It’s time for some soul-warming Chipotle Turkey Sweet Potato Chili! This wholesome, crowd-pleasing recipe can be made either on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, or in your Instant Pot. Sweet potatoes stand in for beans in this recipe to make it Whole30-friendly but if you can’t imagine chili without beans, feel free to add some for additional fiber and protein.
Chili is always a good idea.
When it’s cold, all we want is chili. Especially after a long day of outdoor winter activities or chores like skiing, sledding, or shoveling snow. There’s just something about a big bowl of chili with just the right amount of spice that warms you from the inside out!
This turkey chili recipe is made without beans, substituting diced sweet potato to bulk up the recipe instead. If you’re not following a paleo diet or on a Whole30 (or you can’t possibly fathom chili without beans!) feel free to add a can of black beans or pinto beans.
Also, we provide directions for three different cooking methods below so that you can choose the best method to fit your needs. Whether you prefer the “set and forget it” method of a slow cooker, the efficiency of an Instant Pot, or the happy medium of simmering it on the stove, this sweet potato turkey chili recipe is a delicious dinner the whole family will enjoy!
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Ingredients in Chipotle Turkey Sweet Potato Chili Recipe
- Cooking fat of choice – such as olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil.
- Lean ground turkey – may substitute ground beef or chicken. We love ButcherBox for its quality meat options.
- Garlic and onion
- Fire-roasted diced canned tomatoes – we love the flavor of fire-roasted canned tomatoes but if you have regular canned tomatoes on hand, feel free to use those.
- Sweet potato – butternut squash is a great substitute for sweet potatoes in this recipe.
- Chicken broth – we love making homemade bone broth to keep in our freezer. Of course, you can use store-bought as well – Thrive Market’s chicken broth is a great option.
- Spices – chili powder, dried oregano, and ground cumin. It’s important to use quality spices that aren’t outdated. Outdated spices will result in a bland dish.
- Chipotle powder – The amount of chipotle powder in this recipe is pretty small but it packs a big punch and really makes the dish something special. However, if you’d like, you can substitute smoked paprika which will also give this sweet potato chili that smoky flavor.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado, or lime wedges – optional, for topping.
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How to make Chipotle Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
Below you will find the full directions including how to make in the slow cooker and the Instant Pot. Here is how you make Chipotle Turkey Sweet Potato Chili on the stovetop.
- Step 1: Heat oil in a medium or large pot set over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, add ground turkey. Break up turkey with a wooden spoon and cook for 5 minutes.
- Step 2: Add onions and garlic and continue to cook an additional 8-10 minutes or until onions are translucent and meat is almost cooked through.
- Step 3: Turn up the heat to high. Add tomatoes, sweet potatoes, broth, and seasonings and bring to a boil.
- Step 4: Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered 10-15 minutes until chili is hot and sweet potatoes are tender. A longer simmer will intensify the flavors and leftovers are even better the next day.
Pro tip: For a thicker chili, simply add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste.
Confused about poultry labeling? Check this post out to learn all about how to choose the best chicken in the grocery store.
Can you freeze Chipotle Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
Yes! Make extras, you’ll be glad you did!
Whenever we make this turkey chili recipe in the Crock-Pot we ALWAYS double the recipe because it freezes exceptionally well. And why not cook once and eat twice?
To freeze this sweet potato chili recipe, prepare as directed and allow the chili to cool. After the chili has cooled down, we like to individually portion it out into freezer-friendly containers. Mark with the date and store in the freezer. For best flavor, we recommend enjoying freezer-friendly meals within 3 months.
To reheat, remove from the freezer and transfer to the refrigerator the night before or the morning of the day you plan to eat it. When you’re ready to eat, reheat in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
How to serve Sweet Potato Chili
This is a great recipe to serve a crowd, because everyone can customize it with their own toppings! We like to serve the sweet potato chili with diced avocado, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges. If you like some heat, feel free to add some hot sauce before serving. A dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese is also quite scrumptious (note: not whole30).
Other chili recipes to try:
- Slow Cooker Chunky Beef Chili with Sweet Potatoes
- Instant Pot Veggie Loaded Turkey Chili
- Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Chili
- Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili
Looking for guidance with meal planning? Check out Real Plans, a highly customizable online meal planning service that includes over 300 of our very own recipes.
