The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (2024)

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Julie Clark

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Indulgeyourself in a bowl of Paleo Sweet Potato Chili that is spicy and full of beef. It’s thick, rich and slightly sweet while being grain free, sugar free and dairy free.

There’s nothing that says comfort food during the winter months like a bowl of spicy chili. We made a sweet potato version of our traditional chili recipe (which by the way won best chili recipe in several chili cook-offs!). No beans. No sugar. Just thick, meaty and heart warming chili with sweet potatoes and lots of flavor.

This Sweet Potato Chili Recipe switches out beans for sweet potatoes and carrots, both of which add a natural sweetness to the chili. It’s a no bean chili recipe that your family will love. And the best part, it can be made both in the slow cooker and on the stove top.

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (2)

What readers are saying:

Jacqui says, “This chili is AMAZING!!! A friend made it for our family after I had surgery. Even my non adventurous husband and daughter thought this recipe was awesome. It was the fastest a pot of chili has ever been consumed.” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Deborah says, “I just wanted to share that I just won a chili cook-off with this recipe! There were 16 total entries, and I didn’t even tell anyone that it was a Whole30 recipe. My entire family loves this chili. It is so easy to cook. I NEVER leave comments on pages, but this time I had to!” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Ingredients

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (3)

A note about key ingredients:

  • Ground beef. Or you can use ground turkey or even Italian sausage for more flavor.
  • Petite diced tomatoes. This is helpful for picky eaters who don’t love chunky tomatoes.
  • Chili Powder. Yes, this recipe calls for ½ cup chili powder. It’s not a mistake. Add less if you’d like, but it’s the flavor that many have come to know and love. We’re crazy for our homemade, sugar free chili powder.
  • Beef stock. In a pinch, substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth.

See therecipe cardfor the full list of ingredients.

How to Make Sweet Potato Chili

Make this easy chili in 4 steps.

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (4)
  • In a large dutch oven, brown the ground beef, onions and garlic. Cook until the ground beef is no longer pink. Drain off any fat.
  • Add the tomatoes and sauce, beef stock, carrots and sweet potatoes.
  • Then add all of the remaining seasonings. Mix well, bring to a boil over medium heat.
  • Then lower the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 30-40 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and carrots are tender.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili

This soup recipe can easily be made in the slow cooker, making it an easy meal for you to throw together in the morning and have it calling your name when you get home at night.

Instead of simmering the chili on the stove, you can brown the ground beef on the stovetop, drain off the fat and place it into the slow cooker. Add the other ingredients and let it simmer on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (5)

Make it a meal.

Top the chili with your favorite toppings such as slices of avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced green onion or parsley. Serve a simple salad on the side.

If you’re not following the paleo diet, it’s excellent with sour cream or cheddar cheese.

If you’re not limiting grains, may I suggest thisAsiago Cheese Bread? It’s simply amazing with a bowl of hearty soup.

Storage Instructions

Like with many soup recipes, a bowl of chili is often better than next day. Allow any leftovers to cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can you freeze this sweet potato paleo chili? Yes! Make a big batch of this chili in advance and place separate into individual portions. Store in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 2 months. It’s easy to pull out individual portions on busy nights!

Frequently Asked Questions

What other vegetables can you add to chili?

Zucchini, cauliflower, and butternut squash are all great options. We love all of these ideas to use in place of sweet potatoes to help make it a little more low carb.

Can I use ground turkey in chili?

Yes! We’ve used both ground beef and ground turkey in this Whole30 chili. You can even use ground chicken if you’d like. Each ground meat will change the flavor of the soup so pick whichever you like best.

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (6)

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (7)

Paleo Sweet Potato Chili

4.73 from 109 votes

Indulge yourself in a bowl of Paleo Sweet Potato Chili that is spicy and full of beef. It’s thick, rich and slightly sweet while being grain free, sugar free and dairy free.

Servings 10 servings

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Print RecipeSave Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 medium red onion diced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 can tomato sauce 29.5 ounces
  • 2 cups petite diced tomatoes with juice
  • 3 cups beef stock
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 5 cups sweet potatoes peeled and cubed into 1" pieces
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chili powder
  • dash of oregano
  • dash of red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • In a large dutch oven or large pot, brown the ground beef, onions and garlic. Cook until the ground beef is no longer pink. Drain off any fat.

  • Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Mix well, bring to a boil over medium heat. Then lower the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 30-40 minutes or until the sweet potato cubes and carrots are tender.

  • Remove and discard the bay leaves. Then serve with your favorite chili topping.

  • Crock Pot Option: Instead of simmering the chili on the stove, you can brown the ground beef, drain off the fat and place it into the slow cooker. Add the other ingredients and let it simmer on low for 6-8 hours on high for 4-5 hours.

