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
This looks AWESOME! And the photography is just beautiful! The green with the orange, the overhead shot..it makes me want to make a batch today! Except we are having a hot snap and it was 81 here yesterday but next week…perfect!
Sweet potato drizzled with tahini and maple syrup – I think the skin is the best bit. Your chilli sounds awesome… love black beans 🙂
I eat mine plain, or baked with a squeeze of orange or lemon juice. YUM 🙂
Such a unique recipe. Did you use ground cumin or the cumin seeds?
Ground cumin 🙂
I eat all my sweet taters cold with cinnamon and almond butter!! Nummmmmy
I love to addition of new savory posts! But I’m not going to lie… I do *love* your cookies & sweet desserts 🙂
That looks really good. Now I get to add a dinner recipe to my list!
I actually hate sweet potatoes. It freaks me out that they are sweet. I want my potatoes savory! 🙂
wow it looks amazing!! I was going to make yam and blackbean tacos this week but i may change my mind after seeing that. your recipes alway look amazing!! Have a great day!!
I LOVE sweet potato chili! It’s a great way to sneak something healthy into my 6 year old. And my husband. LOL 🙂 My favorite way to eat sweet potatoes is NEW. I just came across a recipe the other day and will be posting it on my blog soon – basically you cook and mash a sweet potato. Mix in some coconut and brown sugar – I added about half a cup of coconut and 3T brown sugar to two large sweet potatoes. Form little sweet potato balls, roll them in a little more coconut, and refrigerate for an hour or so. THEY ARE SO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD!! Even the 6 year old ate a few 🙂
I looooove sweet potatoes; they’re my favorite food! I bake my until they get super tender and then puree the flesh in a food processor with almond milk until they’re smooth, creamy, and delicious. I would love to see more sweet potato recipes (mayber sweet potato oatmeal?).
Oooh sweet potato oatmeal would be AWESOME
Oven roasted with onions and garlic. 🙂
Mm… This sounds awesome. I’m not usually a big person for sweet potato but this sounds awesome. That and I’m trying to get my family to eat more healthy/low GI foods, i.e. more legumes.
Oh – and sliced up as oven fries. But this sounds much much better c:
This looks like a chili recipe that I would actually like!
Throw a little chocolate in there and it would be even better! Just kidding…kinda.
Love the recipes!
I literally JUST finished eating a baked sweet potato! 🙂 Love em! My fave way to eat them is fry style with sea salt and ketchup. I like my sweet potatoes savory style, not sweet. 🙂