Sweet potatoes and turkey chili are totally made for each other. The subtle sweetness of the sweet potatoes perfectly contrasts the smoky, spicy flavor of the chili. Add a little creamy cheese on top and you’ve got the perfect trifecta! These Turkey Chili Smothered Sweet Potatoes are an easy, pre-portioned meal that is filling, delicious, and works great for weekly meal prep!
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
Can I Use Beef Instead?
Absolutely! The chili included in this recipe is basically a half batch of my basic Homemade Chili recipe, which is extremely customizable. You can swap out the protein, make it spicy or mild (reduce or eliminate the cayenne), or add other fun ingredients, like cocoa powder!
Make them Vegetarian
Yes, simply swap the 1/2 lb. of ground turkey for an extra can of black beans, or kidney beans, and you have a super delish vegetarian chili to top your sweet potatoes. :)
Meal Prep the Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
After stuffing your sweet potatoes with chili and cheese, simply pack each one into an individual, microwave-safe container. To reheat, simply microwave on high for about 2 minutes, or until heated through.
Other Chili Smothered Sweet Potato Toppings
As with any bowl of chili, these chili-smothered sweet potatoes are just asking you to go have fun with the toppings. Here are some ideas for toppings, if you happen to have them on hand:
- Sour cream
- Pickled Jalapeños
- Pickled red onions
- Crushed tortilla chips or Fritos
- Bacon bits
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Lime crema
- Diced onion
Want more stuffed baked potato recipes? Check out my list of baked potato toppings in How to Make Baked Potatoes!
Turkey Chili Smothered Sweet Potatoes
Servings 4Ingredients
CHILI
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1/2 lb. ground turkey ($2.00)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.59)
- 3 oz. tomato paste (1/2 of a 6oz. can) ($0.25)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.79)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.30)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- 1 cup water ($0.00)
- 1/2 tsp Salt ($0.02)
POTATOES AND TOPPINGS
- 4 small sweet potatoes (3/4 lb. each) ($3.94)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($0.43)
- Cilantro or green onions for garnish ($0.25)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Wash the sweet potatoes well, then prick the skins several times with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet or in a baking dish and bake for 60 minutes, or until soft and oozing from the fork holes.
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, prepare the small batch of chili. Add the ground turkey and olive oil to a large pot. Sauté the turkey over medium heat. While the turkey is cooking, dice the yellow onion and mince the garlic. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Drain the beans and add them to the pot along with the diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and water. Stir to combine. Allow the chili to come up to a simmer, then reduce the heat and let simmer until the sweet potatoes have finished baking, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp).
- Once the sweet potatoes are finished baking, carefully slice each one open lengthwise and slightly mash the insides. Spoon about 3/4 cup chili over each potato, then top with 2 Tbsp shredded cheddar. Return the potatoes to the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Top with cilantro or sliced green onions just before serving.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Small Roasting Pan
- Stainless Steel Pots and Pans
- Liquid Measuring Cup
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes – Step by Step Photos
Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF. Wash four small sweet potatoes (about 3/4 lb. each). Prick the skins of each potato several times with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet or in a baking dish, then bake the sweet potatoes in the preheated oven for about 60 minutes, or until they’re soft all the way through and are oozing sugary juice from the fork holes.
While the sweet potatoes are baking, prepare the small batch of chili. Add 1/2 lb. ground turkey and 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large pot. Sauté the turkey over medium heat. While the turkey is cooking, dice the yellow onion and mince 2 cloves garlic. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.
Drain one 15oz. can black beans and add them to the pot along with one 15oz. can diced tomatoes (with juices), 3oz. tomato paste, 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1 cup water. Stir to combine.
Allow the chili to come up to a simmer, then reduce the heat and let simmer until the sweet potatoes have finished baking, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp).
Test the sweet potatoes to make sure they are baked all the way through by piercing with a fork or a small knife. The potatoes should be soft all the way through, and juices should be bubbling out of the fork holes that were made before baking.
Once the sweet potatoes are baked and soft all the way through, slice them open lengthwise and slightly mash the inside of the sweet potatoes.
Scoop about 3/4 cup turkey chili onto each sweet potato.
Add a couple tablespoons of shredded cheddar to each potato, then return the baking sheet to the oven for just a few minutes to melt the cheese.
Finally, top with a little chopped cilantro or sliced green onions (or hey, sour cream?) just before serving.
And then you have four incredibly delicious, single portion-sized Turkey Chili Smothered Sweet Potatoes! Bonus, I had some chili left over that will serve as an extra meal for me. :)
This is REALLY good. I used chili-spiced canned tomatoes and added some corn (we like corn in our chili). Otherwise, made the recipe as written and topped with a bit of sour cream to serve. Thanks for the recipe!!
