A good bean chili is the perfect hearty meal so let’s say hello to this Smoky Sweet Potato and Pinto Bean Chili!
It sticks to your ribs in the best possible way and is packed with wholesome ingredients. Plus, its a great option for meal prep, as the leftovers are excellent. And you can either freeze half of it or stretch the meal out even further by serving it over pasta (hello, chili mac!), rice, or quinoa.
Here’s why you’ll love this recipe.
Easy to make. Nothing fancy or complicated.
Pantry-friendly. This recipe features simple, everyday ingredients like onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, canned tomatoes, canned beans, along with some spices and vegetable broth. The only non-pantry ingredients called for in this recipe are jalapeño peppers, lime juice, and cilantro (and the latter is optional).
Budget-friendly. Given the simple ingredients used, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this meal is budget-friendly! No expensive or exotic ingredients required.
Hearty yet healthy. This chili is rich, hearty, and velvety in texture and sticks to your ribs. But it’s also entirely wholesome, vegan, and gluten-free.
Smoky, spicy, and well balanced. Smoky and spicy from chipotle peppers and warming spices and rich in flavor thanks to sticky browned onions, this is a vegan chili that doesn’t skimp on flavor. The natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes nicely balances both the spice and acidity from the tomatoes.
Meal prep and freezer friendly. As I mentioned, the leftovers taste better the next day and this chili stays good in the fridge for five days, so it’s a great meal prep option. Or, you can make it las longer by easily freezing it!
Ingredient Rundown
Spices
To keep this meal easy and straightforward, I rely on ground spices—chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano.
Onions
One of the keys to imparting a lot of flavor into this chili is to really brown those onions at the start. This recipe calls for nearly but not quite caramelizing the onions (takes about 10 minutes). I use this technique a lot in my savory recipes and it always makes for incredibly flavorful savory recipes.
Sweet Potatoes
The ingredient that makes this chili perfectly balanced in flavors. Be sure to finely dice up your potatoes into very small pieces. If they’re just chopped (not diced), they won’t fully soften in the allotted 30 minutes cook time.
Cocoa Powder
Does adding chocolate to chili sound weird? Maybe, but I promise it helps! Adding cocoa powder adds a rich warmth and depth of flavor without tasting like chocolate, as well as intensifies the warmth of the spices.
Canned Pinto Beans
This is a versatile, easy-to-customize chili. If you don’t have pinto beans, substitute with black beans, cannellini beans, or kidney beans, or use three different varieties of beans.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
This is the main source of smokiness and spiciness in the chili, and I personally love it. If you are very sensitive to spicy food or can’t find them, omit and substitute the regular paprika with smoked paprika for a slightly smoky taste. Or, if you have chipotle chili powder, you can use that instead of the regular chili powder.
If you can tolerate a moderate amount of heat, use just 1 chipotle pepper.
Similar to the cocoa powder, the chipotle peppers also create layer of richness and warmth in this chili.
Tips for making this recipe
Dice those sweet potatoes finely! If you just chop them (instead of finely dicing), they won’t fully soften in the allotted 30 minutes cook time.
When you add the tomato paste or spices, if the mixture appears to dry out, add a few spoons of water and scrape up any browned bits to prevent burning.
Let the chili rest before serving. As with any chili recipe, it is better the next day. Even allowing the recipe to rest for just 15-20 minutes will make it taste better. Resting helps the spices mellow out in their heat but also deepen in flavor. The result is a deep, rich, spicy yet balanced flavor, and a thicker texture.
Finishings and toppings. I like to finish my chili with fresh lime juice (it helps balance the spicy and bitter flavors, as well as enhance the savory flavors) and chopped cilantro for flavor. Feel free to top with your favorite chili toppings, such as vegan sour cream or cheese, sliced jalapeño peppers, diced red onions or tomatoes, or chopped avocado.
If you want to stretch this meal out further, serve it over rice, quinoa, or pasta. Being a chili mac lover myself, I prefer it served over pasta :)
Want to make this recipe in the Instant Pot? The recipe below has a modification!
I hope you enjoy this hearty and delicious Smoky Sweet Potato and Pinto Bean Chili. If you give this recipe a try, be sure to tag me on Instagram with your recreations and please comment with your feedback below!
