Lightened up with ground turkey and laden with lots of veggies, this Instant Pot Turkey and Sweet Potato Chilli is bright and robust and ready in just 30 minutes. It is easy, comforting and kid friendly, but feel free to add some more spice if you like a kick in your chilli.
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Instant Pot Turkey and Sweet Potato Chilli
Let me start by saying that this Instant Pot Turkey and Sweet Potato Chilli is not, in any sense of the word, traditional.
I apologize to those purists that enjoy their traditional hot and spicy chili’s, you will not find what you are looking for here.
Instead, you will find a lightened up, veggie and chickpeas laden instant pot chili alternative. It is bright and robust, and using the Instant-Pot means it will take a grand total of 30 minutes to make from start to finish!
Yes please!
Plus it is made with ingredients you will likely already have on hand in the fridge and pantry which is a huge bonus!
Can I Double This Recipe?
This is a great recipe to double.
I usually make a double batch and serve one for dinner and freeze the other for a day when I know I will be super busy.
To double the recipe simply:
- double the ingredients;
- follow the rest of the instructions as they are written;
- add one more minute to the cooking time.
And yes it freezes well too. Simply follow the instructions for cooking the turkey chilli and then pop it in an airtight container or a ziploc bag and into the freezer for around 2-3 months.
Pull it out of the freezer the night before (or morning of) the day you would like to eat it to allow it to thaw completely and re-heat on the stovetop.
No Instant Pot? No Worries!!
I have included the instructions for making Turkey and Sweet Potato Chilli using an Instant-Pot (if you don’t have one of these magical pots then get one asap).
But if you don’t have one, you can still make it on the stove top, it will just need to simmer away for about an hour (see the notes in the recipe card).
What Do I Serve With This Turkey Sweet Potato Chilli?
There are lots of option for serving up this turkey chili.
I like to change it up from time to time and these all work great:
- serve over long grain, brown or wild rice;
- serve over riced cauliflower;
- serve over riced broccoli;
- stir through a big handful of fresh spinach once cooked;
- mix through some corn to up the veggies.
If you like spice then add some more chilli, I always add some to mine and leave it out for the kids.
Need More Instant Pot Recipes?
Well of course you do, once you start using it there is no going back! I can help you with that:
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
- Super Moist Whole Chicken In The Instant Pot
- 13 Healthy Homemade Soup Recipes Made In The Instant Pot
If you don’t have an instant pot or other electric pressure cooker then go on ahead and grab one for yourself. They free up so much time and make busy weekdays so much more manageable.
Lightened up with ground turkey and laden with lots of veggies, this Instant Pot Turkey and Sweet Potato Chilli is ready in 30 minutes from start to finish. It is easy, comforting and kid friendly.
- 1 medium brown onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb organic turkey minced
- 1 can (14.5oz ) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5oz ) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5oz ) chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped into rough 1cm squares
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into rough 1cm squares
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder (more or less depending on taste. I find 1/2 tsp is good for kids)
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooked brown rice or riced cauliflower, chilli flakes, diced avocado, sour cream, grated monterey jack cheese and cilantro to serve
Set the Instant Pot (or alternative pressure cooker) to sauté. Add oil, and once hot add in the onions and sauté for about 3 mins. Add in the garlic and sauté for a further 1min. Add in the turkey mince and cook until browned.
Once turkey has browned, add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, garbanzo beans, 1/2 of the chopped red bell peppers, chopped sweet potatoes, vegetable stock, cumin, paprika and chill powder. Salt and pepper to taste and mix everything well.
Seal the vent. Set to High pressure for 9 mins. Once 9 mins is finished, Quick Release and open lid. Add in the rest of the red bell pepper and stir to combine.
Serve over some cooked brown rice or riced cauliflower for low-carb. Add a dollop of sour cream, some diced avocado, grated cheese, chopped cilantro and more chilli flakes to serve.
Complete step one and two (above) in a large saucepan. Once you get to step 3 simmer for about 30 minutes before continuing with the directions as above.
Recipe Video
Freezes well, just pop in a freezer friendly container without the rice and toppings.
If your child doesn’t like raw/crispy vegetables, then add in all of the red bell pepper at step two.
If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it. I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions! And if you make this please tag me on Instagram with @wholefoodbellies so I can share it <3
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Toni | Boulder Locavore says
This will be a sure hit for dinner!!
Lindsay Cotter says
Comfort food dinner for the win! Love the ease of this recipe!
Andrea Avery says
We made this tonight and it was wonderful! We were oit of chili powder, so we used a teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning along with the other spices. Served it over long grain and wild rice. Perfect!
Donna says
Oh yay, I am so glad you enjoyed!! It’s on repeat every month over here 🙂
Kiki Johnson says
As I don’t own an instant pot, I will try this on the stove top! It’s just what I have been craving lately! Also, I wanted to say that I really love the pictures!
