Instant Pot Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

Instant Pot Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili is a favorite in my house! This easy Instant Pot vegetarian chili recipe made with black beans and sweet potatoes is full of flavor and a quick gluten free dinner idea.

Looking for more vegetarian chili recipes? Check out my lentil chili or my slow cooker vegetarian chili with quinoa!

An Easy Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili

Let me just tell you, I’m officially in love with my Instant Pot. When I first bought it, I thought I would just use it for pressure cooking recipes with tough meat like this chipotle beef barbacoa, but y’all … it’s meant for so much more than that. I use it to sear, saute, braise, and pressure cook. And now, to make the most bomb vegetarian chili ever!

This sweet potato black bean chili is legit for a vegetarian chili. It has crazy depth of flavor – it’s sweet, spicy, and savory all in one, AND it’s thick rather than broth-y. Which, in my opinion, is the key to a good chili! Best of all, you can saute your veggies in the Instant Pot then flip it to a Soup/Broth setting, and you’ll have chili ready for you in minutes! Let’s get started.

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

This Instant Pot vegetarian chili is a must-make cold weather meal. Here’s why it’s a fall-time favorite in my house:

• Incredibly flavorful. Made with earthy cumin, spicy chili powder, smoked paprika, and sweet cinnamon, this chili will wow your taste buds from the first bite!
• Filling. This recipe is packed with corn, peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, two types of beans, and more. Add your favorite toppings to all that, and you’ll be stuffed for sure.
• Quick and easy. Black bean sweet potato chili is done cooking in about 30 minutes. It’s great for busy weeknights!

What You’ll Need

Most of these ingredients are pantry staples, so you can make this delicious, cozy chili in the Instant Pot practically any time you like! For the exact amounts and the full set of directions, scroll down to the recipe card below.

• Avocado oil – This is my favorite high heat cooking oil because it is tasteless. If you don’t have avocado oil, you could also use grape seed oil or coconut oil.
• Onion – I used sweet onion, however you could use red or yellow if that’s what you have.
• Red pepper – Make sure you dice up your fresh red pepper before starting.
• Garlic – Freshly minced garlic tastes best!
• Carrots – I love to add carrots to my chili for the sweetness and texture.
• Sweet potatoes – Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into 1/4″ cubes. Try to ensure that the size is uniform so that they cook evenly.
• Spices – A combination of cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper will make this the most comforting bowl of chili ever!
• Chipotle peppers – You can find a jar of these in the Latin or International aisle at your grocery store. It will say chipotle peppers in adobo sauce on the label.
• Vegetable stock – To keep this recipe vegetarian, I used vegetable stock. You could also use water, but the vegetable stock adds so much more flavor.
• Fire roasted diced tomatoes – Fire roasted is my go-to, there is so much more flavor in these than in plain stewed tomatoes.
• Beans – I use a combination of black beans and kidney beans; just make sure they are low sodium and that you drain and rinse them before adding them to the chili.
• Corn – Sweet corn kernels add a nice crunch and fit in with the flavor profiles of this recipe.
• Cilantro – Fresh cilantro will brighten up your chili at the end right before serving and make it pop.
• Lime juice – I love the zesty flavor of lime juice at the end to bring the chili back to life after being pressure cooked for 10 minutes. Trust me, add it!

How to Make Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

This vegetarian black bean sweet potato chili uses both the Saute mode and Soup/Broth setting on the Instant Pot. (You could also use the Chili setting, or if you have an older version Pressure Cooker mode will work too.)

Here’s a brief rundown of everything you’ll need to do:

• Prepare. Turn your Instant Pot on to the Sauté setting and let it heat up.
• Add avocado oil to the Instant Pot. Next, add diced onions, red peppers, and garlic. Saute everything until translucent (about 2-3 minutes).
• Stir in the veggies and spices. Add in your carrots, sweet potato, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, chipotle peppers, cinnamon, black pepper, and salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes while stirring to mix everything together.
• Add your liquid. Pour in the vegetable stock and fire roasted tomatoes. Using a spoon, stir everything.
• Place the cover on the Instant Pot. Seal the lid and cancel the Saute setting. Switch the Instant Pot over to the Soup/Broth setting and set the timer for 10 minutes.
• When it’s finished, use the Quick Pressure Release method. Remove the lid once the pressure is completely released.
• Cancel the Soup setting. Switch the Instant Pot back over to the Saute setting. Finally, add in the black beans, kidney beans, frozen corn, fresh cilantro, and lime juice. Let the soup saute for 5 minutes, then serve.

Tips for Success

Easy, right? Before you begin, though, I have just a few more tips for this recipe to share with you.

• Make sure your Instant Pot is on the right setting. On my Instant Pot (which is the Ultra 10 in 1), I have a Chili setting. However, I know most of you may not have that option. So, for this recipe I used the Soup/Broth setting. What you want the Instant Pot to do is meld all those awesome flavors together without turning it into mush. The Soup/Broth setting is perfect for this!
• How to thicken vegetarian chili. Use chili powders! Chili powders are made with a combination of spices like cumin, garlic powder, and ground chili peppers. The peppers are the key, they act as a natural thickening agent.
• Adjust the cooking time if you add meat. If you have beef or chicken that you want to use in this chili, you may want to cook it for a little longer, maybe 15 minutes.

What Goes With Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili?

There are a number of different sides/toppings that you can serve with chili, but here are a few of my favorite options!

• Tortilla Chips: These go great with chili, especially if you add some sour cream on top, too!
• Salad: I highly recommend trying this spinach salad with apple, pecans, and gorgonzola or this Mandarin orange cranberry kale salad on the side.
• Cornbread: Soft, tender cornbread pairs perfectly with chili!

How to Store and Reheat Chili

If you end up with leftover chili, store it for later. It’s great for lunches, another quick dinner, etc.

• To store. Store your chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• To reheat. Simply place the chili in a pot and gently warm it up on the stove until it reaches the desired temperature. 

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

If you want to freeze this chili, let it cool completely. Then, place it in an airtight container or freezer-safe storage bag for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the container in the refrigerator overnight and reheat your chili on the stove.

More Vegetarian Recipes

If you loved this vegetarian chili, check out these other easy vegetarian meals!

• Easy Classic Minestrone Soup
• Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Vegetable Thai Noodle Soup

* This post does contain affiliate links, I use these links because I value the products and believe in them 100% and would like to share that with you! Thank you for supporting Joyful Healthy Eats. **

Print

DON’T MISS A RECIPE ->

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST | GOOGLE+ | BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM