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
InstructionsÂ
- 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
Mmm.. sweet potatoes… and your recipe is similar to one we use all the time! (Ours has celery and slightly different seasoning.) Love those sweet potatoes… mashed, roasted, stews, pies, maple glazed… every way!
I don’t usually go for chili, but this looks DELISH!!!!!!
My two favorite ways to use sweet potatoes are both with black beans as chili or fajitas/tacos. I put my chili over quinoa to make it stretch farther and add more protein.
I like sweet potatoes any old way. Hey next time you make your chili, throw in a big handful of raw cashews and cook them with the veggies. I make vegan chili and started adding those recently and now I don’t eat it without them. So delic and lots of added protein and flavor.
I love sweet potato chili! I make mine in the slow cooker so that it is done for me by the time I get home from work!
This looks absolutely delicious!!! I can’t wait to try it out when I get home, and I’m so glad it’s gluten free!
This looks like a great recipe! As a matter of fact, I like to bake a sweet potato and top it with some spicy homemade chili. Another way I like to make them, which sounds weird, but in a parfait where I use a cubed, cooked sweet potato and top it with nonfat vanilla greek yogurt, cinnamon, and chopped pecans.
I’m not a big fan of sweet potatoes, though I do like simple baked sweet potato fries – tossed with a little olive oil and sea salt then baked. Good stuff. I agree with your readers, bring on the savory recipes too! I’m always on the lookout for healthier desserts and savory recipes. I’m new to your blog, so I’m excited to see what comes.
Chili is such a comforting meal! I wasn’t able to comment yesterday because I was traveling, but I would love to see more recipes like this AND see some personal posts. I’m just a nosy person.
So far, the only way I can say I really enjoy sweet potatoes is in the form of a french fry or puff (like a tater tot). I have really tried to like them, I just can’t get over the mushy texture. Maybe this chili would be the way to go. We are avid chili makers…
I just added this to my Pininterest board. Can’t wait to try it! I really prefer sweet taters eaten in savory ways. They’re sweet enough on their own. 🙂
This looks delicious! I wonder if it could be made in a slow-cooker?
I bet it could! I really need to get my slow cooker out and play around with it. I have no idea why that contraption intimidates me so much!
Actually mi madre was pretty intimidated by the Crockpot my dad got her. Well. brave woman she is, she dunked in the ingredients turned it on, and TADA- chilli! Even my 10 year old sister uses the slow cooker. Super easy 🙂
Katie,
I think it’s amazing and wonderful that you’re following your heart about the changes you’re going to make with your blog. That’s something that’s really been in my heart the past few days, too–posting things that are not only helpful and interesting to readers, but also meaningful to me. I don’t think we ever can go astray as long as we are listening to what’s in our hearts.
Thank you for what you do!
Love seeing the savory recipe! And I love sweet potatoes. I like to stuff them with quinoa, dried cranberries, cinnamon, pecans, and maple syrup.
I think my favourite way to eat sweet potatoes is mixed with regular spuds in a gratin. Mmmm. Let me know when you concoct a healthy bechamel recipe
OMG sweet-potato is my favourite food ever! can u make a chocolate sweet-potato desert? 🙂
You can sub the pumpkin for mashed sweet potato in these! https://lett-trim.today/2011/11/11/chocolate-pumpkin-pie-brownies%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E