If you want a visual idea of what the chili should look like and I how incorporate it into a an easy healthy meal prep that’s perfect for staying at home and pantry cooking, check out the Youtube video below!
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Smoky Sweet Potato and Pinto Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil (more as needed, if not using nonstick pan)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
- 2 jalapeño peppers, diced (omit seeds and membranes for mild heat)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika*
- 2 cups (480 mL) vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (or raw cacao powder)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 3 (15-ounce/425g) cans pinto beans**, drained and rinsed
- 1 pound (454g / about 3) medium sweet potatoes, peeled and finely diced
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce from 1 can (optional, but this is what makes the chili smoky and spicy; NOTE – this is not 2 cans, but just 2 peppers from 1 can; omit entirely if you are very sensitive to spicy food; or use just 1 chipotle pepper for a moderate heat)
- 1 (28-ounce / 800g) diced tomatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons masa harina (optional)*
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional but recommended
- 2 teaspoons lime juice, plus more to taste
Instructions
Stove-Top Directions
- Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and once it’s shimmering, add the onions and season with salt. Stir frequently and cook the onions until a light brown fond starts form on the surface of the pan, about 5 minutes. Add a few spoons of water to deglaze the pan. Continue cooking the onions, adding more water every few minutes and stirring frequently to prevent burning, until they’re browned and fully softened, 8- 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, jalapeño peppers, and tomato paste, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tomato paste is darker in color. If the mixture appears to dry out, add a bit more water and scrape up any browned bits.
- Stir in the Spices (chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika) and stir vigorously for 30 seconds, again adding a spoon of water as needed to prevent drying out.
- Pour in the vegetable broth to deglaze the pot, stirring up any browned bits. Add the cocoa powder, bay leaf, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, black pepper to taste, pinto beans, diced sweet potatoes, chipotle peppers (if using), and diced tomatoes. Stir well.
- Bring the chili to a simmer and maintain a rapid simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as needed, until the sweet potatoes are fully tender and the chili is thick and almost velvety.
- Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the masa harina, if using. Whisk to combine and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the texture has further thickened. Stir in the cilantro (if using) and the lime juice. Taste for seasonings.1. NOTE: keep in mind that chili always tastes better after it has rested for some time, as the spices will have a chance to mellow out and meld together.
Instant Pot Directions
- Use the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot for steps 1-3. You might need to add more oil and or water as you go, as the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot requires more liquid than a standard pot.
- Select the Cancel setting once you deglaze the pot with the broth (step 4).
- Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Select the Pressure Cook setting at high pressure and set the cook time to 6 minutes.
- Once the timer has completed and beeps, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then switch the Pressure Release knob from Sealing to Venting to release any remaining steam.
- Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the masa harina, if using, and turn on the Sauté setting. Whisk to combine and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the texture has further thickened.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro and the lime juice. Taste for seasonings.1. NOTE: keep in mind that chili always tastes better after it has rested for some time, as the spices will have a chance to mellow out and meld together.
Notes
It turned out really good. I did use pablona peppers instead jalapenos with black beans. Yummy
Hi Sevval, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Can you make this in a slow cooker? It looks delicious. I can’t wait to try it.
I usually make it in the slow cooker and it comes out really well. Typically on low for 6 hours or high for 3.
Hi Keeley, we’ve never used a slow cooker myself, but it should work! I’d slow cook at high for 4 hours or at low for 6-7 hours, or until the chili is cooked through. If you have an extra 10ish minutes, I would recommend sautéing the onions on the stovetop followed by the garlic, jalapeño peppers, tomato paste, and Spices, as directed in this recipe, and then add everything to your slow cooker. This will provide a deep, sweet-savory base for the chili and give it more complex flavors.
The texture of this is amazing. Mine was a little bitter but I cut out all the spice (except a very mild chilli powder) as my 2 year old won’t eat spicy foods yet so that definitely threw off the balance of flavour. Added some extra lime juice and that helped.
I can’t wait to try it as written one day, I love your recipes!
Hi Amanda, thanks for your sweet review! We can’t wait for you to try the recipe as written! :) Nisha also has a newer chili recipe I highly recommend you check out also!