofu rice bowl.