A tasty and flavor packed breakfast on a cold winter day. Delicious!
Beth: these look great an I can’t wait to make them, but how do you freeze these? I always appreciate your advice.
I would just put each one into an individual freezer-safe, air-tight container and freeze. Then to reheat, use the microwave on defrost first (since they’re so thick and you can’t exactly stir them), then full power once defrosted. :)
I just made this as a meal prep, and it is amazing!! I diced up the sweet potatoes, tossed them in a little EVOO, and roasted them in the oven until done (and they had a little color). Then I divide up the sweet potatoes into 4 containers, ladle over the chili, top with a few olives and pickled jalapenos, and meal prep done! To serve, I nuke it up and top with either diced avocado if I am home or I take a single serve guac pack with me…DELICIOUS!!!!
Great idea! I’m going to do this next time
This recipe is fantastic! A repeat in my household. So yummy and easy to make! Both Toddler and husband (and of course mama) approved!
Really excited to try this! My partner is unable to eat tomatoes, unfortunately – any recommendations for a substitution?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a tomato-free chili recipe and since they’re such a large part of this recipe I don’t think I could easily recommend a swap. I’m sure someone has come up with a great tomato-free chili recipe, though, so I suggest doing a Google search to find one that has already been tested and tweaked, then you can just use that to top your sweet potatoes like I did here. :)
I made a vegetarian version of this tonight and it was so good! I didn’t even know I liked sweet potatoes until I tried them in this recipe. Would have been perfect topped with some avocado but I didn’t have any.
I absolutely love this recipe it’s so delicious. I love this website the step by step instructions with the pics are so easy to follow. I’m 51 and I finally enjoy cooking thanks to this website. Great job!
Cheese lover hack: put cheese UNDER the chili too!
Oooooh, now you’re talking!
Awesome! Make just like she says!
I made these tonight and they were really good!!! I didn’t put them back in the oven with the cheese – I was too hungry after smelling the food cook! I just took out the potatoes and dressed them with a little butter (okay more than a little), salt & pepper, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and some diced white onion (I didn’t have any green). Yum! Thanks for the recipe!
Love your recipe. I have done many Turkey recipes but the Turkey chili smothered sweet potatoes is just too awesome. My family loved it. Thank you and God bless.
Great recipe! I hate onions, so I decided to leave them out. Still tasted great! I might mess around with the spices since the chili needed a bit more heat for my taste.
These were so yummy! Baking the sweet potato instead of cubing it an putting it in the chili was such a lovely way to mix things up. It was a whole new depth of creamy sweetness from the sweet potato. I accidentally bought ground chicken (of which I’m not normally a fan) instead of ground turkey and it still turned out wonderful. My only other addition was a squeeze of lime and some avocados on top.
This is perfect for Thanksgiving! I’m also trying to switch to a healthier lifestyle and started to mine for healthy recipes like yours. Also, I started a marathon training with SportMe, and I managed to get rid of some pounds. Your blog posts are super inspiring for me in this phase, thanks!
amazing blog really nice
Is it possible to do this with regular/russet potatoes?
Hi Brenna! Yes you can give it a try.
Se ve deliciosa me puedes mandar la receta de Brussels sprouts gracias
Which brussel sprout recipe are you referring to?
This looks amazing and I love your website! This will be the first of many recipes that I’ll try. :)
Such a mouth-watering dish, definitely gonna try it.
This was delicious! My family loved it. Keep up good job.
I love stuffing sweet potatoes. The turkey chili recipe looks yummy (and easy!)
This was delicious! Ended up using beef instead of turkey because it was what I had. Also ended up adding a cup of shredded carrots (picky toddler and husband who don’t like vegetables). It was easy, hearty and flavorful.
These sweet potatoes are in my favorite menu. From past few weeks, these are in my every weekend meal. It’s one of my favorites! Beautiful pictures. :)
Added black beans as well as cinnamon and adobe powder… was amazing
Added smoked paprika for extra pizzazz… and yeah, pot-licking good!
I licked the pot. 😋 (I live by myself.) Thanks for another great recipe!
These are absolutely delicious! Thank you so much. :D Making them for the second week in a row.
I made some of my usual chili which did not turn out as good as usual. Then I was inspired by your serve over sweet potatoes the next night and the hubs and I were delighted. He even said my chili tasted better the second time (but we both know it was the sweet potato, right?) Thanks for a great blog!
These look amazing — cannot wait to try!
