Creamy, Hearty & Effortless: Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Sweet Potatoes

There’s something about this dish that feels like a warm sweater on a chilly Tuesday. I started making this slow cooker turkey chili with sweet potatoes years ago when I needed a way to stretch a family dinner into a cozy, no-fuss meal, but it’s become a staple for my table because of how the sweet potatoes melt into the chili, softening the edges of the heat and leaving you with a soup-like consistency that just hugs you from the inside out. I always add a spoonful of apple cider vinegar right before serving to brighten the flavors, a trick I learned the hard way after my first batch tasted a little too heavy, and trust me, that small tweak changes everything.

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Sweet Potatoes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 7 hours hrs

Total Time 7 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 581

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Chili Base

• 1.5 lbs ground turkey preferably 93% lean; brown it first to render fat and deepen flavor
• 1 medium onion diced finely
• 3 cloves garlic minced

Vegetables & Sweet Potatoes

• 1.5 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes; leave one whole to mash later for thickening
• 1 can kidney beans rinsed and drained
• 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 cup corn fresh or frozen; frozen is fine straight from the bag

Spices & Liquids

• 2 tbsp chili powder not cumin or paprika—this is the main spice
• 1 tsp cumin ground; toast lightly in a dry pan for 30 seconds before adding for depth
• 1 tsp smoked paprika adds a subtle bacon-like warmth without the meat
• 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper adjust to heat preference; leave out if making for kids
• 1 cup tomato sauce not paste or chunks; smooth sauce blends better with the sweet potato starch
• 0.5 cup chicken broth low-sodium preferred
• 1 tbsp olive oil for browning the turkey

Method

 

Brown the Turkey

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink—about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if there's more than a teaspoon left.

Combine in Slow Cooker

1. Transfer browned turkey to the slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Stir to coat the meat in spices, then pour in tomato sauce and chicken broth. Stir well.

Add Vegetables

1. Add the cubed sweet potatoes, kidney beans, black beans, and corn. Stir gently to distribute everything evenly. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or high for 3.5 hours.

Finish & Thicken

1. After cooking, take one whole sweet potato (the one you reserved), peel it, and mash it into the chili with a fork or potato masher. Let the chili sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes so the mashed potato releases its starch and naturally thickens the sauce. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Notes

Don't skip the 10-minute stand after mashing the sweet potatoes into the chili—letting the potatoes release their starch thins the sauce naturally, so you won't need to add extra broth. If you find it too thick after cooking, stir in ¼ cup warm water, not cold, to keep the temperature stable.