So last week I explained a new feature you’ll be seeing pop up around here every once and a while called “Friday Faves.” You can click on my last post and read the intro to see what it’s all about. While these totally aren’t meant to be *giveaway* posts, that’s not to say we can’t give anything away every once and a while. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who jumped on that post and left comments, because as bloggers, that’s really how we connect with all of you out there and we love hearing your thoughts, ideas, and funny stories! To say thanks, I used random.org to pick one of the comments from that post and it was lucky number 17, Michele. Michele- I’m going to send you a big ol’ box of some of the goodies featured in that post, so check your email!
Now onto today’s recipe. Somehow in the last couple of weeks fall has arrived in Boise. It’s suddenly very chilly in the mornings, and gloriously sunny in the afternoons. The perfect sweater-but-no-coat weather for most of the day and I love it. I spent a large portion of my last week trudging through nurseries and tree farms, picking landscape plants for the house we’re building and it has reminded me why (especially as a horticulturist at heart) I love this season so much! And when fall arrives, my slow-cooker makes more appearances on my counter (much to my grill’s dismay.) I’d been thinking about this chili in my head for a long time and finally thought I’d start throwing it together. It’s definitely a little different than the other chili recipes on our site. You might be surprised by some of the ingredients, but don’t be scared. We’re friends, remember? Tender sweet potatoes actually pair really well with black beans, and this chili might be super low in calories but it’s crazy high in flavor and heartiness. Chock full of veggies and perfect for topping, this is a great fall slow-cooker meal that will make your house smell awesome.
We’re going to start by sauteing some vegetables. I know people love to just throw everything in a crock pot, but I’m telling you right now, for most crock pot recipes it’s worth the extra step of sauteing veggies, or searing meat, etc. You’ll get deeper flavor, better texture, and overall better dishes when you follow full instructions that call for cooking things before tossing them in the slow-cooker. Okay, I’ll hop off the soap box now. Saute some diced onion, garlic, jalapeno, and bell pepper for about 5 minutes, until veggies are soft and fragrant. You don’t need 2 peppers like you see in my photo- you just need one bell pepper and I happened to have both a yellow and a red so I used half of each. Because I thought it looked pretty. I definitely prefer sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange) but if they’re just too pricey, or unavailable, go ahead and use a green bell pepper. When those are cooked, place them in your slow-cooker.
Next up, ground turkey breast. I created this recipe using 20 ounces because the packs from the grocery store like this photo below are always 20 ounces (why? I don’t know, it’s kind of a strange number…) If you’re not using a package like my photo, you can use a pound if that’s easier to buy.
Now here’s a little trick I use often to either lighten recipes that use ground meat, or to stretch a small amount of meat and make it go further in a recipe (good for money-saving, too). I’ve said it before- I don’t love mushrooms, so if you’re like me- rest assured, you probably won’t even know they’re in here. That’s the point! I mince up mushrooms and toss them right in with the ground meat.
What happens is they take on the flavors and seasonings of the meat (in this case, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper) and since they cook along with it they just sort of disguise themselves in there. Since they have a soft texture, you don’t really notice them in the final product, but it makes it seems like there’s more meat than there is. In this case, it was more a matter of bulking up the chili and adding secret veggies. Add the turkey mushroom mixture to the slow-cooker with the vegetables.
Next up is the sweet potatoes. I use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off and then dice them into 1/2 inch cubes. Since sweet potatoes are never uniform in size, just weigh them at the store; I shoot for about 1 1/2 pounds. It doesn’t have to be exact; a little less is certainly fine. You can even buy pre-chopped sweet potatoes in many produce departments.
Add in some black beans
and canned tomatoes
and then another secret ingredient: pumpkin puree! It may seem strange, but it adds a velvety texture and gives the chili body and richness. Plus it packs in lots of good-for-you vitamins and the flavor blends really well with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Just pretty pretty please, make sure your can doesn’t say “Pumpkin Pie” flavored… (and click here for a recipe for homemade pumpkin)
But we’re not stopping there. Just when you thought this chili couldn’t get any crazier, we’ve got 2 front-seat tickets on the crazy train. (I don’t even know what that means. Things like that come out of my mouth when I write my posts at midnight…) 2 more seasonings give this chili a mellow warmth: just a touch of cinnamon and a little unsweetened cocoa powder. They’re not uncommon ingredients in chili, but still ones you don’t see very often. The trick is not overdoing those types of flavors, and I put in just enough that it gives flavor, but not enough to overwhelm it.
