Are you craving a cozy dinner that will leave you satisfied without weighing you down? Sweet Potato Chili is an easy healthy dinner recipe that is perfect for any night of the week! Made with sweet potatoes, black beans, and quinoa, this Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili is hearty, healthy, and ready in under 30 minutes.

Why You Will Love Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili
- Flavorful: From the earthy black beans to the sweetness of the sweet potatoes to the richly spiced tomato sauce, this healthy chili is loaded with flavor.
- Favorite Vegetarian Recipe: This simple, one-pot sweet potato quinoa chili delivers a flavorful, nutrient-dense meal that appeals to vegetarians and carnivores alike.
- Minimal Cost: Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili is a budget-friendly recipe that uses pantry staples in a way that brings out the best of their flavor.
- Fast: Unlike most chili recipes, Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili is a 30-minute dinner recipe, yet the flavor is rich and deep. Perfect for any night of the week.
- Nutrient-Dense: This chili is filled with fiber, vitamin A, and plant protein. Filling you up with all the good things!
- Allergy-Friendly: This vegan dinner recipe is not only dairy-free and egg-free, it is nut-free, soy-free, and gluten-free as well.
Notes on Ingredients

- Sweet Potatoes: Use peeled, cubed, raw sweet potatoes, not frozen or pre-cooked sweet potatoes, as they will turn to mush when cooked.
- Black Beans: While I love pairing black beans and sweet potatoes together, you can use pinto beans or red beans in this Sweet Potato Chili if desired.
- Quinoa: Any variety of dry quinoa will work in this chili recipe.
- Tomatoes: If you or your family has texture issues with diced tomatoes, blend the tomatoes before adding them to the chili. You can also use a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes in place of diced tomatoes.
- Broth: Use either low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken stock.
- Spices: This chili is perfectly spiced with a combination of chili spices made with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and a touch of cayenne.
Tips for Making Sweet Potato Chili
∗ Tips for Making Sweet Potato Chili∗
This Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa is super simple, but there are a few things to keep in mind when making this recipe to make the absolute best sweet potato chili.
- Saute the Onions. Taking a bit of time to saute the onions prior to adding in the other ingredients will help to develop this chili's flavor. The onions will soften and add a nice caramelized, sweet flavor to the chili instead of a sharp, pungent flavor.
- Rinse the Quinoa. Be sure to rinse the quinoa really well in a fine-mesh strainer under running water. This will remove the quinoa's natural coating and prevent it from giving your chili a bitter taste.
- Simmer, Don't Boil. Once the ingredients from the chili have come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. You don't want to try to speed up the cooking process by cooking on high heat, as this will just cause the liquid to evaporate before the sweet potatoes and quinoa become tender.
Serving Suggestions
Sweet Potato Chili can be served plain or with a side of homemade biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, or cornbread. And just like any recipe for chili, you can't go wrong with adding toppings. My favorite additions are diced avocado and chopped cilantro. If you are not vegan or dairy-free, shredded cheese and/or sour cream are also delicious options.

Slow Cooker Instructions
While you can whip up Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili in just one pot in 30 minutes, you can also opt to use the slow cooker to prepare this recipe. This is a great option for when you want to come home to dinner waiting for you.
- Saute onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil in a small non-stick skillet for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic mixture to the slow cooker, along with the remaining ingredients to the crockpot, and mix well to incorporate.
- Cook for 8 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high.
More Sweet Potato Dinner Recipes
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos
- Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet
- Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Tacos
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If you enjoyed this recipe for Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and cubed into 1-inch chunks
- 2 (15-oz) cans black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 (15-oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1½ teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 small pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 cup dry quinoa rinsed and drained
- minced cilantro, diced avocado, sour cream, etc for serving
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add in the diced onion and saute for 3-5 minutes until the onion is softened. Add in the garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds, just to toast.
- Add the broth, cubed sweet potato, black beans, tomatoes, and seasonings into the pan.
- While the onion is sauteing, place the quinoa into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse it well under running water. Add to the chili and stir to combine.
- Turn the heat to high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, uncovered, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Serve with minced cilantro, avocado, sour cream, or cheese as desired.
Caley
Hello,
Are the canned tomatoes a mistake? They are in the list of ingredients but not the instructions 🤔
Thank you 🙂
Kristen Chidsey
Hey Caley, sorry for that! Stir them in with the beans.