Sweet Potato Chili with Ground Beef

I love the addition of sweet potatoes to a classic chili recipe. This may look like a lot of ingredients, but I’ll bet they are all things that you have on hand. This recipe is very forgiving, so feel free to swap in/out based on the ingredients you have available. I don’t really like super spicy chilis, so if you want extra heat, go ahead and add more!

SWEET POTATO CHILI WITH GROUND BEEF

Serves 4-6

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 yellow onion, diced

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)

  • 2-3 sweet potatoes, chopped into ½ inch pieces

  • 1 (14 ounce) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes

  • 3 (15 ounce) cans beans (pinto, kidney, black beans all work)

  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth (or water)

  • 1-3 teaspoons chili powder (depending on your heat tolerance)

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, plus more to taste

  • 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add the olive oil to a large stockpot or dutch oven set over medium heat. When hot, add in the diced onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

  2. Add in the ground beef (or turkey) and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes, until no longer pink and cooked through.

  3. Stir in the sweet potato, tomatoes, beans (I don’t drain the beans, as I find the liquid adds flavor and depth to the chili), broth, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cinnamon and salt. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.

  4. Continue to simmer gently, adjusting the heat as needed and stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, until the chili has thickened and the sweet potatoes are tender (if you find your chili getting too thick, add in some extra broth a little at a time). Remove from the heat.

  5. Taste and add additional salt if needed. I also like to add a splash (or two) of red wine vinegar, to give it a bit of acid. Another secret is to add a big scoop of plain greek yogurt as the chili is cooling, which gives it a delicious tang and richness that I love (but is totally optional, and might be totally weird).