Featured comment
I loved this recipe. We make chili every Sunday during our cold, snowy winters here in Wisconsin. I added a little cinnamon and some corn. This was awesome! Thank you!!
Cari
This post contains referral links for products we love. Pinch of Yum earns a small commission on these links at no cost to you, and the links will always be marked with an asterisk. We ♡ honesty!
You know those times where stuff just works?
This is one of those times. I did not really know where I was headed when I started making this sweet potato chicken chili other than that I had a vision of something semi-spicy that could compliment that bag of blue corn + flax tortilla chips burning a hole in my cupboard. Just another example of the finer things that inspire greatness for me.
To make this chili, you’re going to have to let it simmer for a while. Like 45 minutes or more – enough time to do something like get outside and go for a run, which by some miracle I did. And if you can simmer it in what appears to be a miniature camping pot, all the better.
*sometimes I don’t even know*
I don’t have step by step photos for this – after the light falling into the palak paneer episode, I’m waiting until we get a house that has kitchen windows to continue with those, and speaking of houses, we find out TODAY about the most recent offer that we put in! eeeee! – but I do need to tell you a few things about the step by step process. Let’s have a Q&A.
I Don’t Like Spicy Things. Should I Leave Out The Jalapeño?
Maybe just take out the ribs and seeds of the jalapeño – that’s what makes it spicy. I used one biiig jalapeno pepper and I left the seeds and ribs in when I chopped it up. It was The Perfect amount of spicy for us. Kind of like a light medium spicy, if we’re getting that specific. I had actually planned to put a chipotle pepepr in this as well, but the flavor of the jalapeño just sang to me and I didn’t feel like it needed anything else.
What’s The Broth Or Base In This Soup?
Well, good question. In my mind it was going to be tomato sauce. But then I found that, in fact, I did not have any tomato sauce.
That’s when the unexpected magic happened: instead of tomato sauce, I added a few cups of water and gave it all a stir. Oh, hey. Perfection. A few of the softer sweet potatoes sort of melted into the liquid, and some of the flavor seeped out of the other ingredients, creating this yummy + spicy sweet potato creaminess as the base of the soup.
Then I added some flaxmeal, to bring things full circle (remember the chips?) and to help keep it thick and give it a nice warm nutty flavor. I loved it.
What Kind Of Pot Should I Use To Keep The Soup From Sticking?
Not the miniature camping pot pictured above, because when you cover it and let it simmer for 45 minutes, it’s going to end up getting stuck and burnt and crusted all over the bottom. Hello nightmare.
I used a large nonstick braiser that I just got from a company called Swiss Diamond. It worked perfectly. And if I wouldn’t have had that new braiser, I would have used my nonstick soup pot. Pleaze friendz. Use nonstick for this one! Or watch carefully, stir periodically, and add water as it simmers.
Can I Add ______ ?
Yes! Yet another reason I love chili. Anything you want, like roasted corn, more or less beans beans, bell peppers, different meat, avocado slices on top, sour cream, cilantro, Cotija cheese, any cheese, more cheese, etc. Add it.
It’s September, it’s a little chilly, and the chili is a-cookin on the stove. And so begins my favorite eating season of the year. ♥
Print
Healthy Jalapeño Sweet Potato Chicken Chili
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
This Healthy Jalapeño Sweet Potato Chicken Chili is so simple and loaded with veggies and spices. Perfect lunch or dinner for fall!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)
- 2 14 ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes with garlic, undrained
- 1 14 ounce can black beans, drained
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxmeal
- cilantro and Cotija cheese for topping
Instructions
- Poach the chicken: Bring the chicken broth to a rolling boil and add the raw chicken breasts. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken continue to cook in the broth for another 20 minutes. Remove the chicken, let cool, and shred with two forks. Reserve 2 cups of broth. Keep chicken in the fridge until ready to use (I did this a day in advance and just stored my chicken and broth together in the fridge).
- Saute the veggies: Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño and saute until tender. Add the chili powder, salt, and sweet potatoes. Saute until the sweet potatoes are lightly browned.
- Let it cook: Add the fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, shredded chicken and reserved broth. Stir and cover with a tight fitting lid. Keep over medium heat for 45 minutes without stirring (see notes).
- Make it saucy: After 45 minutes, uncover and you’ll see a bunch of chicken and veggies with hardly any liquid. Perfect. Add 2 cups of water (or less, as needed) and stir to combine. Add the flax and stir again – this helps it thicken up and gives it a warm, nutty flavor.
- Eat: Season with salt and pepper and serve topped with cilantro and Cotija cheese.
Notes
It works best to use a nonstick pot. If your pot is NOT nonstick, be sure to stir periodically and add some water to prevent sticking and burning.
The nutrition information is for 7 servings, which ended up being about a heaping cup full per serving.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sweet potato chicken chili, chicken chili, chili recipe
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of best healthy soups. Check it out!
