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This sweet potato chili is a smoky, slow-simmered pork chili made with tender pork shoulder, chipotles, ancho chili powder, and warm spices, plus sweet potatoes, poblanos, and black and kidney beans. It surprised my whole family the first time I made it, and it’s so good with tortilla chips, avocado, and sour cream.
A Note from Isabel
I’m a firm believer that every season is chili season. When I told my family I was making a sweet potato chili with pork, they weren’t really sure what to expect. Then they tried it. Multiple people told me it was incredible, and my niece and nephew have since made it for their own families.
The pork shoulder is where all the flavor starts. As it simmers, it gives off so much flavor on its own, and everything else builds on that: smoky chipotles, ancho chili powder, a little cinnamon and cloves, then sweet potatoes and poblanos stirred in for the last 30 minutes.
This pork chili takes a few hours, but most of that is hands-off simmering on the stove. Serve it with a batch of jalapeño cornbread muffins for dunking. And if you want a meatless chili, my quinoa black bean chili is the one I’d make, or try my easy green chicken chili for something different.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what goes into this sweet potato chili. You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.
- Pork shoulder: This is where all the flavor starts. It gives off so much flavor as it simmers and turns fall-apart tender. If you’d rather use beef, chuck roast works too.
- Coarse-ground mustard: I toss it with the pork, salt, and pepper before browning. It adds a little tang that’s needed to cut through the rich pork shoulder.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes: They add a bit of smokiness and acidity to balance the rich pork.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo: These give the chili its smoky heat. Use fewer for a milder chili or add more if you like it spicy.
- Red wine vinegar and fish sauce: A small splash of each adds savoriness and brightness. The fish sauce is optional, and soy sauce works in its place.
- Dry seasonings: Ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin, plus a little cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. Those three build warmth, and they’re flavors I use in a lot of my Mexican recipes, even savory ones.
- Black beans and dark red kidney beans: You’ll use the beans and their liquid at different times. I used to put everything in the pot at once, but the beans lost their shape and got too mushy. Now the liquid goes in at the start to build the broth, and the beans go in at the end with the sweet potatoes so they stay whole. Garbanzo, navy, or white beans also work in place of either one.
- Sweet potatoes: They add a little sweetness and a soft, creamy texture. Yukon Gold potatoes work if you need a swap.
- Poblano pepper: It adds a mild, earthy flavor. Bell pepper or Anaheim work too, or use a serrano for more heat.
How to Make Sweet Potato Chili
Most of the cooking time here is hands-off simmering, and a big Dutch oven is my go-to for it.
Season the pork. Toss the pork with salt, pepper, and coarse-ground mustard until every piece is coated.
Brown the pork. Cook the onions in the Dutch oven until soft, add the garlic, then add the pork and cook until browned.
Simmer. Stir in the tomatoes, the liquid from both cans of beans, the chipotles, vinegar, fish sauce, and spices. Cover and simmer on low for 1½ hours.
Add the sweet potatoes and beans. Scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, then stir in the sweet potatoes, poblano, and beans. Cover and cook 30 more minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Recipe Tips
- Make it thicker or thinner. For an extra thick chili, use only half the bean liquid from each can, or cook it uncovered for the last 30 minutes. If it gets too thick, stir in a splash of broth.
- Make it a day ahead. This chili tastes even better the next day, after all the flavors have had time to come together.
- Use a slow cooker. This pork chili recipe works great in one. Brown the pork in a large skillet and move it to your slow cooker. Cook the onions and garlic in the same skillet and add them, along with everything else except the beans, sweet potatoes, and poblano. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4, then stir in the rest and cook 30 to 45 more minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
What to Serve With This Pork Chili
I like to top each bowl with a spoonful of sour cream, chopped cilantro, and sliced avocado, with homemade tortilla chips on the side for scooping. Warm flour tortillas or a bolillo roll are great for soaking up the broth.
Sweet Potato Chili FAQs
Not really. The sweet potatoes add just a hint of sweetness against the smoky, spicy base. If you want it a little sweeter, stir in a tablespoon of brown sugar with the spices.
I’d call it mild to medium. If you want less heat, use fewer chipotles.
I add them for the last 30 minutes, along with the poblano and the beans. I’ve tried adding them earlier and they got too mushy, so now they always go in at the end.
This sweet potato chili recipe is really built around the pork shoulder, so I wouldn’t skip it. If you want a meatless chili, my quinoa black bean chili is the one I’d make.
Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients
For the chili
- 3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, diced into bite-sized chunks
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons coarse-ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, beans and liquid separated
- 1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, beans and liquid separated
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce, optional
- 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
- 1 large poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
For serving
- Sour cream
- Chopped cilantro
- Avocado
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Combine the pork, 1 ½ tablespoons of salt, the black pepper, and mustard. Stir together until the meat is fully coated. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the seasoned pork and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the meat has browned.
- Add the tomatoes, the liquid from the canned black beans, the liquid from the canned kidney beans, the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, red wine vinegar, fish sauce, ancho chili powder, the remaining ½ tablespoon of kosher salt, smoked paprika, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice.
- Stir to combine, raise the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 1 ½ hours.
- Stir and scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the sweet potatoes, poblano peppers, black beans, and kidney beans. Stir, cover, and cook for 30 more minutes or until the sweet potatoes and poblanos are tender.
- Serve with tortilla chips and garnish with cilantro, sour cream, and avocado slices.
Notes
- Storage. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave, and add a splash of broth if it’s gotten too thick.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Recipes to Try
This post was originally published in November 2021 and has been updated with new photos and more helpful tips.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
I’m not kidding when I say this is the best chili I’ve ever eaten. There is so much depth of flavor here that every other chili pales in comparison. Over the past year I’ve made this recipe at least once a month and every single time I say out loud, “this is SO good”. It’s spicy, it’s sweet, it’s smoky…it’s magic. It’s also on the menu tonight, lol. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
This is a must-try! I used Chipotle chili powder instead of Ancho chili powder, but that was the only difference. Please note: chipotle powder is significantly spicier than ancho. We love spicy! This recipe is utter perfection and a flavor explosion! It’s easy too, and my family can’t wait for me to make it again!
Amazing and super flavorful! I half the amount of meat, so it makes a big portion.
So tender and flavorful. I was going to freeze the leftovers, but there aren’t any. Drat.
I didn’t have coarse-ground mustard, so I went to the store and got some 🙂