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Chipotle Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
Sweet potatoes stand in for beans in this hearty chili and are a nice compliment to the smoky chipotle pepper. It’s great served with diced avocado, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges. Feel free to double the batch and freeze some for future meals because it’s super freezer-friendly though the sweet potatoes will breakdown a bit after you thaw and reheat it.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. cooking fat of choice such as avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (about ½ large)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 28-ounces fire-roasted canned diced tomatoes (may sub regular canned diced tomatoes)
- 1 medium or large sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 – ½ tsp. chipotle powder (may sub smoked paprika)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional Toppings: Chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado, or lime wedges
Instructions
Stove top Directions
- Heat oil in a medium or large pot set over medium-high heat.
- When oil starts to shimmer, add ground turkey. Break up turkey with a wooden spoon and cook 5 minutes.
- Add onions and garlic and continue to cook an additional 8-10 minutes or until onions are translucent and meat is almost cooked through.
- Turn up the heat to high. Add tomatoes, sweet potatoes, broth, and seasonings and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered 10-15 minutes until chili is hot and sweet potatoes are tender. A longer simmer will intensify the flavors and leftovers are even better the next day.
Slow Cooker Directions
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat.
- When oil starts to shimmer, add ground turkey. Break up turkey with a wooden spoon and cook 5 minutes.
- Add onions and garlic and continue to cook an additional 8-10 minutes or until onions are translucent and meat is almost cooked through.
- Transfer meat to the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients; tomatoes through chipotle chili.
- Cover and cook on LOW heat for 6-7 hours or until sweet potatoes are tender. Taste and season with salt and pepper before serving.
- Serve with optional toppings, if desired.
Instant Pot Directions
- Select the ‘Saute’ setting on the Instant Pot and add the oil.
- When the oil starts to shimmer, add the ground turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add onions and garlic and continue to cook an additional 8-10 minutes or until onions are translucent and meat is almost cooked through. Press ‘Cancel’.
- Add remaining ingredients; tomatoes through chipotle chili.
- Lock lid in place and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes. Allow for 5-10 minutes of natural pressure release before flipping the vent valve to the ‘venting’ position to release residual steam. Taste and season with salt and pepper before serving.
- Serve with optional toppings, if desired
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Notes
For a thicker consistency, add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe (~1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 311
- Fat: 12g
- Sodium: 535mg
- Carbohydrate: 15g
- (Fiber: 4g
- Sugar: 9g)
- Protein: 24g
Dietary
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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
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Tried this recipe last night since I had all the ingredients handy and all I can say is “WOW!”. My chili was fantastic and the addition of the purple sweet potatoes in my fridge made all the difference. I’ve not tried using sweet potatoes in this manner and this chili has an added dimension that other chili recipes don’t and I honestly believe it is due to the sweet potatoes. I also added a can of kidney beans and cannellini beans & used fire roasted tomatoes. My husband was crazy about this chilli. It was easy to prepare and so flavorful, I can’t help but recommend it to others. To date one co-worker joined this page. She is my “gluten-free sister” and saw my post raving about this wonderful dish. Thanks!
Awwwwww…..we’re blushing over here! Thank you for your kind words and for sharing the love with your friends and coworkers. We’re so glad you loved the chili. It’s personally one of my favorites and I always tripled the batch to stash some in the freezer for an easy meal. Love the addition of beans too! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback – it’s the secret sauce that keeps us cooking and creating every day.
I am definitely planning on making this, but I just purchased a slow cooker and I’m dying to utilize it! Do you think this could be adapted?
You can absolutely use your slow cooker! Just brown the meat, onions and garlic before adding them to the slow cooke then you can add the remaining ingredients. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. The sweet potatoes may be really tender at this point so you may be able to cook for a lesser amount of time depending on your preferences, your schedule and how hot your slow cooker runs.
great recipe, thanks this post
Thanks, Mary!!
I fixed this for the fam and unfortunately………we had ZERO leftovers. They loved it! My daughter requested I fix a pot today and be sure and make plenty so we can take it in our lunch.
That’s unfortunately fantastic news! We have the same problem at our house 🙂
I made this today in my slow cooker. I just cooked the turkey and threw all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Delicious! Thank you!
Hey Kim!
That’s fantastic – thanks for sharing and so happy to hear you loved the chili!