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This Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili is a simple, dump and go dinner that is hearty and packed full of veggies. Take 15 minutes in the morning to prep and come back to dinner ready in the crock pot hours later. Perfect with all the toppings. Not up for vegetarian tonight? Easy to add your favorite meat as well!
There is nothing better than a warm bowl of soup to bring you right into the moment.
When I want a dump and go chili recipe that uses up a lot of pantry staples, this Crockpot Sweet Potato Chili is my go-to recipe. (For a quick stove top recipe, this Turkey Chili is my FAVE--in case you came for a quick recipe!)
Perfect served with all the toppings and easy to pack in extra veggies--can't be beat!
Why You Will Love This Sweet Potato Chili:
- It is a simple dump and go dinner recipe. Take just 15 minutes in the morning to chop the veggies (or even less time if you grab pre-chopped or frozen) and then toss everything into the crockpot and stir. This Crockpot Sweet Potato chili will be ready and waiting for you at dinner time!
- Super freezer friendly and great leftovers. I have made this chili recipe well over 100 times and that is no joke. I freeze it all the time in individual servings so that I can grab and eat one whenever I am in the mood. As for leftovers, I think soups and chilis are always better the next day.
- Uses lots of pantry staples. This sweet potato chili is a great recipe when you are looking to use up pantry staples. Beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and sauce, etc.
- It's veggie packed. I add bell peppers and sweet potatoes to start you off, but this veggie chili can easily pack even more. Use your favorite color bell peppers beyond just the green. Add in some corn, diced zucchini, small diced carrots, and any other veggie you may love to add to your chili.
- So easy to vary to meet your needs! This may be a vegetarian chili, but I often brown a pound of ground turkey or beef to satisfy my husband's need for a meaty chili. The recipe is already gluten and dairy free so should be good for those sensitivities as well.
What you need to make this Crock Pot Sweet Potato Chili:
- sweet potatoes: 3 medium/large sweet potatoes with the skin removed.
- onion: red or white, or really whatever you prefer or have on hand.
- garlic: I prefer freshly minced garlic cloves for this sweet potato chili, but if you just have garlic powder, you can use about 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons to start and then adjust to taste.
- tomatoes: I opt for canned and drain the juices out. No salt added is great if you are watching your sodium intake. Fire roasted tomatoes are great as well in this chili recipe.
- tomato sauce: Not marinara sauce. The kind in the can!
- beans: I use a can of each: kidney, black and pinto beans. Any combo will work.
- bell pepper: green bell pepper is what I always have on hand so it works well most of the time. But red and orange are great in the recipe as well.
- spices: A combo of chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. I started adding smoked paprika the last year or so of making this crock pot sweet potato chili, that I added it to the list of ingredients, but it's totally optional!
- tomato paste: This will thicken up the chili in the end. You can adjust the amount as desired or omit it if you like a slight brothiness (yes, I made that word up 100%) to your chili.
Now for how to make this chili. Did I mention that this is a dump and go recipe? It so is. You can literally toss all the ingredients into the crock pot and walk away.
When you return, you will have hot and delicious chili all ready!
How to make this recipe:
- Combine all the ingredients in the crock pot aside from the tomato paste. (steps 1 and 2)
- Stir well to combine. (step 3)
- Close up the crock pot and heat on high 4-6 hours or low, 6-8 hours. When the sweet potatoes are softened, the chili is all ready. Add the tomato paste in and stir well to combine. (step 4 and below)
Recipe Notes:
- The best way to tell if this sweet potato chili is ready is by the sweet potatoes. When the sweet potatoes are soft, you are basically good to go. I like to make sure as many of the sweet potatoes as possible are on the bottom of the pot so that they are more likely to evenly soften.
- You can add some meat into the mix if you would like--I do quite often to make the hubby happy. When I add ground beef or turkey, I cook it in a skillet first and then add it in. If you find the chili to be a bit too thick once adding meat in, add an extra can of tomato sauce.
- Add some heat to your slow cooker sweet potato chili as desired.Toss in some hot sauce, dice up a jalapeño or add some cayenne. Tossing in some smoked paprika is also a great idea if you want a smoky flavor--I do it so often now, I added it as an option for the recipe.
