This is smoky and spiced sweet potato turkey chili, and it’s as hearty and satisfying as it is flavorful! It comes together in the slow cooker with ground turkey, sweet potatoes, beans, a very generous dose of seasoning, and a little jalapeño heat.
Do you rely on your slow cooker a lot? It’s my top choice for cozy, satisfying dinner recipes like creamy chicken & corn soup and honey teriyaki chicken. After some chopping and brief cooking, the trusted slow cooker can take over for today’s recipe, too.
Plus, this chili makes a big batch that reheats well, making it a convenient and practical option for busy schedules.
Sweet Potato Turkey Chili Overview:
- Flavor: A bowl of generously spiced chili is quintessential comfort food, and this turkey chili delivers! The rich, well-seasoned turkey and tomato base is balanced with the natural sweetness of the sweet potato and corn. Smoked paprika adds a smoky flavor, and you can adjust the level of spice/heat to your taste (see below for more on that).
- Texture: Every spoonful is packed with tons of texture: tender ground turkey, soft beans and sweet potato, and semi-crisp and juicy corn and peppers.
- Ease: This is a pretty simple chili recipe. Prep/chop your ingredients, mix up an easy seasoning blend, brown the turkey on the stove, then toss everything into the slow cooker.
Possible Ingredient Substitutions
With so many flavorful ingredients mingling in this one-pot dish, this chili is a whole meal in one. It is also very adaptable, so you can change it up to suit your taste and preferences. For example, you could swap out the kidney beans for black beans (or even double the amount of beans), or add in your favorite vegetables. This vegetarian pumpkin chili is also pretty customizable.
- Ground Turkey: As written, this is a very hearty chili with 2 lbs. of ground turkey. Instead of turkey, you can use ground beef or chicken—chef’s choice! Or feel free to skip the meat and double the sweet potato and beans.
- Green Pepper, Onion, and Tomatoes: These aromatic staples make up the foundation of most chili recipes, including cornbread chili casserole. I use and recommend canned petite diced tomatoes. I don’t recommend skipping any.
- Corn: Kernels of corn provide a sweet, juicy contrast in flavor and texture. You can use fresh scraped off the cob, canned (drained), or frozen corn. If you don’t care for corn in your chili, you can skip it. Feel free to add another bell pepper (any color) or another can of beans.
- Kidney Beans: These beans have a mild flavor, which allows them to pair nicely with bright, spicy flavors. Feel free to swap for black beans instead—it’s great both ways.
- Seasoning: Chili would be bland without a medley of spices. I like to mix up a double batch of the spice mix in the recipe below, which is like a homemade taco seasoning, and save half in an airtight container to use for next time. If using store-bought taco seasoning packets, you need 2 packets for the entire recipe.
This recipe used to call for quinoa, and you can certainly still add it for an extra thick chili. It soaks up a lot of liquid, so you’ll add it toward the end of the cooking time.
This recipe cooks on low heat in the slow cooker for 6 hours. If you’re looking for a slow cooker and need a recommendation, I have this one and this one, and both are fantastic.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can cook this chili on the stove.
How Spicy Is This Sweet Potato Turkey Chili?
The heat level here is up to you! Add more jalapeño if you like your chili with a kick, or omit it entirely for a mild chili. The type of chili powder you use makes a difference, too. Have you heard of the Scoville scale? It’s a measurement of how hot/spicy different chili peppers are, rated in SHU (Scoville heat units). It’s a big range! Check the label of your chili powder for a heat rating. Some of the most common ones you’ll find in the spice aisle of the grocery store are ancho chili powder (mild), chipotle chili powder (medium), and cayenne pepper (hot). My team and I typically make this turkey sweet potato chili with a mild chili powder.
Toppings & Sides
Toppings such as shredded cheese, sliced avocado, and/or sour cream cut through and complement the richness and spice. I love garnishing it with fresh chopped cilantro or green onion, too.
And no matter how you customize it, make sure you serve this chili with buttery cornbread, cornbread muffins, or this honey skillet cornbread. Chili + cornbread = a forever-favorite duo!
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Turkey Chili
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 7 hours, 25 minutes
Yield: serves 10-12
Category: Dinner
Method: Slow Cooking
Cuisine: American
Description
This is spiced sweet potato turkey chili with an unbeatable smoky flavor and rich, hearty consistency. It comes together in the slow cooker with ground turkey, sweet potatoes, beans, a very generous dose of seasoning, and a little jalapeño heat.
Instructions
- Make the seasoning blend: In a small bowl, mix together all the seasonings. Set aside.
- Brown the turkey: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the ground meat. Cook and stir for 4 minutes, then add 2 Tablespoons of seasoning blend. Stir and break up the meat as much as possible as it cooks for another 4–5 more minutes, or until completely cooked through.
- Make the chili: Transfer the cooked meat to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients—including the remaining seasoning blend. Stir everything together until combined. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- Serve chili warm. Feel free to add optional toppings such as chopped cilantro, green onion, shredded cheese, sour cream, and/or avocado slices. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing: Let chili cool completely before freezing. Freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then heat on the stove on medium heat for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Skillet | 6-quart or Larger Slow Cooker (like this one or this one)
- Spiciness: For a milder chili, omit the jalapeño. Make sure you read the label on your chili powder to determine the heat level. We typically use a mild chili powder in this recipe, but if you like your chili spicy, feel free to use a medium or hot chili powder.
- No Slow Cooker? No Problem. Follow recipe through step 1. You can cook the meat in a very large pot or Dutch oven and just use that to cook the chili, too. Once meat is cooked, add the remaining ingredients. Stir everything until combined, and cook on medium-low heat for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Changes in 2024 from the original recipe: This recipe used to be called “Taco Spice Turkey Chili” and I made several updates to improve the flavor and consistency in 2024, so I renamed it. I now use kidney beans instead of black beans, and leave out the quinoa. The recipe used to call for 2 taco seasoning packets, but I now use a homemade seasoning blend. I also now use 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste to help thicken the chili. You will love the updated version above. If you want to add quinoa, stir in 1/2 cup (85g) uncooked & rinsed quinoa 45 minutes before the slow cooker chili finishes cooking, or 15 minutes before the stove-top chili finishes cooking.