Video

Notes

  • Yellow onions will work as well. Don’t have minced garlic?
  • Add 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
  • Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
  • The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 10, with one small serving being 1/10th of the recipe. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1294mg | Potassium: 1308mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 15482IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 6mg

Author Julie Clark

Cuisine American

Calories 267

Keyword chili recipe, comfort food, easy soup, healthy soup recipe, paleo recipe

Have you tried this recipe?

Share a review below or share on Instagram with the tag #tastesoflizzyt.

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (8)

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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Jacqui Shoemaker

2 years ago

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (14)
This chili is AMAZING!!! A friend made it for our family after I had surgery. Even my non adventurous husband and daughter thought this recipe was awesome. It was the fastest a pot of chili has ever been consumed.

2

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jan gunther

9 years ago

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (15)
This is an awesome recipe, the chili powder was a bit much for our tastebuds. Next time I will use a little less. I also make this without the meat first and put some in a pan and added kidney beans for my vegan granddaughter and them added the meat last. We loved this!

1

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Lisa @ Cooking with Curls

9 years ago

This is awesome Julie!! I am trying to eliminate sugar from my diet, which is terrifying for a sugar addict like me. I could live on this chili and be a happy camper. 🙂

1

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Natalia

2 years ago

Great recipe but the portions don’t seem realistic. No way that would feed 10 people. In my house that would feed our family of 4, maybe leaving room for one guest.

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Jamie

3 years ago

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (16)
This is a family favorite. Been making it for years and it is always a hit!
Tasty and easy to make!

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Susan Gregory

3 years ago

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (17)
Thank you so much! I love this recipe. It has become a household staple at our place. Love making it both on the stove top and in the slow cooker. It freezes well too.

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Carolyn

3 years ago

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (18)
So tasty even if you aren’t looking for Paleo! I used venison since we had some and it tasted so good ☺️ Will make a bigger batch next time to freeze. Thanks!

Last edited 3 years ago by Carolyn

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Beth

3 years ago

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (19)
I made this in my instant pot and 1/2 a cup of chili powder is WAY too much! I cut it In Half because I figured the instant pot often brings out more flavor and 1/4 of a cup still made it too hot. I don’t mind spicy foods, either. I would probably use 2 tables spoons if I make this again.

Last edited 3 years ago by Beth

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Deborah I.

4 years ago

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (20)
I just wanted to share that I just won a chili cook-off with this recipe! There were 16 total entries, and I didn’t even tell anyone that it was a whole30 recipe. My entire family loves this chili. It is so easy to cook. I NEVER leave comments on pages, but this time I had to!

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Jennifer

4 years ago

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (21)
I made this recipe, and used fresh venison chili meat, from a deer my brother harvested. This was my first time making chili and it came out AMAZING!!!! I shared it with a few friends (who are used to eating chili with beans) and they went crazy over it!!

Thank you sooo much for this recipe!! I can’t wait to make it again!

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Linsey

4 years ago

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (22)
We LOVE this recipe in our house! I have high blood pressure so I use low sodium/reduced salt ingredients. It’s still so delicious. Idk if I’m not seeing it but curious what the size is for a serving?! Thanks!

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Jane

4 years ago

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (23)
Tried it last night. My husband wasn’t enthused about sweet potatoes instead of beans. But, he changed his mind. We both loved it!! I used ancho chili powder from New Mexico—delicious. Will make again.

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Mo Willis

4 years ago

How do you think this would freeze for ahead of time prep?

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Teresa Medeiros

4 years ago

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (24)
This recipe is so yummy! I modified it slightly by using lean ground chicken instead of beef and I used only 1/4 cup of chili powder. The first time I tried this recipe I used the 1/2 cup that the recipe calls for but found it a bit spicy. So good!!

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Sally

4 years ago

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (25)
I had this at a community event the other night. It was so fabulous I begged the organizer of the event to send me the recipe. Just got it and will be making it tonight for my family. It’s delicious!

Reply

The BEST healthy sweet potato chili recipe. Award winning! (2024)

FAQs

Which sweet potato is the healthiest? ›

Sweet Potatoes and Health

Sweet potatoes with orange flesh are richest in beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes with purple flesh are richer in anthocyanins. Beta-carotene and anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant “phyto” chemicals that give vegetables their bright colors.

What is the most nutritious way to cook sweet potatoes? ›

Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato. Boiling may theoretically be best, but sweet potatoes are so incredibly healthy that the actual best way to prepare them is whichever way will get you to eat the most of them!

What is the secret to amazing chili? ›

Elevate your chili recipe by adding an extra layer of flavor. Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight.

