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Sweet Potato Chili

Is there anything better than a big bowl of hot chili on a cold day? This Sweet Potato Chili is a tasty twist on traditional chili adds sweet potatoes to all the usual chili ingredients, as well as a couple of other secret ingredients to make this easy chili recipe extra tasty.

sweet potato chili

I wanted to share this Sweet Potato Chili recipe I made for Randall Beans recently. The recipe is sponsored by Randall Beans and I am so excited to share it with you here!

Related recipe: Instant Pot No Bean Chili

Chili with sweet potatoes

This chili has bite sized sweet potato pieces and raisins, and both add a touch of sweetness to the whole dish, which is a perfect complement to the spice. The idea of adding raisins is something I got from my mother in law - she always adds raisins to food that has ground beef.

The sweetness of the raisins next to the savory flavor of meat is always a delicious combination.

Serve this chili with crispy polenta fries on the side for dipping!

sweet potato chili

I also added a touch of cinnamon to this chili for a bit of depth. But don't worry, the cinnamon and raisins in the chili do not make it taste like a dessert dish. You barely notice the two ingredients in the dish as you are eating it, but they do add a layer of depth to the flavor and make everything so good.

Love sweet potatoes in chili? Try this soup: Italian Sausage Sweet Potato Soup

Leftover chili ideas

If you have leftover chili, it goes great on top of a hot dog, on nachos, mixed with mac and cheese or part of a mac and cheese bar topping, or on top of a baked potato!

Other comfort food recipes you will love:

If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!

sweet potato chili
Print Recipe
5 from 8 votes

Sweet Potato Chili

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Author: Kate

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion - , diced
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil - , divided
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 28-oz jar diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 large sweet potato - (~12 oz), chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 2 14-oz cans mixed beans, kidney beans, or pinto beans - , drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper - (or more to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup raisins - (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional garnish: sour cream - , shredded cheese, cilantro, chopped green onions

Instructions

  • In a ~5 quart heavy-bottom soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the diced onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat.
  • Add the rest of the olive oil (2 tablespoons) and cook the ground beef over high heat for about 5 minutes or until it is browned, using a spatula to break up the beef. 
  • Add the next 12 ingredients (diced tomatoes through raisins) and mix well. Cover and bring to a boil. Crack open the lid and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fully cooked and the chili has thickened to your liking. Season with salt and pepper to taste. For some extra heat add another ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
  • Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, or your favorite chili garnish. Serve with crackers or crusty bread to dip into the chili.

The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.

 

Little Cooking Tips

Thursday 4th of February 2016

Hi Kate! So great that you had the chance to ski! We actually never tried it ourselves, since skiing is quite rare in Greece (as you can imagine) :) You can only do it for a few weekends each year so we never went for it (plus we're not the most athletic kind of people you can find!:) ) We bet up living in the US northeast you get a lot of chances to find snow in the mountains for most of the winter. Lucky you! (we both love snow) As for the chili now; LOVED it! We don't know about the raisins, but when we saw 2 teaspoons of cumin we were like "THERE YOU GO! THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!". So yep! Big cumin fans, totally approve what you did:) And yes, a pinch of cinnamon always enhances ground beef. It's a very common thing here, so it wasn't strange for us:) Thank you for your yummy sweet potato version dear Kate! Have a fantastic day ahead! xo

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