If there’s one flavor combo I can’t get enough of, it’s smoky, spicy Mexican chorizo with hearty sweet potatoes. This Chorizo Sweet Potato Chili combines those flavors into the most delicious one-pot meal for the whole family (seriously, this chili is the BOMB). Since chorizo is already packed with bold spices, I barely have to add anything else to make it taste amazing. It’s almost too easy! I highly suggest adding this one to your weekly meal prep…you won’t be disappointed. 😉
“This was SO GOOD! Easily a new favorite. I made this with your Everyday Cornbread recipe in muffin form and the combination was delicious (:”
Mackenzie
This recipe for sweet potato and chorizo chili comes together in no time (in less than an hour!), but it tastes like you’ve been cooking it for hours. It’s the perfect alternative to classic chili when I’m craving something a little different. The chorizo does all the heavy lifting, so I only add a little chili powder, cumin, and oregano for added oomph. The canned beans keep costs down while adding protein and fiber, and the sweet potatoes become perfectly tender and soak up all the delicious flavors in the pot. I just love it!
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This is the Mexican chorizo that I used. Mexican chorizo is different than Spanish chorizo. Mexican chorizo is a fresh meat product and the links are soft, whereas Spanish chorizo is a hard, cured meat like salami. I used three links, or about 3/4 lb. The other two links will be frozen for later use.
Brown the chorizo: Squeeze the chorizo out of the casings and into a large pot. Cook over medium heat, breaking it up into pieces as you go. Cook until it is fully browned. It’s fairly fatty, so you can drain the fat off after it is fully browned if you’d like.
Add the onion and garlic: While the chorizo is browning, dice 1 yellow onion and mince 2 cloves of garlic. After draining the fat from the chorizo, add the onion and garlic and continue to cook over medium heat.
Prep the sweet potatoes: While the onions and garlic continue to cook, start dicing 1 lb. of sweet potato. First, peel it, then cut it into medallions. Stack a few of the medallions at a time and cut them into strips. Then, cut across the strips into small cubes. You want the sweet potato to be in fairly small pieces (1/2 inch cubes) so that they’ll cook quickly, and so there won’t be huge chunks in the chili.
Assemble the chili: Add the diced sweet potatoes to the pot and continue cooking.
Add a 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (with juices) to the pot. Rinse and drain a 15 oz. can kidney beans and 15 oz. can black beans in a colander, then add them to the pot. Also, add a 6 oz. can of tomato paste.
Now add 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, and 2 cups of water.
Simmer: Stir it all together until the tomato paste has fully incorporated. Put a lid on the pot and let it come up to a simmer. Let the pot simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, the sweet potatoes should be soft. Now it’s ready to serve!
Serve: Slice the bunch of green onions and sprinkle over each serving. You can also add a little cheddar cheese or sour cream…YUM.
I do love this recipe as is, but some of our readers have suggested a few tasty variations that I want to pass along!
I’m all about the toppings whenever I make this chorizo sweet potato chili. I usually go for shredded cheddar cheese and sliced green onions, but if I’ve got some avocado, sour cream, or pickled red onions in my fridge, I’ll add them, too. Then, my favorite way to enjoy it is by scooping it up with some tortilla chips! You could also serve it with white rice or cornbread on the side.
I always have some of this chorizo sweet potato chili leftover because it makes such a BIG batch. Once cooled, I store mine in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can warm it up on the stove or in the microwave until hot. You can also freeze this chili for up to 3 months (if you don’t mind the beans and sweet potato being softer after thawing). Defrost it in the fridge overnight and warm it up when ready to eat.
Our Chorizo Sweet Potato Chili recipe was originally published 10/26/13. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 3/27/25.
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