Stir everything up with some beef broth and let that slow cooker do its thing.
When it’s all done, it’s thick and rich and super hearty. I like to stir in a big handful of chopped cilantro before serving, but that’s totally optional.
There’s so many good things in there, and when you get them all in one bite it’s a great mix of both flavors and textures.
You can top this with any traditional chili toppings you like, however, I like to keep it simple so I can still taste the unique flavor. A dollop of sour cream and a couple slices of avocado are perfect. You can however, load anything on there. And if you make this and have some eaters that aren’t too fond of the unique flavor, just squeeze a bunch of lime juice in there and add cheese and sour cream on top and it will actually mask the subtle sweetness and taste more like a traditional chili.
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 medium onion diced (any color)
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 1-2 jalapenos minced
- 20 ounces ground turkey breast
- 8 ounces mushrooms minced (about 2 heaping cups)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoons pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 28 ounce can tomatoes not drained
- 2 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 32 ounces beef broth one box/carton
- 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree make sure you're not using pumpkin pie filling 🙂
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- optional: sour cream sliced avocado, chopped cilantro or green onion, and fresh lime juice for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapenos. Saute for about 5 minutes, until veggies are tender and fragrant. Add to slow cooker.
- In same skillet, heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Add turkey and mushrooms and stir to combine. Sprinkle in cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder and smoked paprika. (note: the meat will taste very seasoned when done. Keep in mind these seasonings are not to flavor just the meat, they will season the entire pot of chili, so they are intentionally strong!) Add turkey mixture to slow cooker.
- Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans, broth, pumpkin, cinnamon, and cocoa powder to slow cooker and stir til combine. Place lid on pot and cook for 4-6 hours on high, or 8-10 on low. Slow-cookers vary greatly in temperature and cooking times, but really, the important thing to note is if the sweet potatoes are tender.
- When done, turn off heat and let chili sit with lid off for 10-15 minutes to thicken. Season with additional salt to taste before serving. If desired, serve with sour cream, sliced avocados, and a small squirt of fresh lime juice, and any other toppings desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Questions & Reviews
Can I use potatoes instead of sweet potato? Or can I omit them?
I pinned this from pinterest over a year ago and we got a sliver of cooler weather here in Texas today which called for a hearty fall chili. This was SOOO delicious! I didn’t have sweet potatoes so I used diced butternut squash instead and it was so tender and gave it great texture. Topping it off with lime made it PERFECT!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
If anyone’s curious, I don’t have a slow cooker, and this came out amazing on the stove top. Also, I didn’t peel my sweet potatoes, because I don’t love my family enough, and you couldn’t tell by the time it all simmered into chili.
LOVE, LOVE, your chili. I made it for Christmas Eve Party and everyone raved about it. I would like to have some in the freezer or frig at all times. Thanks.
This was amaaaazing! I actually made it for a neighborhood fall party and everyone raved about it! My husband, a bean hater, loved it as well. Our new regular chili recipe!
This is a winner!!! It has a richness and depth to it and it will be in my fall and winter rotation for years to come. In addition, it was easy to make. I came home to a wonderful aroma and a delicious dinner. This is my new go to chili. The only change I made was a 1/4 jalapeño because that’s all I had on hand and I am not a huge fan of spicy hot. Wanting to keep the heat reasonable for me but still a bit of heat for my husband I added 3/4 tsp of cayenne. Soooooo good! Thank you 🙂
This looks awesome! I frequently make chili with cinnamon and cocoa. I love the idea of adding such Fall favorites as pumpkin and sweet potato. I happen to love mushrooms in many foods, but have never been a fan of them in chili due to texture. This will be going on my menu for Columbus Day Weekend. Thank You!!!!!
How noticeable is the pumpkin flavor? I really want to try this, but my husband hates pumpkin.
I’d say it’s mild, but noticeable. However, with enough toppings, you could easily hide the subtle flavor. Hope he likes it!
I’ve made this chili 4 times since finding the recipe and it has quickly become a favourite at our house. I haven’t experienced any issues with any of the ingredients. An absolutely fantastic recipe even in warmer weather!
This is not a recipe I would have tried a year ago, but I went out of my comfort zone, and WOWZA! It was out of this world! Delicious! Definitely something I will make again. Thanks!
