This no bean Turkey Sweet Potato chili is packed with sweet, smoky flavor without being spicy. Using just 4 ingredients and spices, this easy chili is gluten-free, dairy-free and whole30 compliant. And it’s even better as leftovers – perfect for meal prep!
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I don’t care if it is the dead of winter or 90 degrees outside, I make some kind of chili once a week. It really is the easiest dish and it tastes even better as leftovers! Make sure to check out my Slow Cooker Irish Chili recipe, too.
I decided to gussy up my usual chili recipe by adding diced sweet potatoes. They add a really interesting sweetness that balances the smokiness of chili. And we can’t ignore that it is a great way to bulk up the recipe and stretch your food budget. Feel free to cut down on the ground turkey and add even more sweet potatoes and/or black beans if you like.
Ingredients
Ground Turkey: You will need one package of ground turkey. These usually come in 16 or 20 ounce packages, and either will work perfectly. Also, feel free to use ground beef or ground chicken instead.
Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need about 4 cups of peeled and diced sweet potatoes (aka yams in some grocery stores). This is approximately 2 pounds of whole sweet potatoes. Tip: When cutting your sweet potatoes or any round food, slice a thin piece off one side so that the potato will sit flat when you cut the rest. The size of your diced potatoes will affect how long they take to cook. I do about 1/2-3/4 inch pieces.
Canned Tomatoes: You will need 3 (15 ounce) cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes and 1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce. If you can’t find fire-roasted diced tomatoes, you can use regular diced tomatoes. If you like a little more heat, you can substitute cans of Rotel for the diced tomatoes.
Spices: This is where we have some fun. I very much prefer to use individual spices over prepackaged spice mixes. You’ll need chili powder, ground cumin (my favorite for its smoky flavor!), ground coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. If you don’t have ground coriander, you can leave it out or use dried or fresh cilantro. Coriander is the seed of a cilantro plant, so they have the same flavor profile.
Equipment
- Cutting Board and Knife
- Vegetable Peeler (this Oxo brand is my favorite – comfortable and easy to use)
- Can Opener
- Large Pot with Lid
- Measuring Spoons
- My favorite utensil for cooking ground meat – not necessary at all, but it works so well!
How to Make Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
The beautiful thing about chili is that it is so easy. You brown up your meat, add everything else and let it simmer for all the flavors to mix and mingle. Make sure to start with a hot pan when you add your ground turkey. That gets a good sear and browning = flavor.
Once your meat is browned, add all of your spices and saute for another minute or so. This will toast the spices and really bring out their flavor. From there, add all of your canned tomatoes and diced sweet potatoes. This is where you can also add a can of drained, rinsed beans if you like. Give it a quick stir and cover and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender.
You don’t want the potatoes falling apart, but tender to the bite. Give it another stir and taste for seasonings. At this point, you can add additional salt if necessary and serve it up with your favorite toppings.
The recipe card below gives instructions for both cooking on the stove and in the Instant Pot.
Recommended Toppings
- Chopped cilantro
- Diced red onion
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Tortilla chips
- Sliced green onions
- You can even serve your Turkey and Sweet Potato chili over a baked potato or french fries
Storing and Freezing
To store your leftover or meal-prepped chili, allow the cooked chili to cool completely and package in an airtight container or individual meal prep containers. They will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This dish also freezes beautifully. These 64 ounce freezer containers are my absolute favorite for family size meals. I always make a double batch of this so that we can eat leftovers for a couple of days and throw a batch in the freezer for a quick dinner. It is such a time-saver on busy weeknights!
When you’re ready to reheat, thaw the chili in your fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave (2-3 minutes for individual portions or 6-7 minutes for larger portions) or in a pot on the stove over medium heat until heated through. The sweet potatoes hold their texture really well and you are left with amazing flavor!
More Freezer-Friendly Dinner Recipes
- Stuffing Mix Meatloaf
- Tater Tot Casserole
- Baked Meatballs
- Crockpot Mississippi Roast
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
No Bean Turkey Sweet Potato Chili Recipe
Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
Packed with sweet, smoky flavor without being spicy, this no bean Turkey Sweet Potato chili is gluten-free and dairy-free. Perfect for meal prep, it gets even better as leftovers! Make on the stove top or in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 1 (16 oz) package ground turkey (can use up to 20 oz)
- 3 Tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander (or dried cilantro)
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 (15 oz) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes (or regular diced)
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
- 4 cups peeled, diced sweet potato (approximately 2 lbs.)
Instructions
Stove Top Instructions
- Heat oil over medium high heat in a large pot.
- Add the ground turkey and saute until browned, breaking up larger pieces.
- Add chili powder, cumin, coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and diced sweet potatoes and stir to combine.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Serve and garnish with diced avocado, sour cream, or shredded cheese as desired.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Press Saute on Instant Pot and add oil. Allow to heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey and saute until browned, stirring and breaking up larger pieces.
- Add all spices and saute 1 minute.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine, making sure ground turkey is not sticking to bottom of pot.
- Cover and seal lid, and cook on Manual high pressure for 3 minutes.
- Allow to Natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then turn valve to release remaining pressure.
- Serve and garnish as desired.
Notes
Variations: Feel free to add a drained, rinsed can of beans to this recipe. Black beans and pinto beans work well. You can also cut down the ground turkey to 8 ounces if you'd like to make the recipe even more budget-friendly. Ground beef or chicken can also be used in place of ground turkey. If you don't have the individual spices, you can use two packets of taco seasoning in a pinch.
Storing, Freezing and Meal Prep: To store your cooked chili, allow it to cool completely and package an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. For meal prep, portion the chili into 1 1/2 cup servings in individual containers and store in the fridge or freezer. To reheat, allow to thaw in the fridge overnight. Remove the lid and wrap with a paper towel. Microwave for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 306Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 809mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 7gSugar: 8gProtein: 19g
For even more easy, budget-friendly recipes, make sure to visit my Recipe Index!
My family LOVED this fresh take on a such a classic recipe! We love chili but your recipe is much more fresh and flavorful and didn’t make me feel weighed down after eating, just full and satisfied! Thank you for sharing!
I think turkey and sweet potato, all together, is one of the best combinations I’ve ever tried. We can say it’s a “perfect marriage”. This turkey sweet potato chilly looks really delicious.
Turkey sweet potato chili is now one of my families favourite dishes – it was full of flavor and really easy to make!