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Use this Sweet Potato Paleo Chili recipe to make a delicious healthy chili in the instant pot or on the stovetop. This is also a Whole30 friendly chili recipe.
Fall is chili season!
For me, nothing screams fall, like cozy sweaters and a bowl of chili. We haven’t had many sweater days yet here in Philly, but that hasn’t stopped me from making multiple batches of chili. I am currently loving this sweet potato paleo chili that you can make on the stovetop or in your Instant Pot!
The best part about making a big batch of chili is the leftovers. I love this sweet potato paleo chili so much that I was even eating it for breakfast. If you still have any of this chili hanging around after a few days, you can freeze it and enjoy it throughout the winter.
For some people, chili without beans is a major no, but for me, I prefer a paleo chili. Beans are not great for my arthritis or my digestion. I swapped some sweet potatoes for the beans. This comforting and delicious sweet potato paleo chili is also Whole30 friendly.
Make this sweet potato paleo chili on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot!
This Whole30 friendly sweet potato paleo chili can be made either in your instant pot or on the stovetop. The Instant Pot method is easier in my opinion because you can just set the Instant Pot and walk away. The Instant Pot or pressure cooker method also makes the sweet potatoes a little softer.
To make this healthy paleo chili on the stovetop you will want to use a heavy bottom pan. This is good for simmering soup for a long time. I use my cast iron dutch oven to cook all of my soups and stews including this chili.
This rich and comforting sweet potato paleo chili is perfect for a cozy evening at home or for a group during a football game. It is a Whole30 compliant chili and is also great for meal prep. I made a big batch and froze it in freezer-friendly containers so that I can enjoy this chili whenever I want.
Don’t forget to add some toppings!
Sweet potato paleo chili is packed with flavor on its own, but the flavor can be intensified with all kinds of toppings. My favorite chili topping is a homemade cashew sour cream. This cashew sour cream is paleo and Whole30 friendly.
I make the cashew sour cream by soaking 1 cup of raw cashews in water for a few hours. Then, I drain and rinse the cashews and blend them with 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup of water, and 1/2 tsp salt in a high-speed blender. Finally, I store the cashew sour cream in the fridge and use to top my chili!
Some of my other favorite chili toppings include avocado, pickled jalapeños, cilantro, and green onion. Basically anything green, creamy or cheesy makes a wonderful chili topping. If you aren’t following a paleo or Whole30 diet, Fritos always make a perfect chili topping.
What kitchen tool and ingredients will I need to make this chili?
You only need a few basic ingredients to make this sweet potato paleo chili at home. Start with some oil, onions and ground beef. I always get my meat delivered to my home from Butcher Box.
Then you will need chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper to spice the chili up. If you are cooking for kids or you don’t enjoy spice, I suggest leaving the cayenne pepper out. Finally, you will need some tomato paste and diced tomatoes for that rich tomato flavor.
The last few ingredients I throw into my dutch oven or Instant pot are a diced bell pepper, peeled and cubed sweet potatoes, and some beef broth. It is easier than you might think to make this healthy sweet potato paleo chili recipe.
Let’s make some sweet potato paleo chili in the Instant Pot!
You can find full instructions on how to make this sweet potato paleo chili in both the instant pot and on the stove top below. The general idea is similar for both methods. Start by sautéing the onions in some oil. Then, brown the ground beef and break it up into crumbles.
At this point, if you are using an Instant Pot, you can throw all of the other ingredients into the pot. Then, set the top to sealing, and cook on manual for 14 minutes. When the Instant Pot beeps, manually release the pressure and remove the lid. Finally, allow the chili to cool slightly and enjoy!
Or on the stovetop!
If you are making this paleo chili on the stovetop, add spices to the browned ground beef and mix thoroughly. Then, add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes, mixing as you go. Finally, add in the bell pepper, peeled and diced sweet potato, and the beef broth.
Bring the chili to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer in a covered pot for at least an hour stirring occasionally. The longer you cook the chili the softer the vegetables will be and the more intense the flavor will be.
Keep reading to find the full recipe for both the Instant Pot and stovetop. If you make this Whole30 chili please let me know in the comments or on Instagram.
