Crockpot Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

Crockpot Sweet Potato Turkey Chili is a soul-soothing meal with hints of spice and a subtly sweet finish. This easy-to-make unique chili is filled with ground turkey, sweet potatoes, and crushed tomatoes, but still contains the familiar chili seasoning.

Why This Recipe Works

This unique version of chili is filled with delicious chunks of sweet potato whose flavor is heightened with a bit of brown sugar giving it a delicious taste. Combined with turkey and beans, this chili has some classic ingredients as well.

It makes a hearty meal and is easy to prepare. Just brown the meat, sauté the garlic and onions and, add it all to your crockpot. From there the crockpot does all the work and brings the flavors together as it cooks.

As with many chili recipes, this one is also adaptable meaning you can change the ingredients to fit your own tastes.

With healthy ingredients such as tomatoes, beans, and sweet potatoes there’s also plenty of health benefits as well. This chili is low in calories but high in protein and fiber.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Sweet Potatoes: I like to have big chunks of sweet potato in this chili version, but you can dice yours smaller. The larger pices will be slightly firmer and remain in tact as the chili cooks, but smaller pieces will tend to be softer and if really small can be a bit mushy.
• Chili Powder: this spice, which is a blend of ground chili pepper, paprika, cumin, and garlic can be spicy and if you’re making this for your family you can leave it out or cut it down a little bit.
• Kidney Beans: I like to keep the beans simple in my chili when I add it and so I prefer light red kidney beans, however, you can also use dark kidney beans or a combination. There’s also chili beans, which will have some extra flavor overall.

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Brown the meat. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground turkey. Use a spatula to break the meat apart as it browns. Then place the ground turkey into your crockpot.
• Sauté the onions and garlic. Using the same skillet heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and add the onions. Sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes, and add the garlic, and continue to cook for an additional minute. Transfer to the crockpot.

• Place everything into the crockpot. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the crockpot and stir them together a little to mix them up.
• Cook. Set the crockpot to low and cook for 4 hours or place it on high and cook for 2 hours.

Alternate Cooking Methods

Just because this is called crockpot sweet potato turkey chili doesn’t mean it needs to be made in the crockpot. Below are two alternate methods for cooking this delicious chili and there are benefits to both. If you’re in a hurry the Instant Pot will save you a ton of time and if you’re looking for a thicker more rustic-like chili then try the stovetop method.

Stovetop Method

• Brown the meat as instructed and sauté the onions and garlic. Add both to a large Dutch oven.
• Add all the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a soft boil over medium heat and then simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, until the potatoes have softened.

Instant Pot Instructions

• Set the Instant Pot to SAUTÉ and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the ground turkey and use a wooden spatula to break it apart as it browns. Once there is no longer any pink use a slotted spoon to remove the meat and set it aside.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the diced onions. Sauté the onions for 2 to 3 minutes, until translucent. Place the garlic in the Instant Pot and continue to sauté for an additional minute.
• Return the turkey to the Instant Pot and add all the remaining ingredients. Give the ingredients a good stir.
• Place the lid on top and set the vent to “sealing.” Press MANUAL and set the time to 12 minutes. Allow the steam to release naturally for 10 minutes before removing the lid.

Serving Suggestions

• Add toppings. Sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, chopped green onions, jalapenos, diced bacon, and cilantro are all delicious options.
• Turn it into a party dip. Chili makes a delicious party dip and this one is no different. Place the chili into a casserole dish and top it with a thick layer of shredded cheese. Bake it in the oven at 375º until the cheese begins to bubble.
• Use it as a hot dog topper. Chili makes a great topping for hot dogs so if you have any leftovers use to take your hot dogs to the next level.
• Enjoy it as is with a large piece of cornbread or serve some tortilla chips alongside it.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• To keep your meat from drying out when you brown it add a little baking soda. Mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of water and add it to the meat before you cook it. This raises the PH levels, which stops the proteins from binding too quickly and thus drying out.
• The longer you cook this chili the better it will taste, which is why it works best in the crockpot. While it cooks the flavors build together and soak into all the ingredients.
• For a thicker chili use sweet potato puree in the can instead of fresh sweet potato.

FAQs

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If you made any of this Crockpot Sweet Potato Turkey Chili I want to hear all about it! Share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @AimeeMarsLiving and #AimeeMars so I can see your beautiful work. Enjoy!