Sweet Potato Chilli Slow Cooker

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Nothing beats a bowl of chili on a cold day! This Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili is full of flavor and the perfect cozy meal for the family. Put everything in the crock pot in the morning and come back later to dinner!

Overhead photo of slow cooker sweet potato chili with toppings, crackers and jalapeños.

This recipe was originally published November 2014. Post was updated March 2020 to add more helpful copy, process shots, etc.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili: A Hug in a Bowl

There is nothing better than a warm bowl of soup to bring you right into the moment.

I like to think of soup as a big hug in a bowl. I am a big fan of chili. If a recipe involves chili powder and cumin, I am always game. I am also a big fan of the crock pot. When you can throw all the ingredients in a pot and walk away for several hours and then come back to dinner, you always win.

That's basically what this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili is. A warm cozy chili that you can toss in the crock pot and be done. In fact, I find more and more that if you tell me a recipe is not much more than dump and go, my ears perk up right away!

I can't get enough sweet potatoes--ever

Adding sweet potatoes to chili was new to me the first time I tried testing out this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili but now I never ever seem to want chili without them. This chili is packed with veggies and beans and so much flavor--I hope it will very soon become one of your favorite chilis as well!

Every time I make this recipe, I look forward to eating leftover chili all week. I actually freeze this chili in individual servings so I can even eat it for weeks on end!

What you need to make this chili:

I use one can of tomato sauce. If you like your chili thinner, you can use an extra can of tomato sauce or you can toss in a some broth to make it more broth based.
I use all no salt added or low sodium canned goods. This allows me to have full control of adding the right amount of salt for me. If your canned goods include salt, that is fine, just adjust the amount of salt accordingly.
Add hot sauce or jalapeños to make this more spicy.

Now for how to make this chili. Did I mention that this is a dump and go recipe? It so is. You can literally toss all the ingredients into the crock pot and walk away.

When you return, you will have hot and delicious chili all ready!

How to make this recipe:

Process photos to make slow cooker sweet potato chili.

Combine all the ingredients in the crock pot aside from the tomato paste. (steps 1 and 2)
Stir well to combine. (step 3)
Close up the crock pot and heat on high 4-6 hours or low, 6-8 hours. When the sweet potatoes are softened, the chili is all ready. Add the tomato paste in and stir well to combine. (step 4 and below)

Notes:

The best way to tell if this chili is ready is by the sweet potatoes. When the sweet potatoes are soft, you are basically good to go. I like to make sure as many of the sweet potatoes as possible are on the bottom of the pot so that they are more likely to evenly soften.
Fact: I have made this chili a million times at least--it freezes really really well. I put it in individual servings and then pull them out when I need a cozy meal and don't feel like cooking.
This chili is amazing served with Honey Cornbread Casserole in my opinion!
You can add some meat into the mix if you would like--I do quite often to make the hubby happy. When I add ground beef or turkey, I cook it in a skillet first and then add it in. If you find the chili to be a bit too thick once adding meat in, add an extra can of tomato sauce.
Feel free to play around with spiciness of this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili. Toss in some hot sauce, dice up a jalapeño or add some cayenne. Tossing in some smoked paprika is also a great idea if you want a smoky flavor.

Sweet potato chili with jalapeños, sour cream and cheese.

Check out these other soup and chili recipes:

Simple Turkey Chili
Pumpkin Quinoa Chili
Butternut Squash Chili
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Tomato Tortellini Soup {Stove Top and Slow Cooker Variations}
Maple Roasted Sweet Potato Carrot Soup
Chunky Italian Vegetable Soup

DID YOU MAKE ONE OF MY RECIPES? LEAVE A COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW! I ALSO LOVE TO SEE YOUR LEMONS + ZEST RECIPES ON SOCIAL MEDIA–TAG ME @LEMONSANDZEST ON INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK!

▢ 3 large sweet potatoes skin removed and cut into cubes
▢ 1 onion, diced
▢ 3-4 garlic cloves minced
▢ 2 can diced tomatoes (15 oz. each)
▢ 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz. each)
▢ ¼ c tomato paste
▢ 1 can pinto beans
▢ 1 can black beans
▢ 1 can kidney beans
▢ 2 bell pepper, diced (any color works!)
▢ 1 T cumin
▢ 1 T chili powder
▢ ¼ - ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
▢ ½ teaspoon pepper
▢ ½ - 1 teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste

Combine all ingredients except the tomato paste into slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours or until sweet potatoes are soft.
When sweet potatoes are fully softened, add in tomato paste to thicken chili. Allow to sit for several minutes before serving.
Serve with shredded cheese, avocado or a bit of cilantro. This is even better the second day so leftovers are a bonus!

The best way to tell if this chili is ready is by the sweet potatoes. When the sweet potatoes are soft, you are basically good to go. I like to make sure as many of the sweet potatoes as possible are on the bottom of the pot so that they are more likely to evenly soften.
I have made this chili a million times at least--it freezes really really well. I put it in individual servings and then pull them out when I need a cozy meal and don't feel like cooking.
You can add some meat into the mix if you would like--I do quite often to make the hubby happy. When I add ground beef or turkey, I cook it in a skillet first and then add it in. If you find the chili to be a bit too thick once adding meat in, add an extra can of tomato sauce.
Feel free to play around with spiciness of this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili. Toss in some hot sauce, dice up a jalapeño or add some cayenne. Tossing in some smoked paprika is also a great idea if you want a smoky flavor.

Don't forget to slow down and savor the moment (and the soup as well!).

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