Crowd pleasing sweet potato turkey chili with black beans! Easy, healthy & simple, this delicious stovetop chili is packed with smoky, spicy flavor. And a touch of sweetness from the potatoes & cinnamon! Excellent for dinner or parties.

Happy 2019!! And we’re kicking off the new year right with this sweet potato turkey chili with black beans.

It’s smoky, it’s spicy, it’s got a touch of warmth, a hint of sweetness. Or as my husband likes to call it, the best chili I’ve ever made.

It’s a bold statement, I know. BUT. I must say that I might just agree with him.

Because between the flavor and the almost creamy, thick texture, this chili is just darn good.

Especially when served with ALL the toppings. My personal favorites? Cashew sour cream, fresh chopped cilantro and dreamy sliced avocado. 

This sweet potato chili just gets better and better as it sits, making it excellent for leftovers (or freezing!) and perfect for parties. Game day here we come.

Now. I didn’t put this in the weeknight category (as it takes a smidge over an hour to make). BUT I will say that it is totally doable during the week. Once you get it simmering away on the stovetop, all you need to do is just stir every so often.

It’s a healthy, easy dinner coming right up.

How To Make Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

Alright, let’s talk about how this turkey chili goes down.

We start by sautéing some red onion and bell pepper in a large stockpot. Once tender, we add in ground turkey and cook until no longer pink.

Next, we add in diced sweet potatoes, canned tomatoes, black beans, a bit of broth and plenty of spices (including smoky chipotle peppers in adobo sauce!). It all gets stirred together and then simmers away until the veggies are perfectly soft and the chili has thickened up.

NOW. Let’s talk about a step that may seem a bit odd but really makes the chili pop. Once it’s finished cooking, we’ll blend a small portion (about 2 cups) until mostly smooth and then stir back into the rest of the chili.

This helps give the chili the perfect final texture and makes it somehow taste as if it’s been simmering for much much longer. {You can see the difference in texture when you compare the above photo (which is the chili right after it’s finished cooking) to the photo below (which shows it after it’s been blended).}  

This is a trick I learned from Cookie and Kate’s homemade vegetarian chili – which is also a recipe I highly recommend!

Tips & Tricks

1. Let’s chat about the sweet potatoes. First and foremost – make sure that you cut the sweet potatoes into the listed ½ inch chunks. This ensures that they’ll cook in the allotted time. Now, I like to leave the skin on (since there’s so many great nutrients in there), but you could absolutely peel the sweet potatoes if desired. Totally up to you.
2. If you don’t like spice, you can use less chipotle peppers to taste. As written, the chili isn’t super spicy (at least in my opinion!), but you could definitely cut it down to one chipotle pepper and go from there.
3. Now, you want to maintain a gentle simmer once you get your chili going. I need to turn the heat down over time and eventually turn it all the way down to low (usually for the last 15 minutes). So keep an eye on it. And don’t forget to stir occasionally – this is important as it starts to thicken up and will help prevent the bottom from burning.
4. I mention this above but let’s talk briefly about pureeing a portion of your chili in a blender. While I think this gives the finished product the perfect texture, you absolutely don’t need to do it (but I would encourage you to give it a try!). I blend about two ladlefuls of chili and always need to add a splash of broth to get it going. It won’t be perfectly smooth but that’s okay – we just want it mostly pureed before adding back to the pot.
5. And finally, keep in mind that the chili will thicken up even more as leftovers. I like to keep some extra broth on hand to thin it out a bit before reheating.

Now grab a spoon and let’s dig in.

Additional Chili Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Dairy Free White Chicken Chili
• Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Quinoa Chili
• Slow Cooker Green Chicken Chili with Quinoa
• White Bean Salsa Verde Chili with Lentils and Quinoa
• Crockpot Vegetarian Chili with Farro
• Vegetarian Pumpkin Lentil Chili
• Sausage and Beef Chili

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.