Instant Pot Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili
This Instant Pot Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili is going to become your go-to fall chili recipe! I could eat this every day for a month and never get tired of it!
Chili is the epitome of fall comfort food, and I am all in! I love a good chili, but I don’t actually like hamburger. I do, however, love ground turkey (see: turkey poutine and turkey minestrone. And my husband doesn’t really even notice a difference between the two, so I always make chili with ground turkey. This time around, I tossed in some cubed sweet potatoes that were sitting on the counter, demanding to be used soon or rot. I definitely made the right decision; the sweet potatoes add just the right amount of sweet to balance out the chili powder and make the perfect pot of chili.
Instant Pot vs. Stove Top
I’m obsessed with my Instant Pot; you’ve probably heard me say that before. So I’m always going to choose the Instant Pot route over the stove top route if I can. But chili is a fantastic IP meal, because it cuts down the time so significantly. On the stove top, you’ve got to simmer your chili for a long time to get all of the flavors to meld and combine. But in the IP, the pressure causes the flavors to combine in just a couple of quick minutes.
Plus, since there are sweet potatoes in this chili, it would take hours on the stove top to soften them in your chili. Once again, the Instant Pot will have them cooked nicely in just a few short minutes. Instant Pot Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili for the win!
Instant Pot Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili – the Ingredients
The ingredients for this turkey chili are all pretty simple and straight forward. You’ll need 1 pound of ground turkey, and 2 cups each raw, diced sweet potatoes and zucchini. Make sure you’ve got 2 cups of chicken broth on hand, as well.
For your canned goods, you’ll need 1 large can of mild green chilis, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of tomato sauce (low sodium is fine!), and one can each of pinto bean and northern beans.
You’ve probably got all the spices in your pantry already, so you just need to pull out your chili powder, cumin and allspice.
Making the Instant Pot Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili
Since this is an Instant Pot recipe, you can count on it to be pretty darn simple.
First, brown your turkey. Turn the Instant Pot to saute and add your ground turkey. Chop and stir continually while you cook; you don’t want any bits to stick to the bottom. When your turkey is mostly cooked, add the chicken broth. Use a spatula or spoon to deglaze the bottom; anything stuck to the bottom could potentially burn while pressure cooking, and then your pot will read ‘burn’ and stop cooking.
Once you’ve deglazed the pot, turn it off. Add the sweet potatoes, zucchini, green chilis and diced tomatoes and stir. Then sprinkle in the chili powder; I’d start with 2 tablespoons and adjust from there. Sprinkle the allspice and cumin in as well and stir. Do not add the beans right now! I repeat, no beans!
Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the knob to ‘seal.’ Set it to Manual for 4 minutes and let it do its thing!
Why No Beans While Pressure Cooking?
Oftentimes, beans will explode under the pressure created by pressure cooking. So if you cook the beans with the chili, you may open it up to find bean mush everywhere. Doesn’t sound good, does it?
Finishing the Instant Pot Turkey Chili
When the timer goes off, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes, if you’ve got the time. Then quick release the rest of the pressure (by turning the knob from ‘seal’ to ‘vent’). Open the lid and add the pinto beans and northern beans. Stir them in, and they’ll take on the heat of the chili almost immediately.
Ladle into bowls, top with whatever you like on top of your chili – such as sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, etc – and serve!
Freezing the Leftovers
Friends, this makes a lot of chili. My husband and I ate it for 3 or 4 days straight and still had enough for another 3 or 4 days. So we decided to freeze it to make sure it wouldn’t go to waste. To freeze your chili, just double bag it in a gallon freezer ziploc bag (or smaller bags, if you want smaller quantities). Double bagging it will help keep freezer burn from getting to it. Use within 2-3 months for best results.
To thaw: you can let your chili thaw in the ziploc bag on the counter or in the fridge if you’ve got time. You can also run cold water to fill up your kitchen sink and set the bag in the water. It will thaw in an hour or two that way!
When you make this Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili, make sure to post a pic on Instagram and tag me (@biscuitsandgrading)! Can’t wait to see it!
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- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 2 c. diced sweet potatoes
- 2 c. diced zucchini
- 1 can (7 oz) mild green chilis
- 1 can (1 3/4 cups) diced tomatoes
- 1 c. tomato sauce
- 2 c. chicken broth
- 2-3 tbsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. allspice
- 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans
- 1 can (15 oz) northern beans
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Turn the Instant Pot to saute. Add your ground turkey and saute until mostly cooked through. Continually break up and stir meat with spatula while cooking.
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Add chicken broth and use spatula to deglaze any bits from the bottom of the pot.
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Add sweet potatoes, zucchini, green chilis, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir well.
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Sprinkle chili powder, cumin and allspice in and stir. Cover with lid, close ,and turn knob to 'seal.'
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Cook on 'manual' for 4 minutes.
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When timer sounds, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Quick release remaining pressure by turning valve to 'vent.'
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Add pinto beans and northern beans. Stir. Serve hot, with cornbread on the side or topped with sour cream, cheese or crushed tortilla chips.
Maggie
This looks amazing! I’m pinning to save for the future, will definitely try making it this fall!
Lisa
Yay! Give it a try – you’re going to love it!
Samantha
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to make it!
agreattraveledlife
This looks perfect for the Fall! Thanks for sharing.
cleanlivingwithkidssa
This sounds like something my family would love! Plus, I love anything I can put in an instant pot. Thanks for sharing,I can’t wait to try it.
doctorjacquie
This sounds easy and delicious!
irishtwins16
This looks absolutely amazing. I am definitely saving this for a cool night to make for sure!
omo Christi Nimi
Always open to try a new recipe 😊Thabks so much for sharing
mallie m
Oh gosh this looks so good! Definitely perfect for a cold rainy day. Saving this to make during the weekends!
bombshellwifelife
Mmm!! Totally saving this for when the weather cools down! Thanks!
Jenny Silva
This looks delicious. I’m always looking for new recipes for the instant pot.
Trish
This looks absolutely delicious and makes me want an instant pot even more!