Donna says
Oh thank you Kiki! It works great on the stove top too, just takes a little bit longer 🙂
Courtney says
I love making chilli in my Instant Pot – it tastes like it simmered all day. This sounds like a great fall recipe!
Donna says
It gives the best flavor doesn’t it!
Haley says
I loved this. Although I put the recipe into my fitness pal and it had way more calories. 264.
Donna says
Glad you loved it. Nutritional calculators are so inaccurate and they differ depending on what food brands you use so it’s hard to know which one provides the more correct information. I really don’t like including it for that reason, but so many people have asked for it, which is why it’s included. Use it as a guide only 🙂
Leslie says
I just wish you mentioned the serving size – is it 1 cup or 1.5 cups? that would help alot in estimating calories. I doubled the recipe so there’s no way I was going to ladle it between 12 containers to try to estimate calories. Thanks for considering! I love making this recipe as most of the items I usually have on hand so it’s easy and so tasty to make.
Donna says
Hi Leslie, next time I make it (which will probably be soon as we have it quite often) I will measure out the serving size for you! When I first came up with the recipe I didn’t have a nutritional calculator on the site so I didn’t worry about specific serving sizes, I just always go by feel.
Leslie Riggs says
Made this – didn’t have bell pepper – and we forgot to peel the sweet potato – and it still turned out great! I won’t bother with peeling the sweet potato in the future as there was nothing bad about leaving it on and maybe we actually benefitted from some additional nutrients in the skin. Thanks very much for this great recipe! It’s a new favorite for both great taste and ease of preparation.
Donna1 says
Oh yay I am so glad to hear that Leslie! I often leave the skin on a lot of my veg for the extra nutrients, but I never thought to do it with the sweet potato, I will have to try it out next time 🙂
Hi-Def says
Made this for the family tonight, it’s a hit!
Donna1 says
Oh yay 🙂 So glad it was a hit!
Amy says
This is, hands down, THE BEST thing I’ve eaten in a long time! The only change I made was to up the chili powder to 1 tsp. I haven’t had it over rice or with any garnishments, just eat it as is, and I can’t get enough. I love how the flavors come together and how fresh it tastes. It’s filling, without leaving you feel stuffed. Thank you so much for this recipe, my new fave!
Donna1 says
Oh thank you Amy, you just made my day 🙂 So glad you loved it!!
Meagn says
How much is one serving? Thanks, I will be making this Chili this week!
Donna1 says
Hi Meagn, sorry I don’t weigh my servings, I just go based on how many bowls we serve up (adult size, not kid size). So for this recipe, it was 6 bowls of food, and they are largish servings.
robert says
After a few modifications I now have a chili limit per day.
I swapped out the chickpeas for black beans, dropped the chili powder for ancho chili powder but the biggest difference is the addition of 1 tbs of cacao powder, huge flavor boost plus you know it’s chocolate!
Thanks, love the recipe.
R
ps on this copy of the recipe you omitted the oil and quantity, i’m curious what you used.
thanks
Donna1 says
Ooh I need to try the addition of the cacao! I have tried a chili with a hint of chocolate in it before, and it was delicious, but not something I have ever tried myself. I tend to use avocado oil for sautéing, and for this recipe I use about 1-2 tsp (I never measure, I am more of a free-pour kinda girl so that is very much an estimate)
Maggie says
I do t have an installer but looking to cook this on the stove or. Do kpot. I saw i. The blog that those instructions were i. The notes section and I didn’t see it. How long so I let it simmer on The stove or what temp in the crockpot? Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try it!
Donna1 says
Hi Maggie (my daughter’s name too 🙂 ), I am sorry the stovetop directions must have disappeared when I changed my recipe set-up. I will have to fix that up. In the meantime just do steps one and two in a large saucepan, and then when it gets to step three you will want to simmer for about 30 minutes before adding the red bell pepper, stirring and serving. Hope you enjoy!
Manderson says
Very, very good. I’ve only made a half dozen recipes in my instant pot and this one has been the only outstanding success. I will bookmark this one and make again!
Donna1 says
Oh yay, I am so glad it was a success for you, we LOVE this dish!! The Instant Pot can be a bit tricky to figure out when you first get started (I know I had some very bleugh dishes to start), keep trying 🙂
Brenda says
I love this recipe! I doubled it, added drained black beans, cooked on high for 18 mins and added fresh spinach to it when it was done cooking!!!
Donna1 says
Ooh yum, love the addition of the fresh spinach, I will have to try that next time!!
Brenda Mann says
We add spinach wherever possible and it is perfect for this chili!! I make it and freeze some to send to our boys at University. My son ate his the first day I brought it to him. This is a healthy comfort food!
