So, it finally got cold here. Like, I actually had to wear a sweater when I left the house the other day! :o That made me crave chili. Warm, hearty chili… But of course, I needed to try something new.
Ever since I discovered how awesome spicy Mexican chorizo and sweet potatoes are together (remember these enchiladas?), I’ve been looking for new ways to pair the two up. This chili is a super easy and fairly quick way to do just that. Because chorizo is so heavily spiced, you barely need to add anything else to the chili to achieve maximum flavor. It’s almost too easy. But that’s good, cuz I got places to go, panda costumes to wear, and birthdays to celebrate (yesterday was my birthday y’all!)
Anyway, the combination of spicy chorizo and creamy sweet potatoes didn’t disappoint once again. This chili is the BOMB. My new favorite chili, for sure.
Chorizo Sweet Potato Chili
Looking for a classic chili recipe? Check out my Simple Homemade Chili.
Chorizo Sweet Potato Chili
Servings 6 8 cups totalIngredients
- 3 links Mexican chorizo (about ¾ lb.) ($2.51)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.42)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 lb. sweet potato ($1.00)
- 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.69)
- 1 15oz. can kidney beans ($1.09)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($1.12)
- 1 6oz. can tomato paste ($0.55)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder** ($0.30)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 2 cups water ($0.00)
- 1 bunch green onions ($0.69)
Instructions
- Squeeze the chorizo out of its casing and into a large pot. Cook the chorizo over medium heat, breaking it up as it browns. After it is fully browned, drain the excess fat from the pot (if desired).
- While the chorizo is browning, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add them to the pot after draining the fat. Continue to stir and cook. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into 1/2 inch cubes. Add them to the pot and continue to stir and cook.
- Rinse and drain the beans in a colander. Add them to the pot along with the diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and water. Stir until everything is well combined. Place a lid on the pot and allow the chili to come up to a simmer. Let the chili simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sweet potatoes have softened. Serve hot, topped with sliced green onions.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Step by Step Photos
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.
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. Chorizo is fairly fatty, so you can drain the fat off after it is fully browned, if you’d like.
While the chorizo is browning, dice the onion and mince the garlic. After draining the fat from the chorizo, add the onion and garlic and continue to cook over medium heat.
While the onions and garlic continue to cook, start dicing the 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.
Add the diced sweet potatoes to the pot and continue cooking.
Add the diced tomatoes (with juices) to the pot. Rinse and drain the beans in a colander, then add them to the pot. Also add the entire can of tomato paste. I accidentally got seasoned black beans, but if you use regular black beans it won’t affect the flavor much.
Also add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and two cups of water.
Please note: Chili powder in the United States is not the same as cayenne or red pepper, which are both very hot. If you use 1 Tbsp of cayenne pepper you’ll burn a hole through your mouth. This chili powder is a blend of mild chiles and other spices. If you don’t have this, you can sub all of the spices for one packet/envelope of chili seasoning.
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!
Slice the green onions and sprinkle over each serving. You can also add a little cheddar cheese or sour cream…
I dipped some tortilla strips in it. YUM.
Tried this before and I thought it was great. I’m thinking about adding one of those canned chipotle peppers with a teaspoon of the adobo sauce to this recipe for a bit more heat and smoky flavor. Thoughts?
I think that would be great!!
This recipe is seriously so good. I replaced the beans with lentils and chickpeas, and it’s incredibly filling. Great when you’re trying to save money!
I really want to make this but I don’t know where to get Mexican chorizo in London. :(
If you can find plain ground pork, you can mix it up with spices to make your own chorizo. Here is a recipe. :)
Mmm, this was great for a snowy day in central Illinois. I made a few changes – no onion, so tripled the garlic, used soy chorizo, lentils instead of beans, and rehydrated some sweet potatoes that I bought for a cancelled camping trip. Their texture was a little weird, and fresh ones would have been better, but hey, it’s like 15 degrees out. Too cold for biking to the store.
This was amazing! We realized we forgot oregano half way through and substituted it with cayenne pepper. We also added a serving of pinto beans on top of the others. It had just enough heat to have one sniffling.
The sweet potatoes and chorizo combo is fantastic. We will definitely be making this one again.
Absolutely amazing recipe! I mean, this is definitely the best chili I have ever made. It’s a shame that I just came back from a chili cook-off because this baby definitely would have won.
Made this for the first time this past weekend and we LOVED it!!! Thank you for sharing all of your great ideas!!
If I make the chili the night before and then keep it warm in a crockpot for 3-4 hours the next day, will the sweet potatoes become mushy? Could I make the chili without the potatoes the night before and then throw them in the crockpot the next morning for 3-4 hours?
Yep, they probably will continue to soften. I think adding them the next morning and cooking for 3-4 hours might be your best bet. Honestly, though, I don’t think a mushy sweet potato would be a bad thing. :)
I added some cinnamon and garam masala to make this taste more fall-y. Loved it! Fortunately I live in an area with a large enough hispanic population to find multiple kinds of Mexican chorizo, as well as El Salvadorian chorizo!
So,so, sooo good! I love the chorizo and sweet potato combo.
I would love to make this veggie… what could I substitute for the chorizo that would still make the recipe yummy…???
suggestions???
You could do ground beef or turkey, but you’ll need to add a lot of spices to make up for the spices in the chorizo. Try using a packet of taco or fajita seasoning for added oomph.
I’m making this for the first time. (I’m crock potting it vs the stove so it’ll be ready for dinner.) I’m vegetarian, so I swapped soyrizo in. It’s at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. I’m so excited to find your blog, Beth. I’m not a student, but a very busy single working gal with a new, demanding job. I’ve gotten into a terrible habit of relying on fast food nachos and pizza and gained 30 lbs this year. I’m scaling back and making my own food now, but it’s hard to balance time and cooking. What I love is that your dishes are easy to make ahead and reheat, and are delicious! Thank you for making my life easier! Next recipe I’m trying is the dragon noodles
Tofuky has vegetarian chorizo. It’s really good.
I’ve used vegan soyrizo instead of chorizo for all of the sweet potato + chorizo recipes. Works really well and is less fatty than meaty chorizo. Delicious! :)
I made this in the crockpot (low for ~6-7 hours) but subbed TJ’s chicken jalapeno sausages and just used black beans. Oh Mylanta! It was incredible, especially on a snowy day! Definitely staying in my recipe roster.
So, I made this recipe for my first ever entry in a friendly chili cook off contest and I had to tell you that I won first place! I tweaked it a little by adding one seeded and one unseeded jalapeno, chopped and some extra ground meat (the judges were mostly men, I knew it needed to be meaty!). Then to go along with the sweet potatoes I added about 1/4 cup unpacked light brown sugar and a little less than 1 tbsp cinnamon and what I got was the most melt in your mouth unexpected combo of flavors. I owe it to you for my inspiration and all the bragging rights I get until next year!
That’s awesome! Congratulations!!
Hmmm…. I followed this recipe exactly, even going to my local Latino grocery store to get authentic Chorizo made in the store. My chili looks exactly like the picture, but the taste is quite bland, even after simmering for a while. Perhaps the Chorizo I used is not up to par. I ended up adding a minced jalapeño pepper, cilantro, and additional salt, chili powder, cumin and oregano.
For me, this is not a keeper, nothing unusual about the flavor.
Made this the other night for a friend who got pneumonia, and I’m pretty sure it cured him. Seriously though, this is an excellent and easy recipe. I switched out regular onion for red, and added a couple tablespoons of habanero hot sauce, and it really came out great! :D