What To Top Your Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili With:
I usually serve this crock pot sweet potato chili with cornbread or this cornbread casserole, but the toppings are what really make any chili. These are some of our favorites:
- shredded cheese (Monterey, pepper jack, cheddar, etc.)
- diced avocado
- Fritos or crushed tortilla chips
- sour cream or Greek yogurt
- jalapeños
- hot sauce--especially to bring the heat!
- pickled onions
- chopped cilantro
- sliced green onions
Time Saving Tips:
While this sweet potato chili is fairly quick and easy, there are still some ways to cut down on prep time even more.
- Grab frozen veggies. Our grocery often has frozen chopped peppers and onions. I keep them in the freezer so I have them on hand when I need to cut a few minutes of chopping and crying from the onions.
- Use pre-chopped vegetables from the produce section. I have seen cubed sweet potatoes before and I am not above grabbing them to save 5 minutes on the days I just don't have it in me.
- Put the family to work! Whether this saves time is debatable, but I often have our little guy rinse all of the beans while I chop a pepper or two to keep him out of trouble and get another task done.
- Chop the sweet potatoes, onion and peppers the night before. If you have a busy morning, chop everything up at night and then you can toss it all in the crock pot quickly before you head out the door.
Other Soup Recipes:
- Simple Turkey Chili
- Pumpkin Quinoa Chili
- Butternut Squash Chili
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Tomato Tortellini Soup {Stove Top and Slow Cooker Variations}
- Maple Roasted Sweet Potato Carrot Soup
- Chunky Italian Vegetable Soup
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili
Nothing beats a bowl of chili on a cold day! This Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili is full of flavor and the perfect cozy meal for the family. Put everything in the crock pot in the morning and come back later to dinner!
Print
Rate
Servings: 6
Calories: 278kcal
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes skin removed and cut into cubes
- 1 onion, diced
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 can diced tomatoes (15 oz. each)
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz. each)
- 1 can pinto beans
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can kidney beans
- 2 bell pepper, diced (any color works!)
- 1 T cumin
- 2 T chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ - 1 teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste
- ⅓ c tomato paste more to thicken as desired
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the tomato paste into slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours or until sweet potatoes are soft.
- When sweet potatoes are fully softened, add in tomato paste to thicken chili. Allow to sit for several minutes before serving.
- Serve with shredded cheese, avocado or a bit of cilantro. This is even better the second day so leftovers are a bonus! Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- The best way to tell if this sweet potato chili is ready is by the sweet potatoes. When the sweet potatoes are soft, you are basically good to go. I like to make sure as many of the sweet potatoes as possible are on the bottom of the pot so that they are more likely to evenly soften.
- You can add some meat into the mix if you would like--I do quite often to make the hubby happy. When I add ground beef or turkey, I cook it in a skillet first and then add it in. If you find the chili to be a bit too thick once adding meat in, add an extra can of tomato sauce.
- Add some heat to your slow cooker sweet potato chili as desired.Toss in some hot sauce, dice up a jalapeño or add some cayenne. Tossing in some smoked paprika is also a great idea if you want a smoky flavor--I do it so often now, I added it as an option for the recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1247mg | Potassium: 1464mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 10440IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 7mg
Did you try this recipe? I would love to see it! Mention @LemonsAndZest or tag #LemonsAndZest!
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Andrea says
I use this recipe every time that I want to make chili! It's the best and a hit with everybody that I've made it for.
Lorie says
My go to as well, Andrea. So love hearing this!
Ahmed Elbadri says
Can you please indicate how many grams or ml in each can of bean, please and thank you.
I can only assume that the bean should be 16oz for all the beans not just the one you hyperlinked to Amazon.
Thank you!
Lorie says
Hi! I use cans that are about 15.5 ounces or anything close to that as some brands vary. In grams, the package says 439 grams. Hope this helps!
Mandy says
Do you drain and rinse the beans first, or dump the whole can in?
Lorie says
Hi! Yes, drain and rinse!