A super easy sweet potato chili recipe, with everything you could ever want in a quick and healthy weeknight meal!
The best sweet potato chili
This classic homemade vegetarian chili recipe has been a favorite in my family for over ten years.
Packed with delicious and wholesome ingredients like sweet potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and black beans, what’s not to love?
Leftovers freeze well too, so it’s a really great healthy recipe for meal prep!
Along with my Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies, this chili is one of the first recipes I ever made without following instructions in a cookbook.
The chili can be vegan, gluten free, Whole 30, paleo, high in protein, and oil free.
Also try these Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Chili serving suggestions
Sliced Avocado
One of these Cauliflower Recipes
Serve over rice or quinoa
Serve over spaghetti squash
Or make up a batch of Applesauce Muffins or these Oatmeal Muffins to go along with your chili.
To make the sweet potato vegetarian chili, start by peeling your sweet potatoes and chopping the onions.
(I love roasting the sweet potato before beginning, but it’s not required.)
In a large pot, bring all ingredients except the zucchini to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low, and cook uncovered (adding zucchini about halfway through) until the sweet potato is soft.
Depending on the size of the potato, it should take around 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
I haven’t tried the recipe in an instant pot, so be sure to report back if you try. There is a slow cooker chili version here: Crock Pot Sweet Potato Chili.
Add a shake of hot sauce for smoky or spicy chili, and feel free to use whatever beans you have on hand. I especially like it as black bean sweet potato chili.
Leftover Sweet Potato? Make this Sweet Potato Salad or these Sweet Potato Brownies.
Above, watch the video of how to make sweet potato chili
The recipe was adapted from my Vegetarian Chili Recipe.
Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato (10 oz)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 can black beans, or beans of choice
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup chopped zucchini, optional
- 2 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 tsp each: cumin and salt
Instructions
- Peel sweet potato, and chop or dice, depending on desired size. (If you have time, I love roasting the sweet potato now, but it's not required.) Bring all ingredients except zucchini to a boil. Then turn to medium-low and cook uncovered (add zucchini about halfway through) until sweet potato is soft. It depends on the size of the potato but should take around 15 minutes. Taste, and add salt and pepper as desired. I add an additional 1/2 tsp salt. Serve with sliced avocado, tortilla chips, or whatever you wish.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Dinner Recipes
I’ve made this chili over 10 times now and get so many compliments on it! Thank you for posting this. Please post more of your savory creations 🙂
I like to add quinoa to this chili, and also replacing the water with 1 cup lager/beer. And instead of chili powder I substituted taco seasoning. So delicious!
How many people does “one giant pot” feed? I need to feed 12 people and I want to make sure I have enough.
It depends on how big your appetites are, but I would recommend doing 1.5 times the recipe. After all, you can always freeze leftovers!
I made this tonight and it was delicious!! I was so excited I burnt my lip, and then my tounge! Apparently the wait until it cools rule needed to be applied… Also, I tried to make the healthy gluten free cornbread recipe you suggested and…well in all the excitement..I forgot to add the sugar…which wouldn’t have been bad if I hadn’t taken a huge bite expecting sweet goodness and the fact that I used unsweetebed apple sauce, thinking i would make it even healthier…Alas my cornbread was ruined..until I put peanut butter on it, which makes everything better, losing the nutritional value..
One of my favourite ways to eat yams (I am more fond of them than sweet potatoes, and they have less sugar!) is to thinly slice them up and bake them in the oven on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Man are they scrumptious! Their taste, if crispy, resembles that of roasted marshmallows..This little treat is healthy, and an amazing substitute for chips, popcorn, and it also makes a great side dish.
Thanks for another great recipe,
Abby
Hey,
Sorry to bug you again, I might be completely blind, but did you post the nutrition info for this recipe? I thought that you did but I could be thinking of the cornbread and now I can’t seem to find it. If you could please point me in the right direction, that would be great.
Thanks,
Abby
This is an early recipe, and Katie had not yet started to post nutrition facts in early 2012.
I just made this for the first time for dinner last night and felt compelled to tell you how delicious it was. The orange zest really makes this dish. I almost left it out, but I wouldn’t recommend it! I made it with your addictive corn bread which was also amazing. I even ate your pumpkin pie oatmeal for breakfast yesterday, too. It was a day full of CCK and it was super yummy. Thanks!!
Katie, have you ever made this in a crock pot?
I’ve never timed it in a crock pot, but it can definitely be done. I think some of the commenters have done it as well. Definitely do-able!
Where can I find the nutritional info on your sweet potato chili? Also, would please add either the serving size and/or how many servings each recipe is for? There are many of your faithful readers that count carbs and protein. Thanks!
I made this last night and it turned out so delicious!!! I substituted a few items to use what I had in my cabinets. I didn’t have chili powder so I just added more cumin. I used northern and kidney beans. I also used crushed tomatoes instead of chunky tomato as my daughters like it more soupy. Lastly I used 5 sweet potatoes just to make a bigger batch:) this one is a keeper! Thanks!
While I’m not vegan or vegetarian, this is probably the best chili I’ve ever had. Thanks for the recipe.
This turned out SO delicious, Katie! It’s become my absolute favorite chili (though I tweaked it a little and added ground beef).