Sweet Potato Paleo Chili
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Sweet potato paleo chili made on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper powder
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 cups beef broth
- 28oz diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Dice the onions and pepper and peel and dice the sweet potatoes and set aside
- heat a dutch oven or heavy bottom pan over medium-low heat and add the avocado oil
- Once the avocado oil is hot add the diced onions to the pot
- Let the onions saute in the oil until soft and fragrant about 3-5 minutes
- Add the ground beef to the pot and increase the heat to medium
- Brown the ground beef with the onions for 5-6 minutes, breaking the ground beef up into crumbles with a hard spatula or wooden spoon
- Add the chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano and cayenne to the pot and stir them in
- Add the bell pepper, tomatoes, tomato paste, sweet potato and beef broth to the pot and stir
- Increase the heat to high until the chili begins to boil
- Cover the pot and reduce to a simmer
- Allow the chili to simmer for at least one-hour stirring occasionally
- Turn off the heat and allow the chili to cool slightly and then scoop into bowls to serve
- Stove in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Dice the onions and pepper and peel and dice the sweet potatoes and set aside
- Turn the instant pot on to saute and add the avocado oil
- Once the avocado oil is hot add the diced onions to the pot
- Let the onions saute in the oil until soft and fragrant about 3-5 minutes
- Add the ground beef to the instant pot
- Brown the ground beef with the onions for 5-6 minutes, breaking the ground beef up into crumbles with a hard spatula or wooden spoon
- Turn the instant pot off saute and add the chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano and cayenne to the pot and stir them in
- Add the bell pepper, tomatoes, tomato paste, sweet potato and beef broth to the instant pot and stir
- Close the lid of the instant pot and set to stealing and cook on manual for 14 minutes
- When the instant pot beeps manually release pressure
- Allow the chili to cool slightly and then scoop into bowls to serve
- Stove in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Keywords: sweet potato chili, sweet potato paleo chili, whole30 chili
This chili was amazing. My family loved it. Wanted to freeze a batch but I’m afraid there won’t be any left. I used ground turkey and added a can of black beans. Delicious!! Thanks Madeline!
yay!! So glad you and your family enjoyed!!! Love the additions
This is my go to chili recipe since doing Whole30 back in January, I make it just about weekly, my whole family loves it!
That makes me so happy!! Its such a good staple to have on hand!
Chopping veggies is always a struggle for me (especially tough ones like sweet potatoes and squash), but this recipe is worth the pay off because once the veggies are chopped, it’s truly the easiest thing to throw together! Appreciate the can’t-mess-it Instant pot recipe for a amateur cook like me 🙂 So delicious!
ah yay!! I agree chopping veggies can be such a paaain but worth the payoff with chili
YUM!!!!! This recipe is so delicious and easy to make! Perfect for any time…but I loved it a little extra this week while it’s cooler outside!!!
Missed the rating in my previous reply… and this recipe deserves SO MANY STARS!
★★★★★
Ahh thank you so much!!
Hello, what do mean by instant pot and set to stealing?
When you close the instant pot the vent at the top can be set to venting or sealing.
Can this be made in a crockpot?
Thanks!
Yes! I recommend browning the onions, meat, and spices together in a pan. then add everything to a crockpot on low for 6 hours! Please let me know if you try this!!
I made this with an instant pot! The instructions were a little difficult for me, but overall it turned out great. I don’t have a manual button (or don’t know how to get to it) so once I added the sweet potatoes, bell peppers, tomato paste and broth, I pressure cooked on low for 5 minutes. Then I let the steam vent and sit for awhile before I opened the lid. The potatoes weren’t as firm as I wanted them, but the taste is great. Maybe next time I will only pressure cook on low for 3 minutes. I also used turkey instead beef.
★★★★
Hi Jess, sorry you weren’t super pleased. On most pressure cookers the manual button means pressure cook. If you make it on the stovetop the sweet potatoes aren’t as soft 🙂
This recipe was so delicious – the perfect meal for a cozy fall evening. Incredibly easy to follow, hearty, healthy and yummy! We all went up for thirds…!
★★★★★
So so so yummy and cozy! I was craving chili but didn’t want a standard recipe. Absolutely love the sweet potatoes in this recipe, it’s perfect! Was a hit with the whole family. If you’re on the fence, definitely make the cashew cream and get some avos to top it.
★★★★★
I made this for our thanksgiving dinner – substituting ground turkey instead of ground beef. It was delicious! My husband sent a video to each of our adult children who are all staying safe in other states saying this was amazing and delicious, and he doesn’t usually love chili, nor sweet potatoes, but he thought this was great and wants to have me make it again! What more can I say? Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★★
Aw I love that!!! So glad I could be a part of your thanksgiving!
Made this for dinner last night for the first time and it was SO GOOD! My fiance loves chili but I am not normally the biggest fan – this chili is the exception! I added 1 can of kidney beans and I mashed a few pieces for sweet potato to make the soup a little thicker. Absolutely amazing and great instructions!
★★★★★
amazing!! so smart to mash some of the sweet potato!