Donna1 says
Oh thats lovely, it makes my heart happy 🙂 I need to try adding some spinach next time I make it, seems to be a favorite addition among readers!
Ronna says
This was my very first Instant Pot recipe and it was amazing!! It flashed the “burn” setting for a minute – maybe because I overfilled the pot? But then it went away.
I used an extra large Japanese sweet potato (bc I love sweet potatoes) and also added corn when it was done cooking for a bit of crunch. Thank you so much!
Donna1 says
Oh yay I am so glad it worked out well for you!! It may have flashed burn if there was too much sweet potato (is there such a thing???) and not enough liquid? Glad it evened itself out though 🙂 Love the addition of the corn, always great to sneak some extra veggies in there when you can!!
Amy says
Just wanted to say thank you for sharing this recipe! I happened to have ground turkey and sweet potatoes on hand and was looking for Instant Pot recipes when I came across this one. It sounded good but I wasn’t sure how two little kids and a picky husband would like it… well I’m glad I decided to try it because they all loved it! Adding it to our rotation!!
Donna1 says
Oh yay, this makes me so happy to hear Amy!! It’s funny, my kids just adore it as well, it has been on heavy rotation around here for a while as they are HUGE fans of chickpeas. Thanks for taking the time to pop back and share 🙂
Mandy says
Is it supposed to be watery?? Did I do something wrong? I followed recipe as is….
Totally great flavor though! Added some kale after taking off the lid and it was like a yummy turkey-veggie soup
Donna1 says
Oh no I am sorry it turned out to be watery for you Mandy, we have never had that problem! The only thing I can think of is maybe you had a particularly watery can of tomatoes??
Jess says
Yum! I made this tonight and really enjoyed it. The garbanzos were a nice substitute for kidney or black beans. Thanks for the recipe!
Donna1 says
Yay, glad you loved it! Yeah sometimes its nice to switch things up a bit 🙂
J. Dudek says
This was the first recipe I made in my new InstantPot.
I followed some of the comments I read and used 3 tsp. each of the cumin, paprika, and chili powder and since it still wasn’t at all fiery, next time I may even add some chipotles with adobo.
For additional veggies, I added a cup of frozen corn and two carrots. For the diced tomatoes, I used the fire-roasted type.
It was really tasty. Thanks for the recipe!
Donna1 says
So glad you liked it! I always add extra spice for myself as well, no one else in the house can handle it though 🙂
Moore says
This was an excellent recipe find. Even my picky teenager liked it. I made a double batch to freeze some for lunches. I served with avocado, cilantro and Monterey Jack cheese and it was excellent. Took some time to chop everything but worth it.
Donna1 says
Oh yay for feeding fussy teenagers, I haven’t reached that point yet (although I swear my 4 year old is going on 13 some days). Thanks so much for taking the time to pop back and leave a comment!
Laura says
Eating this as I type, it’s SO GOOD! the kids are gobbling it up and they have been in picky moods for a while (newly 3 and newly 5 year olds). I used chicken stock as I never have veggie stock on hand but I also figured that might give it a more robust flavor? I’d love to try it with veggie stock one day but I love it as is! I like mushy veggies so I added the whole red pepper, funny enough my boys love raw red pepper so i bet theyd have loved it either way. The flavor is subtle but still good as-is but I might go a but heavier and tweak this a bit later but I can’t stress enough I love it without tweaks! Besides me using chicken stock . This was easy and fast and I feel like it’s light enough to have in the summer too! The sweet potatoes add a lovely flavor. This is going into regular rotation. My three year old has been asking to be fed lately but we have to push him a bit (which I hate doing but he’s skip dinner completely and ask for junk later if I don’t push him at least a little) and he’s opening his mouth saying “ahhh” looking for more. That is so rare with this child! Which is why I even cave to feeding him even though if I told pre-mother me I was doing this I’d judge me! 🤣 anyway, try it. Even with the tsp chili powder there’s no spice for the spice averse. Kick it up if you want more. Or so what my Indian husband does and add in Siracha!
Laura says
I don’t use veggie stock often, or ever. I know
I can sub with chicken stock but wondering what flavor/ health advantages there are for the veggie stock?
Donna1 says
To be honest, I use veggie stock because I can basically make it for free. I just collect all of my veggie scraps in a ziplock bag and keep stored in the freezer until I have enough for a batch: you can read more about how to do it here. With this method I always tend to have a batch on hand that is full of organic vegetables and has a lot less salt that the commercial brands. When I have a chicken carcass I make chicken stock instead and would totally use that in place of veggie broth.
Stacy says
Does anyone happen to know the macros on this?
Donna1 says
I dont, but if you try out MyFitnessPal, I have heard that is very good at helping you to work out such things. Good luck.
