Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

Sweet potato black bean chili is a healthy and satisfying vegetarian meal that is flavorful and super simple to make. Serve with avocado, cilantro, and cornbread — or corn chips! Stovetop, slow cooker, and Instant Pot instructions included.

Best Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

This easy vegetarian chili is always one of the first meals I think of when in the mood for some healthy comfort food. It’s also terrific for tailgates, potlucks, or meal trains. With hearty black beans, tender sweet potatoes, and plenty of spices for flavor, this hits the spot every time.

When the weather turns cool, chili is a love language. There’s simply nothing more cozy. With this version, you can have your chili and seconds, too. It is:

• Full of protein, thanks to the quinoa and beans.
• Packed with nutrient-dense vegetables.
• Easy to make, with stovetop, Instant Pot, and slow cooker options.
• Still bursting with that iconic chili texture and flavor.

You can top this chili with pretty much anything that sounds good, but our must-haves are sliced or diced avocado, a few sprigs of fresh cilantro, cheddar cheese for my husband and kids, and corn chips for extra crunch. I’d add a batch of buttermilk cheddar cornbread for a crowd.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here are a few notes and shopping tips about the ingredients you’ll need to make this, as well as possible substitutions. Full amounts are noted in the printer-friendly recipe card below.

• 1 can black beans. Feel free to substitute pinto beans or red kidney beans, if you like.
• Sweet potatoes. Aim to include 2 medium-large potatoes, peeled and diced. This recipe is flexible if your potatoes are on the big or small side, so don’t stress over the exact amount. You can also substitute cubed butternut squash.
• Quinoa. Uncooked, any color.
• Red onion. Substitute a yellow or white onion if preferred.
• 1 can diced tomatoes. Be sure to include the liquid; it’s needed to cook the quinoa properly.
• Vegetable broth. Use chicken broth if you have it and don’t need to keep the recipe vegetarian.
• Garlic, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, ground cumin, and salt. I love using a mix of regular chili powder and ground chipotle chili powder for more interesting flavor, but you can definitely use an extra 1/2 teaspoon of regular chili powder if you don’t have the chipotle version on hand.
• Olive oil.

How many dry black beans equals one can?

If cooking your own black beans, start with 1/2 cup of dry beans, which will yield approximately 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked beans, which in turn is equal to one 15 ounce can of beans, drained and rinsed.

How To Make Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili

More good news for the cook: this chili is super simple to make all in one pot. If making on the stovetop, here are the basic steps:

1. Sauté sweet potatoes and onion in a bit of olive oil.
2. Add seasonings: garlic, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, cumin, and salt. This simple but magical combination imparts that classic smoky chili flavor.
3. Add broth, drained beans, diced tomatoes with juices, and dry quinoa. The quinoa will cook right in the chili, absorbing all the flavor and thickening up the texture.
4. Let it simmer and serve! Expect it to take 40-50 minutes for the chili to thicken up. This time is mostly hands-off, except for giving it a stir once or twice to prevent sticking on the bottom.

What size pot to use?

The pot pictured here is this 5-quart oval Dutch oven that I absolutely love. Dutch ovens are a fantastic investment for your kitchen, and while some are pricey, there are also very affordable options like this high-quality 5-quart Dutch oven from Lodge.

A 5- or 6-quart stock pot works perfectly for this chili, too.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

This recipe is a dream for the slow cooker! Simply place all the ingredients in your slow cooker or Crockpot, stir well, and cook for 7-8 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high.

Instant Pot Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

This also works in your pressure cooker! With the Instant Pot on the sauté function, briefly cook the onion and sweet potato in a bit of olive oil. Add seasonings, followed by the broth, beans, diced tomatoes, and quinoa. Scrape the bottom of the pot very well to release any browned bits; this is important to avoiding a burn notice.

Stir, seal, and cook for 8 minutes on high pressure. Do a quick release of the pressure, remove lid and stir. Leave the Instant Pot on its keep warm function while the chili thickens to your desired consistency.

If you have a pressure cooker that does not have a built-in sauté function, simply add all of the ingredients and cook for 10 minutes on high pressure.

Tips, Tricks, and Recipe Variations

• Dice sweet potatoes to an even size. It matters here, because you want them to cook at more or less the same rate. Of course, you can always buy pre-peeled and chopped sweet potatoes to save time.
• Add heat with fire-roasted tomatoes. Using diced fire-roasted tomatoes is a zero-effort swap that deepens the flavor and heat.
• Use different beans. You can easily use kidney beans or pinto beans in place of the black beans. Or, if you’re doubling the recipe (which I highly recommend!), use one can of each.
• Swap or add veggies. You can easily use cubed butternut squash in place of the sweet potato — it’s delicious! — or throw in a chopped bell pepper for more veggie goodness. For more heat, toss in a diced jalapeño alongside the garlic and other seasonings. Craving some green? Stir in 1-2 handfuls of chopped kale or spinach when the chili is almost done.
• Keep it vegan. As written, this recipe is vegan as long as you take care to use a vegan-certified broth.
• Keep it gluten-free. This recipe is also naturally gluten-free, because quinoa is a pseudocereal that does not contain it. Small amounts of quinoa are even permitted on some grain-free diets, but if this is a concern, consult your own provider and use your best judgment.

Serving Suggestions

This chili has tons of flavor! We love it best with simple toppings of diced avocado, cilantro, and cornbread or corn chips. (My husband introduced me to eating chili with corn chips, and I have been completely converted!) You can also add a squeeze of lime juice, cheese, sliced jalapenos, chopped onions, and/or sour cream.

Have just a bit leftover? Stretch it out by serving on top of baked potatoes, in a bread bowl, or on top of fry bread.

Storage & Reheating

Leftovers? Lucky you! This chili will maintains its consistency perfectly as long as it’s not warmed for too long or over excessively high heat, and the flavors only get more rich.

• Storage: Leftovers keep very well for 4-5 days. Store in any airtight container in the refrigerator. (These are our favorite meal prep boxes!)
• Reheating: Warm in the microwave or over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. Add a splash of broth or water to minimize sticking or thin out the chili, only if needed.
• Freezing: You can even freeze extra portions for emergency meals! Freeze in tightly-sealed containers for up to 2 months, then defrost and reheat in the microwave as desired.

Related Recipes

If you enjoy this recipe, you’ll also love my sweet potato black bean tacos, chipotle black bean tortilla soup, and summer vegetable chili, packed with all the best produce.

Have one extra sweet potato to use? This sweet potato sausage frittata is absolutely delicious and easy to make.

Craving fall vibes? Slow cooker pumpkin chili is the move. For those who enjoy a classic ground meat version, this blue-ribbon beef chili and easy red chicken chili recipes are no-fail.

If you try this Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.

You can also FOLLOW me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, and TWITTER for more great recipes and ideas!

This post was originally published September 13, 2017, and has been updated in 2020 and again in 2023 with new photos and more helpful tips, including instructions for the slow cooker and Instant Pot.