Let’s make Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili! This paleo sweet potato chili recipe is one of our favorites. It tastes even better the next day! (Gluten-Free, Whole30)
Turns out, I’m one of those people who doesn’t save chili for the fall. I’m an all-year-round sort of chili person.
Chili is one of those easy comfort food recipes that can last a few days, and as a busy mom, that’s definitely something I can get behind!
This paleo Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili is a perfect example. It’s been one of our favorite chili recipes since 2015 and have no plans to stop any time soon. It’s got it all!
- It’s Full Of Flavor. It’s a delicious blend of protein, plenty of veggies, tender sweet potatoes, warm spices, and seasonings that all pack this easy dinner recipe with flavor.
- It’s EASY. Slow cooker anyone? This paleo chili can be made as a “dump and go” recipe if you’re really in a time crunch, so it’s a great recipe for a busy day!
- It’s Cozy. The bold flavors and hearty texture of this healthy chili recipe make it a great option for game day or the colder months of the year.
- It Gets Better With Time. The leftovers will taste even better than the first day! (Meal prep anyone?)
- It’s Paleo & Whole30 Friendly. This sweet potato chili is made without beans, so it’s naturally paleo and Whole30 compliant!
And–best of all–all of that goodness is possible with a simple ingredients list! Let’s take a look…
Start With Simple Ingredients!
One thing you’ll LOVE about this paleo chili recipe is how simple the ingredients are. Every ingredient is nourishing, wholesome, and packed with flavor! Let’s take a look
- GROUND BEEF, CHICKEN, OR TURKEY. You can use whatever ground meat you like or have on hand for my sweet potato chili recipe. Ground beef, ground chicken, and ground turkey all work here! (If you’re choosing beef, I recommend lean ground beef so you don’t need to worry about draining the fat.)
- ONION. Onion gives a nice flavor base to this meaty chili. I usually use sweet onions, but most types will work for this recipe!
- SWEET POTATOES. There aren’t any beans in this paleo chili, so we fill it out with vitamin-rich sweet potatoes. It’s a great way to fill out the recipe. The natural sweetness of the sweet potato is perfect with the savory, smoky flavor of this chili!
- DICED TOMATOES & TOMATO SAUCE. I use a mix of canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce for my sweet potato chili. I love that you get nice, thick chili with TONS of flavor! (Note: I like fire-roasted tomatoes when I can find them!)
- BROTH. Depending on the meat you choose for your chili, you can add beef, chicken, or vegetable broth. Use what you have on hand or what sounds good. I’ve made it with all 3 with great results!
- GARLIC + SPICES. Lastly, to pump this up with flavor, I use a blend of garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. I love how the flavor develops over time (it’ll taste even better the next day!
How To Make Sweet Potato Chili, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- If You Prefer: Brown The Beef. If you’re working with 85/15 beef or 80% lean beef, I recommend browning the meat ahead of time in a large skillet on the stove on medium heat so you can drain the fat from the pan. (If you’re using lean ground beef that’s 90% lean or higher, you can skip this step, if you like.
- Combine. Add ground beef to the crock of your slow cooker. Add onion, sweet potatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin, and oregano. Pour the broth over everything and stir to combine.
- Cover & Cook. Next, cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.
- Finish. Stir to break up the beef a bit and garnish with cilantro. Taste and add additional salt or seasonings, to taste.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy this chili warm with your favorite toppings or store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days.
CAN I MAKE THIS AS A DUMP-AND-GO RECIPE? I nearly always do! It works great. You just add all the ingredients to the slow cooker, give it a stir, then cover & cook. No fussy prep, no extra steps. Just easy, yummy slow cooker sweet potato chili!
Make It A Meal (Side Dishes & Toppings)
Now that you know how to make this crock pot sweet potato chili, let’s talk about what to serve on the side! (Note: while this sweet potato chili recipe is paleo & whole30, not all of these side dish ideas are paleo/whole30!)
- Chili Toppings. Feel free to serve this with your favorite chili toppings. Classics like sour cream, Greek yogurt, and shredded cheese are delicious, or you can choose from paleo and whole30-approved toppings like diced avocado or green onion.
- Cornbread. Classic gluten-free cornbread, fluffy maple cornbread, or pumpkin cornbread muffins are all delicious!
- Tortilla Chips. Or, you can crunch up some tortilla chips on top!
- A Simple Side Salad. Keep things fresh and classic with our go-to house salad or a simple arugula salad.
- Fresh Fruit. Or, cool your mouth off with some seasonal fruit. Sliced apples, grapes…whatever is in season!
FAQ + Tips For The Best Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili
NEED A SLOW COOKER? This one is programmable (i.e. less likely to overcook things!) and comes with lid clips that keeps the lid in place (awesome when you’re carting it to a potluck, friend’s house, or a chili cook-off!). It’s perfect for this easy recipe!
