Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Chili

Diced sweet potatoes simmer with onion, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika in this chili, with your choice of protein. A cornstarch slurry thickens it into a hearty, warming bowl.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 40 min Total: 55 min Serves: 4

At a glance: This easy soups and stews recipe yields 4 servings in about 55 minutes (15 min prep, 40 min cook). It uses 15 ingredients — including gluten-free chicken or vegetable stock, cooked protein, diced sweet potatoes — and walks through 5 steps. Updated October 25, 2026. Browse more soups and stews recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.

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Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Chili: When preparing this soups and stews recipe, pre-mixed spice blends can contain wheat flour as an anti-caking agent. Verify the blend is gluten-free, or build your own from individual spices. Commercial broths and stocks are high risk — many contain yeast extract (often barley-derived), wheat starch, or caramel colour from wheat. Use stock labeled gluten-free or make your own. In a shared kitchen, avoid porous materials — wooden spoons, wooden cutting boards, and scratched non-stick pans can harbor gluten proteins even after washing. Prefer glass, metal, or silicone tools.

Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Chili: This recipe is naturally gluten-free by using gluten-free stock and thickening with cornstarch. It avoids all gluten-containing grains and ingredients.

Scale Recipe:

servings

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Instructions

1 Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the diced yellow onion, carrots, and celery, sautéing until they begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
2 If using cooked chicken or beef, stir it in now and warm it through, 1-2 minutes. If using lentils or beans, add them in the next step.
3 Add the diced sweet potatoes, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika to the pot. Stir well to coat the vegetables and protein with the spices, cooking for about 1-2 minutes until the spices are fragrant.
4 Pour in the gluten-free stock and the can of diced tomatoes (with their juice). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
5 Once the sweet potatoes are tender, stir in the cornstarch slurry. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the chili has thickened to your desired consistency. If it gets too thick, stir in up to 1 cup more stock. Season with salt and black pepper to taste before serving.

Tips & Notes

Chili powder is usually a blend, so choose one labeled gluten-free. Some blends add fillers or anti-caking agents.
Before adding the slurry, mash a ladleful of the cooked sweet potatoes against the side of the pot; their starch helps thicken the chili.
Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes so they are tender within the 20-minute simmer. Larger cubes need longer.

Common questions

How long does Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Chili take?

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Chili takes about 55 minutes: 15 minutes to prep and 40 minutes to cook, for 4 servings.

What should I check before making Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Chili with celiac disease?

Written with gluten-free ingredients. Use products labeled gluten-free, check labels, and ask your clinician about your own needs.

What cross-contamination risk is specific to Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Chili?

Check gluten-free chicken or vegetable stock, cooked protein, diced sweet potatoes before they go into Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Chili. Pre-mixed spice blends can contain wheat flour as an anti-caking agent. Verify the blend is gluten-free, or build your own from individual spices. Commercial broths and stocks are high risk — many contain yeast extract (often barley-derived), wheat starch, or caramel colour from wheat. Use stock labeled gluten-free or make your own. In a shared kitchen, avoid porous materials — wooden spoons, wooden cutting boards, and scratched non-stick pans can harbor gluten proteins even after washing. Prefer glass, metal, or silicone tools.

Which gluten-free swaps does Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Chili use?

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Chili relies on cornstarch or arrowroot. Keep those gluten-free-labeled products in place of a gluten-containing flour or sauce. If the blend already lists xanthan gum, do not add a second binder unless this recipe says to.

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Gluten Free Recipes team

Gluten-free recipe development since 2026

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