Name: Paleo Sweet Potato Chili
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 4 cups diced sweet potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes); 1 1/2 pounds ground beef; 2 cloves garlic (chopped); 2 tablespoons oil; 1 1/2 cups onion (diced, about 1 large onion); 1/2 cup celery (chopped, about 1 stalk); 2 tablespoons chili powder; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon oregano; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional); 15 ounce can tomato sauce; 15 ounce can diced tomatoes; 1 cup water

Recipe

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Make this paleo sweet potato chili, and you'll never miss the beans again! This recipe is hearty, filling, and full of delicious flavor by the spoonful.

A great chili rarely leaves leftovers, and this paleo sweet potato chili is one of them! My seasoning combo in this recipe has won some of my readers’ local cookoffs, so I know you’re going to love it.

Healthy Sweet Potato Chili

While the Original Paleo Chili recipe is in a league of its own by being full of meat and veggies, many people have requested the slightly sweeter and more carb-rich version of the recipe with sweet potatoes, so here it goes!

This recipe is made on the stovetop with the ground meat you choose, diced sweet potatoes, and a mix of spices that take it out of the ballpark. I’ll also include other recipe methods, like the slow cooker and instant pot for you below.

Ingredients

The stars of this chili are sweet potatoes and ground meat (beef, turkey, or chicken). To make it super delicious, the aromatic veggies to add are garlic, onion, and celery; and the spices are chili powder, ground cumin, and oregano. For a hint of heat, you can optionally add cayenne pepper. For extra flavor, add tomato sauce and canned diced tomatoes.

How to Make Paleo Sweet Potato Chili

The video below gives a visual of the recipe, but basically, you’ll dice the sweet potatoes and then brown the ground meat with the aromatics and spices in a Dutch oven or pot. Add the sweet potatoes, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and water. Once it boils, let it simmer until the potatoes are tender. Remember to stir every so often during the cooking process!

How to Thicken Paleo Chili

Following this recipe, your paleo chili will turn out thick. If your chili is not as thick as you want, mash a few sweet potato cubes so they release their natural starches.

Another way to thicken chili is by adding extra vegetables, like zucchini, potatoes, and onions, that also release starches while adding extra nutrition.

a spoonful of sweet potato chili over a chili bowl

Slow Cooker Method

Want to make this sweet potato paleo chili in the slow cooker? Easy peasy! First, brown the beef in a pan and then combine it with the rest of the ingredients in the crockpot. Cook 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low, stirring a few times while the chili cooks. Voilà!

Paleo Chili Toppings

Another reason to love chili recipes is that you can grab those sad veggies leftovers and turn them into delicious chili toppings such as diced tomatoes, butternut squash, roasted bell peppers, or green onions. You can also top your bowl of chili with pico de gallo, guacamole, or avocado. Delish!

What to Serve with Healthy Chili

A bowl of this sweet potato paleo chili is a meal on its own, but I love how it pairs with the sweetness of baked carrot fries or these caramelized veggie kabobs. My kids love this chili to top bell pepper nachos and even baked sweet potatoes.

Paleo Sweet Potato Chili

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 45

Make this paleo sweet potato chili, and you'll never miss the beans again! This recipe is hearty, filling, and full of delicious flavor by the spoonful.

5 from 16 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

4 cups diced sweet potatoes, about 3 medium potatoes
1 ½ pounds ground beef
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 ½ cups onion, diced, about 1 large onion
½ cup celery, chopped, about 1 stalk
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
15 ounce can tomato sauce
15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup water

Instructions

Prep:

Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into small, ½-inch cubes. Set aside.
In a small dish, measure and mix the spices and set it aside. You can also add them one at a time to the pot.

Cook:

In a 5-6 quart Dutch oven or pot, brown the ground meat over medium-high heat, using a spatula to break it up as you cook. Add the garlic and finish cooking the ground meat until it’s fully cooked. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked beef into a bowl and drain the excess fat and liquid.
Add the oil to the pot and add the onions and celery for about 3 minutes, until the onions are golden. Add all the spices into the pot and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
Add the cooked beef back in, the diced potatoes, the tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes with the liquid and water into the pot and stir well. Bring everything to a boil, stirring frequently, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer the chili, covered, for 25 minutes.
Check on the amazing mixture every so often and stir. After 25 minutes, the potatoes should be tender.

Serve:

Ladle the chili into bowls and top with your favorite toppings.

Notes

Make this recipe in the slow cooker by browning the beef first. Once cooked, add it with all the ingredients inside a slow cooker. Cook on High for 4 hours or 6 on low, stirring the chili a few times.

Make this recipe in the instant pot by browning the beef and garlic in sauté mode. Then, add all the ingredients to the pot, mix well, close the lid, and seal the valve. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Vent out the steam to release the pressure, open the lid, and give the chili a stir.