My sweet potato chicken chili might be my coziest chili recipe yet! This tomato-based chili is filled to the brim with cubes of sweet potato, black beans, and ground chicken, and it all comes together beautifully in one pot. It’s so easy to make on weeknights in about 1 hour, and it really fills my belly!
Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili with Ground Chicken
I love a red chili recipe when I need something extra comforting and satiating on colder autumn nights. Adding sweet potatoes makes it feel really nutritious, plus they help create a nice, thick chili broth. I prefer to use a mix of kidney and black beans for this recipe, but this could be turned into a white bean chili by simply swapping in some cannellini beans. And of course I used juicy ground chicken to really fill out this recipe while keeping things lean. I’m so excited to continue making this sweet potato and chicken chili for family dinners all season long!
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💡 Mash the sweet potatoes for a thicker chili!
Sweet potatoes naturally thicken the chili as they simmer and release their starches. For extra body and a little creaminess, mash a few sweet potato cubes directly in the pot. This little trick creates the ideal chili texture!
Sweet Potato Chicken Chili Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Large Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 pound ground chicken (*)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional**)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 medium sweet potato (peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes***)
- 15 ounces kidney beans (1 can; drained and rinsed)
- 15 ounces canned black beans (1 can; drained and rinsed)
- 14.5 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 can)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.1 medium yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the ground chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until no longer pink.1 pound ground chicken
- Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the sweet potato and stir to coat.1 medium sweet potato
- Add the kidney beans and black beans and stir to combine.15 ounces kidney beans, 15 ounces canned black beans
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, then stir until combined.14.5 ounces crushed tomatoes, 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is tender.
- Uncover and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chili has thickened.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Let the chili rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to allow it to thicken further. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- A Dutch Oven works great for chili, because it distributes heat evenly for a gentle simmer. Another large soup or stock pot can be used instead.
- Cooking the tomato paste and spices together for one minute wakes up the dried spices and allows the tomato paste to caramelize slightly, creating a richer, more developed flavor.
- Letting the chili rest for several minutes after cooking allows the starches to settle and the flavors to fully come together, resulting in an even thicker, richer bowl.
- Don’t forget the toppings for serving! Shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, and crushed tortilla chips make great toppings.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Foolproof Tips
- Build flavor first. Sautéing the onion, bell pepper, and garlic before adding the chicken develops natural sweetness and builds the flavor base for the entire chili. This makes a big difference in the final result!
- Don’t boil — simmer! Boiling too vigorously can cause the vegetables to break down too quickly. Instead, a gentle simmer allows the sweet potatoes to become tender without falling apart, while giving all the chili flavors time to meld together.
- Uncover to thicken. The pot should be covered during the majority of the simmer time. But removing the lid during the final few minutes allows excess moisture to evaporate naturally, producing a thicker chili without adding cornstarch or flour.
How to Make Sweet Potato Chili with Chicken Step by Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this sweet potato and black bean chili recipe. Dice the onion and bell pepper, then mince the garlic. Peel and cut 1 medium sweet potato into ½-inch cubes. Drain and rinse the beans.
Sauté the Veggies: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, then add 1 diced yellow onion and 1 diced red bell pepper. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned. Stir in 3 minced cloves of garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Brown the Chicken: Next, add 1 pound of ground chicken to the pot. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes (it should be lightly browned and no longer pink), breaking it into small crumbles as you go.
Add Spices: Stir in 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 2 teaspoons of chili powder, 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. For a bit of heat, add ¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper as well. Stir in the spices and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add Sweet Potatoes and Beans: Stir in the sweet potato cubes until they are well-coated in the spices. Then add 15 ounces (1 can) of drained and rinsed kidney beans, and 15 ounces (1 can) of drained and rinsed black beans. Stir to fully combine and distribute the beans throughout the chili mixture.
Add Liquid: Now pour in 14.5 ounces (1 can) of crushed tomatoes, and 2 cups of chicken broth, then stir until well-combined.
Simmer: Bring the chili to a boil, then quickly reduce the heat to medium-low to create a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let the chili simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is tender. Then uncover and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chili has thickened.
Finish and Serve: Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Let the chili rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving — this allows it to thicken up more. Serve sweet potato chicken chili hot with your favorite toppings. I love adding shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado, and crushed tortilla chips to my bowl!
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Chili is one of those foods that tastes even better as leftovers if you ask me! Let sweet potato chili cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
- Fridge: Keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, and thaw before reheating. If you want to store it flat, scoop portions into resealable, freezer-safe bags. Then lay them flat on a baking tray, freeze for 2 hours, then it’s ready for long-term storage.
- Reheat: Gently reheat leftovers over medium-low heat on the stovetop, or in 30-second increments in the microwave. Add a splash of chicken broth to help loosen up the chili.
More Chicken Chili Recipes to Try!
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
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