This chili sounds amazing! I love the combination of sweet potatoes and jalapeños—can’t wait to try this recipe. Perfect for a cozy night in! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe looks amazing! I love the combination of sweet potatoes and jalapeños. Can’t wait to try it out—perfect for the cooler weather. Thanks for sharing!
This chili sounds incredible! I love the combination of sweet potatoes and jalapeños – it’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. I can’t wait to try this recipe for my next meal prep. Thanks for sharing!
Very Delicious Chicken Chilli Receipe. I love it.
Can this be made using an instant pot?
We haven’t tested this out in the Instant Pot yet, but it’s worth a shot!
How long do you typically sauté the sweet tomatoes?
Hi, Karen! Do you mean sweet potatoes? We’d suggest cooking them for just a few minutes until they get lightly browned.
This recipe is a winner. Where I live they don’t sell fire roasted tomatoes so I did normal tomatoes and added liquid smoke (20 drops) and it is AWESOME.
Looking delicious, Jalapeno sweet potato is a new recipe for me. I love chili chicken but healthy jalapeno that’s something unique to me. Before this day i never heard of this recipe. But i want to ask if i don’t use teaspoons chili powder will that can change the taste of the recipe..???
Please do tell as i am allergic to teaspoons chili powder and is there anything from which i can replace it..??
Thank you so much
Thank you for posting this delicious recipe! It turned out to be wonderful, and is definitely a keeper! Thank you again.
I used only one can of tomatoes because of a sensitivity to them in my family. I felt like it needed a little extra acid because of that, so I put in half a lime and some Sriracha to give it more of a kick. Also made Sriracha sour cream. Such a great dinner, so filling and a real crowd pleaser!
I love this recipe! Has anyone tried to make it in a crockpot? Wondering how I can adjust to make it crockpot friendly!
I make this almost weekly! Is there a way to make it in the Instant Pot?
can you modify for instapot?
I made this several years ago and it was fantastic! I’m looking for a recipe that I can make and freeze for a friend having surgery. Do you think this would freeze and reheat alright?
Yes, we usually always have success freezing soups!
this is beyond good. My new favorite recipe. Super easy, delicious, healthy, and my family loves it.
Hey Lindsay!
I LOVE your recipes, this one was amazing, even when I cut out the chicken to make it vegetarian. I have actually followed a few of your recipes and tagged them on my site! xo
Thanks, Lindsay! 🙂
Left it to sit in nonstick pot and cook while covered for 45 minutes without stirring…burned it.
I’ve made this recipe SO many times–and it’s awesome! However, you’re missing one terribly vital ingredient that I think truly makes it perfect–cumin! Adding cumin elevated it from very good to excellent!
Next time you make it, throw in some cumin. You won’t regret it!
Awesome tip! Thanks, Dylan!
SO yummy. Made this last night. I went to 4 different supermarkets and couldn’t find fire roasted tomatoes so I ended up just buying crushed tomatoes instead. I think because of this, mine ended up a bit more liquid-y. I added 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa to this that instantly helped make this less liquidy. I also followed someone else’s suggestion of adding chipotle peppers in adobo sauce which was an amazing addition.
I was worried that poached chicken wouldn’t be tender enough, but once it was cooking in the sauce for a while, it was incredibly flavorful. Next time, (if I have time), I would use pulled chicken from the crockpot, only because I’m lazy and it’s way easier to shred!
Thanks 🙂
Awesome! So glad you liked it, Danielle.
Hi Lindsay, My friend gave high praise for this recipe so I thought I would try it out. It’s fantastic! Thank you for sharing a delicious and healthier alternative for chili!
I love hearing that! Thanks for the comment Rachelle!
I don’t have a pot large enough to fit this recipe! I do have a crockpot though. Do you know how I would alter the cooking time based on the slow-cooking method?
Nevermind I saw your suggestion in earlier comments!
I just made this chili last night (followed the recipe exactly, except for the addition of one yellow bell pepper!) Wow, delicious!! I’ve made probably three or four of your recipes since discovering your blog, and after this one, I will be exploring and making many, many more!
Just thought you’d appreciate knowing that I made a slightly modified version of your recipe and entered it in a chili contest at my workplace, and out of 8 different chilis, it took first place! 🙂 An award winning chili if there ever was one!
hooray! thanks for letting me know, Jill!
Hey Lindsay nice to meet you and find your blog. This chili looks fantastic, well done! It’s always good to have nutritional information too as a lot of people like having that info.
Keep up the good work
Matt
http://freshmenuplanner.com
Thanks Matt!
We made this for dinner last night and it turned out wonderful! I added 2 jalapeños and it had no spice to us so the only thing we would do differently is a lot more jalapeño other than that it was perfect <3 so glad Pinterest brought me to your blog.
Great! Thanks for the comment Mel!