Is it okay to eat a sweet potato every day? ›

If you enjoy sweet potatoes, you can absolutely enjoy them daily. However, eating multiple sweet potatoes every day could cause a harmless condition called carotenodermia, where your skin turns yellow-orange. You may also want to be cautious about your sweet potato intake if you have a history of kidney stones.

Are sweet potatoes healthy for losing weight? ›

Absolutely. Besides their health benefits, sweet potatoes are a great addition to any weight loss diet. First up, they're very high in fibre — especially soluble fibre. Soluble fibre is excellent because it slows down your digestion and helps you feel full, which can curb the urge to snack between meals.

Which is healthier, Japanese sweet potato or regular sweet potato? ›

Best of all they contain all the essential amino acids that our bodies need. Are Japanese sweet potatoes healthier than regular sweet potatoes? All varieties of sweet potatoes are good for you but these purple-skin tubers do have higher concentrations of specific vitamins and nutrients.

Is it better to bake or boil your sweet potatoes? ›

If you want to eat sweet potatoes and maintain blood sugar balance, Sapola suggests boiling rather than roasting them. This method will take the glycemic index impact down a few points and maybe even challenge your cooking creativity.

Is it healthier to bake or microwave a sweet potato? ›

It's really the best way. Microwaving sweet potatoes cuts down cook time by 45 to 55 minutes, and, according to a 2018 study, helps maintain the potato's nutritional value. All cooking methods cause foods to lose some of their nutrients, but the quicker your potato cooks, the more nutrients it will retain.

What makes sweet potatoes a Superfood? ›

Of the thousands of vegetables available today, sweet potatoes are considered one of the most nutritious. The orange- (or sometimes purple) fleshed vegetables are loaded with minerals and A, B, and C vitamins. This has led to sweet potatoes being called a superfood by many.

What not to put in chili? ›

Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed." If that sounds a bit uptight, the ICS's Homestyle Chili competition defines chili as: "any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients.

How do you add depth of flavor to chili? ›

Try adding spices like paprika, chili powder, cumin, coriander, Mexican oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, cayenne, or even chipotle. Prior to preparing your chili, check the expiration date on your dried herbs and spices. If they're too old, the flavor of your chili may suffer.

What gives chili the most flavor? ›

A cup of strong, brewed coffee will work wonders for your pot of chili, imparting a deep, roasted flavor that will make the chili taste like it simmered away all day long. For maximum flavor, reduce the coffee along with a blend of tomato paste, aromatic veggies and spices like we do in our Spicy Vegetarian Chili.

When should you not eat sweet potatoes? ›

How to tell if sweet potatoes have gone bad. If your sweet potato is soft in spots, smells rotten, or oozes a mysterious liquid, that potato should be discarded. Another sign that sweet potatoes have taken a turn for the worse is if they start growing stalky purplish sprouts.

How many days a week should you eat sweet potatoes? ›

Because of their higher sugar levels and high vitamin A content, you can likely enjoy them in moderation about two or three times per week. Eating these vegetables too often could lead to too much vitamin A intake or increase the potential for negative effects on your blood sugar.

Can diabetics eat sweet potatoes? ›

You can still eat sweet potatoes if you have diabetes, assures Huff. The fiber content in sweet potatoes, especially if you consume them with the skin on, can help reduce spikes in your blood sugar. Plus, how you cook your sweet potatoes can also help reduce the extent to which your blood sugar rises.

Which type of sweet potato is the best? ›

While Beauregards may be the most common sweet potato, Jewels are right next to them in terms of being a great, classic sweet potato. They have a pretty, thin orange skin, and bright orange flesh that screams "sweet potato." (Or "yam," wrong as that may be. Shrug.)

Which is healthier, white or orange sweet potatoes? ›

Orange sweet potatoes are positively packed with beta-carotene ,which is responsible for the orange flesh. White sweet potatoes only have 6 micrograms of beta-carotene compared to an orange sweet potato's load of more than 8,500 micrograms. Stop treating the squash like a tuber and start thinking of it like a melon.

Which sweet potato is better, white or red? ›

Flavor: Red sweet potatoes have a slightly sweet and nutty flavor, while white sweet potatoes have a slightly sweeter, more mellow flavor. Both varieties are delicious, but the flavor of red sweet potatoes may be more pronounced.

Why is purple sweet potato so good for you? ›

Antioxidant Powerhouse

Purple potatoes are chock-full of anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that has been shown to reduce the risk of several chronic diseases. A 2015 study in Food Science and Technology found that red- and purple-fleshed potatoes average 16 to 57 milligrams of anthocyanins per 100 grams.

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