I should probably mention that this recipe DOES have meat in it. It has both ground turkey and ground beef. I think calling it “Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili” makes it sound vegetarian. Sorry.
On the flipside, I’m sure you could omit the meat. You could also just make it all with ground turkey or all ground beef. Don’t let me tell you how to live your life. I’m just here to tell you how to make a damn good chili.
This one, in my opinion, was perfect. I loved the seasoning and felt like it actually DIDN’T need cheese. I know, I know, but the sweet potatoes add a (duh) sweet taste and I didn’t think it needed anything more than some avocado and maybe a dollop of sour cream. YUMSIES.
And if you don’t own an Instant Pot, you could easily do this on the stove, but I think you’d have to cook the sweet potatoes separately (at least halfway) in the microwave or in the oven first. But again, this is why the Instant Pot is a true gem.
Note: Feel free to add more heat with cayenne or chili powder. I kept this one tame because I wanted the other flavors to come through, but another teaspoon wouldn’t have hurt it.
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- Pinch of fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 3 small sweet potatoes, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- Avocado (optional)
- Scallions (optional)
Directions
- In the inner pot of the Instant Pot, set to Saute mode. When it’s hot, add the tbsp of olive oil and the onion. Stir and cook for a few minutes until fragrant and translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add ground beef and ground turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it’s mostly cooked through. It will look a little gray and gross, but trust me, it’s on it’s way to being delicious it just doesn’t have a ton of room in there to brown. If there’s a lot of excess fat, drain it a little with a ladle. Squish down the meat with the ladle and whatever gets inside it, just toss out. You’ll want to keep some of the fat in the pot for flavor.
- Add the diced tomatoes, sweet potatoes, Worcestershire, chili powder, cumin, tomato paste, and bay leaf and DO NOT MIX. Just plop everything on top of the beef/turkey. Again, this is just how the Instant Pot works and I don’t argue with it. Close the top and make sure the float valve is set to “sealed”.
- Put the Instant Pot on Manual mode and set to High Pressure for 10 minutes. When the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally. While that’s happening, drain and rinse the black beans. I don’t add the black beans before cooking because I think it would turn them to mush.
- Release any pressure from the Instant Pot by turning the float valve to “vent” and remove the lid. Smell the deliciousness and remove the bay leaf. Add the black beans and stir to combine everything together. Serve with chopped scallions, avocado, sour cream, or cheese (if you must).
As always, thanks to FreshDirect for the ingredients! #FDambassador