These are SOOOOOO delicious! I made them for dinner last night and loved it so much that I had one for lunch today and will probably have another for dinner! Thanks for all of your awesome recipes!
This is a great idea! Although not traditional, I always bulk up my chili with veggies, whatever I have or whatever is on sale. Carrots, celery, mushrooms, pepper, corn, zucchini. It really stretches a pound of ground turkey, beefs up the nutrition and reduces calories. I just bought chili ingredients and sweet potatoes today, so you know what’s gonna happen this weekend :)
Making this tonight with ground beef instead of turkey (was cheaper at my grocery store). Can’t wait to eat it! All of your recipes always turn out amazing!
I love to bake sweet potatoes in the slow cooker. I scrub and poke them then plop them in. High for 4 hours or low for 6-8 does the trick. Even the kids love sweet potatoes topped with your Spicy Black Beans and Tomatoes. I’ll have 2 slow cookers going at once to make that meal and end up with plenty of leftovers.
This is a winner!! I made a double batch of this, thinking I would freeze the leftovers. There were no leftovers – within 24 hours it was all gone! My husband requested this again the very next day. I made another double-batch (this time no potatoes), ate one serving myself, set aside one for tomorrow’s lunch, and the rest was gone in an hour. I don’t know what’s more impressive…that this recipe was so good that my husband’s normal appetite tripled, or that he consumed what amounts to a whole can of beans in one sitting! :)
Do you think the chili would freeze well after cooking?
Yep, I freeze chili all the time. :)
I have to say that I drool over just about every recipe you post :) I had no idea that you were a dietetics graduate, I just graduated from the program and I’m applying to internships soon! I love that your recipes are affordable and DELICIOUS. You’re a blessing- seriously! I will be using your recipes from here on out so I can survive on a low income and still eat what I love. Thank you!
They look soooo good! *o*
Made this tonight in my Instant Pot – converted super easily. I could omit the oil and skip the step with cooking the onions. Used the Manual setting for 5 minutes…came out perfectly. Had one minor change when I realized that I was out of chili powder (Yikes!) but did have taco seasoning. So I used 2 T. of the taco seasoning, added a bit more water than called for and just went for it. Really yummy.
I can’t tell you how inspiring your site is. I’ve made several recipes and each one has been awesome. Thanks for everything you do, Beth!
Kids are home from college and eating up my groceries faster than I can buy them! I saw this recipe and threw it together quickly (doubled it). They all ate it (one doesn’t like sweet potatoes; one doesn’t like chili) in some form. I also made a pot of rice so husband ate his over rice! Filling, healthy and deliscious! I also added avocado, sour cream, and jarred salsa as condiments. Thanks Beth!
Please clarify the ‘extra nutrition’ in sweet potatoes. Yes, they are higher in vitamin A – but at nearly 300% of daily requirement each isn’t that a bit overkill for the price, considering you can get nearly as much from dark greens, or carrots. With more sugars, more sodium, more carbs, more calories, (which we are all getting too much of anyway) and less protein, potassium, and B6, I don’t see the value in the extra cost per pound.
The tip you shared about planning your menu according to the sale flyers is a good one. I’ve been cooking for almost 40 years and I always plan my menu around the week’s sales. Usually the sale flyers are posted online so it makes it easy to compare prices. I love your blog! I’ve told a lot of younger folks about your blog because I love to see them cooking for themselves instead of relying on fast food. Thanks Beth!
I guess I’m one of those, um younger people, well at 36 not really I guess, but I am using this blog along with a few other to learn to cook so that my family eats cheaper, saves $$ and eats a whole lot healthier than we otherwise would. Quite honestly, I didn’t know that sweet potatoes went well with chili, now I do! But I am serving up chill next week at my Ugly Christmas Sweater Party next week and will serve these up on my new $200 artisan wood board that I’m actually giving away on my blog right now. Thanks Beth. Love your new pic!!!
This looks so good! I love your blog
I’m a bit of a hater when it comes to candied sweet potatoes, but I LOVE them like this! I’ll have to make some of your chili to go with them soon. Looks amazing!
I use sweet potatoes all the time, but I nuke them to cook. Same old same old. Sometimes I place them in the oven to bring out all the sweetness and precede as you said. But when Chili is covering the sweet potatoes, why bother. It’s good anyway you cook it.
glassy~
Ooh, I think I have all these ingredients on hand! Thanks for the suggestion!
I love savory sweet potatoes. Usually I chop up sweet potatoes to put in chili, but this way looks super cute.
I wonder how this would fair with TVP or lentils instead of the turkey…
I think that would work just fine. :)
This recipe looks delicious! It looks like a hearty meal perfect for winter dinners.