Nancy Kay says
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was delicious! I plan to double the recipe, and make it for weekend company whose arrival time is indefinite … it should hold well if they’re really late. Yummy, and both of us give it 5 stars!
Donna1 says
Oh yay I am so glad!! Thanks so much for taking the time to pop back and let me know 🙂
Jamie says
Love this! I’m curious if you have tried doubling this in your instant pot? I’d like to make a double batch for a friend. If so, or even if not, do you have suggestions for how to adjust the cooking time? Thanks!
Donna1 says
I haven’t tried doubling it Jamie, although I really should so that I have a freezer supply! I wouldn’t want to give you specifics given I haven’t tried it myself, but usually if I double a recipe in the Instant Pot i don’t bother adjusting the cooking time and it works out just fine. It will just take longer for everything to come to pressure. If you try doubling I would love to hear how you go!
Jamie Petts says
I went ahead and tried it! I doubled the recipe and added just one minute to the cooking time and it turned out superb! Doubling it brought it right up to the max fill line, but it worked!
Donna1 says
Awesome, I am so glad it worked out for you!! I am totally doubling it next time, it’s a handy one to have in the freezer 🙂 Thanks for popping back and letting me know.
Moore says
I️I️I️ made a double batch and it was perfect.
Donna1 says
Batch cooking at it’s best 🙂
Bonnie says
I’m a newbie to Instant Pots. Just pulled mine out of the box. How do I cook on high pressure? Do I press “soup?”
Donna1 says
Hi Bonnie, yay on the new instant pot. For this recipe just press the ‘Manual’ button and then use the arrows to go up or down to the required time. Use the ‘Adjust’ button to toggle between low and high pressure (although from memory it should come pre-programed at high temp). Enjoy
Bonnie says
Thea know you! I bought an older model, and that tiny section of the manual just wasn’t very clear. I appreciate you clarifying. Except for subbing in moose meat for the turkey, I followed your recipe exactly. It was easy, very tasty, and a big confidence boost for using this Instant Pot more.
Donna1 says
Oh yay, I am glad it worked so well for you, especially for one of your first instant pot recipes 🙂 We make it all the time. I love the substitution with moose meat, I have only ever tried moose once, and it was at a very fancy wedding!! Good luck with the new pot, once you get the hang go it I am sure you will be hooked (we use it pretty much every day!)
Abby says
So good Donna! Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!!
Donna1 says
Oh thank you Abby 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!!
Blithe says
I made this turkey-sweet potato chili and my entire family LOVED it! Thank you for inspiring me in the kitchen, Donna! I did not stray from the recipe, though I did make a meat version and vegetarian version for 6 people in my family with plenty left over for freezing. I tripled the recipe. My children will not touch sweet potato so I baked those first and mashed them more than dice. We all loved it!
Donna1 says
Oh that makes me so happy Blithe, what a lovely message to wake up to 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to come and leave a comment, and I am so glad you loved it!!
Bre says
When you tripled the recipe did you have to increase the cooking time in the instantpot? I am an instantpot newbie, so would love to hear how extra ingredients affect cook time. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Nancy says
I make this yummy chili often since it has become part of our regular rotation. I have doubled it and not changed the time. It does take a while to come to pressure since the pot is pretty full. I always set it on Manual for 6 minutes (instead of 9) because we like the sweet potatoes cooked but not squishy. I also often add an additional can of chickpeas, and a bit more chili powder than is called for — the recipe is very versatile.
Donna says
Thanks for sharing your experience Nancy!
Kylee from Kylee Cooks says
“My husband is a massive tight-arse” – serious literary gold, right there!!
I have an off brand of an instant pot – it doesn’t have the saute option, so I’ll use a skillet to do the first part, then bung it all in the cooker for the last.
This looks fantastic, Donna!!
Donna1 says
Haha thanks Kylee, I am sure my husband wouldn’t approve of my description of his frugalness 🙂
Erin says
So yum! I don’t have an insta pot but love using my rice cooker for chili & soup. Can’t wait to try this.
Donna1 says
Ha I have never tried using my rice cooker for anything other than rice – will have to try it with a few more things – I always have a few different things cooking away at once 🙂
Alyssa @ A Bite of Inspiration says
This is the perfect chili for winter! So hearty with lots of warm spices! Great recipe– pinning for later!
Donna1 says
Thanks Alyssa! Definitely a cold weather comfort food meal 🙂
Sarah Hardy says
This looks delicious! I love all the hearty ingredients.
Donna1 says
Thank you Sarah 🙂
Kyle says
Looks delicious! And fast, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Donna1 says
Exactly 🙂 Thanks Kyle!
Jessy @ The Life Jolie says
My friend has an instant pot and she just loves it! This recipe looks really, really delicious!
Donna1 says
We are addicted to ours 🙂 Makes life so much easier on those busy days!