I tried this yesterday and thought it was delicious! My picky husband ate two bowls without complaining, my picky 3 year old ate one bowl without complaining. AND my very picky pants 18 mo old ate a bowlful all by herself! Like spooned it in like she was eating sugary cereal. It got all over the table, chair and floor but HEY! she hasn’t eaten like that for two weeks! I personally would amp up the spices a bit, but I think mine are getting a little old. Garlic and chili pwd especially. Maybe add some tobasco? I loved the pumpkin and sweet potato and might add more next time too. I was thinking of adding some finely chopped spinach as well and get a whole rainbow of veggies in there without anyone the wiser! Thanks for this great recipe. I was kind of wary at first but this will be making frequent appearances at our picky table!
Sorry, but this recipe didn’t turn out for us. If you are going to try it, make sure that you make only half at first as this is a fairly expensive chili to make. The sweet potato was overpowering. I added triple the amount of chili powder but it was still bland. Perhaps all the sweet potato as well as the pumpkin puree was just too much. I would recommend using only 1/2 of the sweet potato and 1/2 can of pumpkin puree.
Just made this and it was delicious. I adapted the recipe to what I had on hand and omitted the meat since beans provide plenty of protein. I ended up using two cans of kidney beans, 1 can of black beans, fresh tomatoes from my garden (added a little tomato sauce for thickness), a whole sweet potato, 1/2 an onion, 3/4 can of pumpkin and then all of the spices you recommended plus veggie stock. I brought it to a boil on the stove and then let it simmer for 45 minutes. I thought it turned out great! I love new spins on chili.
I ended simmering this on the stove all day because it wouldn’t fit in my crockpot. It was amazing! Thank you
Delicious! I cooked my first pumpkin to use in the recipe. It was a hit!
Thanks!
Wow. This was seriously the best chili EVER. I was a little skeptical of cinnamon in chili, but the spices all blended perfectly. I served this Halloween night to rave reviews and loved the leftovers even better. Thank you thank you!
I made this soup a week ago…froze the leftovers….and then today I was having one of those weak…I waited so long to cook that I’m about to get a pizza moments….and then….there it was a wonderful wonderful meal just for me from me (with the help of OBB). Thanks for helping to make that happen!
I meant ground or flakes.
I am making this on Halloween. Do you use crushed oregano or oregano leaves/flakes? Or does it not matter?
Just made this for my church’s chili cook-off and it was deeeeelicious!!!! Thank you for sharing!
Made this for my daughters birthday dinner and it was fabulous. I let it simmer on the stovetop for 4 hours instead of the crockpot. Thank you for sharing.
YUM! YUM! YUM! YUM! Finally made this and it was goooood. I made it vegetarian by exiting the meat and adding another can of beans. It turned out great! Another staple in our house, now! Thank you!
So delicious! I made this last night along with your sweet chile cheese cornbread perfect! I love the secret ingredients knowing that my family is getting all of those wonderful varieties of veggies thank you again! You are my go to site for new recipes and you have never failed to impress!
I made this for my birthday lunch (yes, I cooked my own bday meal). It was wonderful and everyone loved it, even my 2 year old! I actually made it in 1 1/2 hours start to table. It was super easy, fast and tasted great even though it only got to simmer for an hour. It’s your 1st recipe I’ve tried as I haven’t been following your blog long but I will certainly be trying more! Cheers!
Made this tonight and it was fantastic!!! My super-picky hubby even ate it happily!!! Thanks for a great, healthy meal-yum!!!
Question: Since it is cooking so long in a slow cooker, could you add dry beans after a quick soak to cook in the crock-pot, or would that change the flavor or texture because you couldn’t rinse them? Would a pressure cooker work instead of the crockpot for speed? (and really, because my pressure cooker is much larger than my crockpot). Thanks for all the great recipes!! Love them!!!
made this last night – sooo delicious!
I made this last night for dinner and it was a huge hit, even with my kids. I’ll be making it again for Halloween! Thanks for the great recipes!
This is PERFECT for Halloween! I wanted to make something special and this will also warm us all up after being in the cold. Such amazing autumn flavors! I think it will go well with our homemade butterbeer and pumpkin choclate chip cookies. I am so excited! 😀
You’ve saved me! I have to bring dinner to a friend who has just had a baby and I was stressing about what to bring. They are “foodies” and don’t eat red meat … so my stand-by lasagna was not going to work this time! I can’t wait to make this tomorrow … both for them and for us! Thank you!