CAN I MAKE THIS WITH GROUND TURKEY? CHICKEN? PORK? You can use basically any ground meat you like for my paleo sweet potato chili. Over the last 5 years, folks have made it with beef, chicken, turkey, bison, and even venison. I’ve personally only used turkey, chicken, and beef.
CAN I ADD BEANS? You bet! Black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans are all delicious in this sweet potato chili. (Keep in mind that beans are NOT paleo & whole30)
HOW CAN I GIVE THIS MORE KICK? If you like your chili with more kick, you can use 2 Tbsp. chili powder, 1 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. smoked paprika, and 1/4-1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder instead of the mixture below. Or, you can add 1/2-1 minced jalapeño along with the other ingredients.
DOES SWEET POTATO CHILI FREEZE WELL? I’ve frozen my slow cooker sweet potato chili LOTS of times with good results. The sweet potatoes do soften a bit upon thawing + reheating, but that doesn’t bother me.
Recipe Card
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Leave a star rating below when you try our Paleo Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili recipe! We can’t wait to hear what you think!
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili (Paleo & Whole30)
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 cups 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili is the perfect nourishing dinner for a chilly day! (It tastes even better the next day!)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (or turkey or chicken)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 (14-ounce) can petite minced tomatoes
- 2 (14-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 3–4 Tablespoons chili powder*
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin*
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano*
- 3 cups beef broth (can sub chicken or veggie broth)
- optional: cilantro, for garnish.
Instructions
- If You Prefer: Brown The Beef. If you’re working with 85/15 beef or 80% lean beef, I recommend browning the meat ahead of time in a large skillet on the stove on medium heat so you can drain the fat from the pan. (If you’re using lean ground beef that’s 90% lean or higher, you can skip this step, if you like.
- Combine. Add ground beef to the crock of your slow cooker. Add onion, sweet potatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin, and oregano. Pour the broth over everything and stir to combine.
- Cover & Cook. Next, cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours.
- Finish. Stir to break up the beef a bit and garnish with cilantro. Taste and add additional salt or seasonings, to taste.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy this chili warm with your favorite toppings or store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days.
Notes
- *IF YOU WANT MORE KICK…You can use 2 Tbsp. chili powder, 1 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. smoked paprika, and 1/4-1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder instead of the mixture below. Or, you can add 1/2-1 minced jalapeño along with the other ingredients.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 1 cup
- Calories: 273
- Sugar: 8.2 g
- Sodium: 924.1 mg
- Fat: 10.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 6.4 g
- Protein: 22.3 g
- Cholesterol: 58.8 mg
Recipe originally posted in May 2015. Completely updated and republished April 2020
Hmmmm, I found there wasn’t much taste even though I added extra spice. Maybe the three cups of broth? It was a bit soupy for me.
Are you supposed to put the raw meat into the slower cooker for step 1? Or, cook it first even if you dont care about draining the fat?
I put it in raw. If you prefer, you’re welcome to brown it on the stove and drain off the fat first, but I just put it right into the slow cooker!
Is there anyway you can add a green they’re like kale or would that mess up the recipe
Great question! You can absolutely add greens like spinach or kale, but I wouldn’t add them until about 5 minutes before serving, or they’ll get really overcooked. 🙂
Great thank you so much ☺️
Any suggestion on how to make this vegetarian? Pictures look delicious. I am eager to try…but hoping to make it without the meat.
Absolutely! You can totally make it with 2-3 cans drained black beans instead of the meat. It’s delicious!
Is there something I can substitute for the petite tomatoes? Just don’t like the texture of tomatoes!
Katie – If it’s just the diced tomatoes you don’t care for, you can leave them out or use more tomato sauce instead! 🙂
Have you tried this in an Instant Pot? I’m wondering how long it would take and if the sweet potatoes would turn out mushy.
I haven’t yet… I’ve been worried about the sweet potatoes, too! If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it goes!
That was delicious. My compliments to the chef!
So glad you liked it Regelyn!
Are the tomatoes and sauce whole 30 friendly? As in, no sugar?
I use compliant brands with no added sugar. Muir Glen is my favorite! 🙂
What can you use instead of the tomatoe sauce? Would beef stock work?
Kathy – The tomato sauce helps thicken and flavor the chili. If you don’t include a tomato component of some sort, the flavor and texture will be significantly different. If you can’t eat tomatoes, you can swap in beef stock. Just know that the flavor will be different (less flavorful) + the texture will be thinner. It’ll be more like a soup than chili.
This was easy to make, for someone who basically doesn’t know how to cook. And it was DELICIOUS! With the potatoes, you don’t miss the beans! It’s SO GOOD and EASY! Loved it!
YESSS!!! I’m so happy you loved it! I love easy recipes like this. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!