If there’s one flavor combo I can’t get enough of, it’s smoky, spicy Mexican chorizo with hearty sweet potatoes. This Chorizo Sweet Potato Chili combines those flavors into the most delicious one-pot meal for the whole family (seriously, this chili is the BOMB). Since chorizo is already packed with bold spices, I barely have to add anything else to make it taste amazing. It’s almost too easy! I highly suggest adding this one to your weekly meal prep…you won’t be disappointed. 😉
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
“This was SO GOOD! Easily a new favorite. I made this with your Everyday Cornbread recipe in muffin form and the combination was delicious (:”
Mackenzie
Easy Chorizo Sweet Potato Chili Recipe
This recipe for sweet potato and chorizo chili comes together in no time (in less than an hour!), but it tastes like you’ve been cooking it for hours. It’s the perfect alternative to classic chili when I’m craving something a little different. The chorizo does all the heavy lifting, so I only add a little chili powder, cumin, and oregano for added oomph. The canned beans keep costs down while adding protein and fiber, and the sweet potatoes become perfectly tender and soak up all the delicious flavors in the pot. I just love it!
Chorizo Sweet Potato Chili
Servings 6 8 cups totalIngredients
- 3 links Mexican chorizo (about ¾ lb.)* ($2.63)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.70)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.08)
- 1 lb. sweet potato ($1.88)
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes ($1.06)
- 1 15 oz. can kidney beans ($0.94)
- 1 15 oz. can black beans ($0.94)
- 1 6 oz. can tomato paste ($0.94)
- 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 ($0.96)
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 the diced onion and minced garlic 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 the diced sweet potato to the pot and continue to stir and cook.
- Rinse and drain the canned kidney and black beans in a colander. Add the beans 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 it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sweet potatoes have softened.
- Serve hot, topped with sliced green onions.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Sweet Potato Chili WITH CHORIZO
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.
Brown the chorizo: 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. It’s fairly fatty, so you can drain the fat off after it is fully browned if you’d like.
Add the onion and garlic: While the chorizo is browning, dice 1 yellow onion and mince 2 cloves of garlic. After draining the fat from the chorizo, add the onion and garlic and continue to cook over medium heat.
Prep the sweet potatoes: While the onions and garlic continue to cook, start dicing 1 lb. of 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.
Assemble the chili: Add the diced sweet potatoes to the pot and continue cooking.
Add a 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (with juices) to the pot. Rinse and drain a 15 oz. can kidney beans and 15 oz. can black beans in a colander, then add them to the pot. Also, add a 6 oz. can of tomato paste.
Now add 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, and 2 cups of water.
Simmer: 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!
Serve: Slice the bunch of green onions and sprinkle over each serving. You can also add a little cheddar cheese or sour cream…YUM.
Variations to Try
I do love this recipe as is, but some of our readers have suggested a few tasty variations that I want to pass along!
- Make it vegetarian and vegan. A number of readers have had success swapping the Mexican chorizo for a soy-based chorizo!
- Use a crockpot. While I haven’t tried this variation myself, many commenters swear by their slow cooker. If I were going to attempt it, I would brown the chorizo first, cook down the onions and garlic, and then add everything to the slow cooker on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. It’s done when the sweet potatoes are tender.
Serving Suggestions
I’m all about the toppings whenever I make this chorizo sweet potato chili. I usually go for shredded cheddar cheese and sliced green onions, but if I’ve got some avocado, sour cream, or pickled red onions in my fridge, I’ll add them, too. Then, my favorite way to enjoy it is by scooping it up with some tortilla chips! You could also serve it with white rice or cornbread on the side.
Storage & Reheating
I always have some of this sweet potato chili leftover because it makes such a BIG batch. Once cooled, I store mine in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can warm it up on the stove or in the microwave until hot. You can also freeze this chili for up to 3 months (if you don’t mind the beans and sweet potato being softer after thawing). Defrost it in the fridge overnight and warm it up when ready to eat.
More Easy Chili recipes
Our Chorizo Sweet Potato Chili recipe was originally published 10/26/13. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 3/27/25.
Delish! Was looking to spice up my chili meal prepping and the chorizo and sweet potato go very well together
I am making this modified to be made in a slow cooker, and with soy chorizo.
I am making this.. it’s cold and what better for dinner than something warm and filling.
Used a pound of ground chorizo, this recipe is 🔥.
Yum!
has anyone used ground turkey as a an alternative to chorizo? if so, what kind of spices could be used in place of the flavouring originally added by chorizo?
You’d definitely need to add some spices because the spices in the chorizo are responsible for a lot of the flavor in this chili. To find a chorizo spice mix, you can Google “Mexican chorizo recipe” to see what spices people usually use. :)
As per a previous poster’s suggestion, I added a quarter cup of brown sugar and a tablespoon of cinnamon (I made 10 servings) and holy shit did that addition make the flavor pop. Highly recommended.
I have made this several times with Trader Joe’s soy chorizo, and it always comes out wonderfully!! One of my absolute favorite recipes.
Oh I’ll have to try that chorizo next time! Thanks Zoe!
HI! What amount of the TJ’s soy chorizo do you use? The whole package?
Changed sausages to ground lamb and it’s just perfect 👌
Yummy!
I have made this many times and it is always absolutely delicious-especially served with cornbread! I have one of those manual vegetable chopper things that chops the onion and sweet potatoes into little squares in seconds. Makes this so easy to put together. This recipe, plus your lentil and sausage stew, are two of our winter favorite meals.
Side note-last year a dear friend had cancer. I made this chili for her and her family. She said it was one of the few foods that had flavor for her during her chemo/radiation. Thank you!
This is our new favorite chili. Our only change was having a full pound of chorizo. This one earns a permanent spot in our winter chili rotation. Thanks!
If I wanted to omit the beans from this recipe, would you recommend making any other adjustments to compensate?
You might want to increase the chorizo and sweet potatoes to make up for the decrease in solid matter in the chili, otherwise it might be very saucy, almost more soup-like.
This is one of my favorite recipes! It’s delicious but also can be vegan-ized super easily by subbing soy chorizo and making sure your beans are vegan (and is still so delicious you’d never know it’s vegan) Very useful for chili potlucks!
This looks amazing! Will try this tonight, but I don’t think they sell Mexican chorizo in Germany. I have some minced meat that needs to go, so I’ll try an EU adaption to this recipe.
Made today using Spanish chorizo. I am in London. Added some smoked paprika. Delicious. Served with tortilla chips and cheese.