It’s that time of year when you start craving chili. I was actually standing in line at security at the airport when I got chili on the brain and texted Scott that I wish it would magically appear at the house when I got home that night. The next best thing was going for a bowl of Gumbo at Shuck and Dive but that didn’t really cut it for me so I continued to scheme until the weekend came when I put this masterpiece of sweet and spicy bison chili with sweet potato together for you.
If you’re like me, when you want chili, no average chili will do. When you’re a spoiled foodie, you just have to make it yourself because nothing else is going to be good enough. And Hence I bring you Bison Chili with Sweet Potato & Chipotle.
Why Bison? Bison meat is actually leaner than beef and is extremely nutrient-dense and high in iron and B Vitamins. It is more expensive than ground beef at the store but worth it in my book. Bison is extremely flavorful and great in burgers and other recipes that call for ground beef.
This chili is Paleo Friendly and Whole 30 approved and therefore has no beans but if you need beans in your chili, add 2 cans of black beans and you will be all set.
Bison and Sweet Potato Chipotle Chili
- Yield: ****(this makes a big batch that will feed about 8-10 people with leftovers, or freeze some for later)
Description
This Whole30 approved Bison and sweet potato chili is so damn good, don't say I didn't warn you about going back for seconds and thirds!! Bison is a lean red meat that is loaded in B vitamins making this a more nutritious way to do chili, but you can easily substitute grass-fed beef if you can't find bison meat.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs ground bison meat
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 4 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 8 oz bag of mini bell peppers
- 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
- 1 28 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes (important, this adds extra smokiness to this smoky chili recipe!)
- 1 14 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes
- water: fill the 28 oz can one ½ times and add to the pot
Ingredients Continued, Spices:
- 1 (heaping) tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (heaping) tbsp. fresh ground pepper
- 1 (heaping) tbsp. sea salt (or more to taste)
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 4 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
- 2 tbsp adobo sauce (from the can of Chipotle peppers)
- 1 tsp allspice (this compliments the sweet potatoes- trust me on this, but if you don't have it will still be good)
Garnish/Toppings (optional):
- Fat Free Greek Yogurt (so good on this chili!- if you are strict Paleo you can omit)
- Sliced Avocado
- Cilantro sprigs
Instructions
- Chop the garlic, shallots and roughly chop the peppers.
- Chop the sweet potatoes into cubes (if you microwave them for 4 minutes each first, it will be a lot easier!)
- Heat coconut oil in a large pot (this is a big batch!) and sauté the shallots and peppers until the shallots are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the meat and cook on medium until it begins to brown and then add the garlic (add the garlic with the meat so it doesn’t burn).
- Add the tomatoes, sweet potatoes, water and spices and let simmer for a minimum of an hour. The chili needs to cook long enough that the sweet potatoes are soft and the water has reduced. This will end up being a thick chili, you can always add a little more water or beer to make it a more liquid consistency.
Notes
This chipotle chili gets better with time. The longer it was in the fridge the better it was- but it’s so good it won’t last long. I garnished with fat free greek yogurt, avocado and cilantro. Sometimes I would mix arugula in after I heated it to get some extra greens in my diet. This chili is QUITE addictive, beware! You won’t be able to stop eating it!!!
For more chili inspiration, check out my other delish chili recipes, a few of my friends have won chili cook-offs with these recipes:
