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This Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chili is not your typical chili. Although it includes many familiar chili ingredients, it also has some unique additions that make this chili stand out from the pack.

What Makes This Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chili Unique

When I think of chili, I think of meat, beans, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. You’ll find all of those familiar ingredients in this Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chili.

What sets this chili apart are some of the other ingredients. In addition to “traditional” chili ingredients, you’ll also find, sweet potato, chickpeas, and Guinness (if you choose to add it).

These additional ingredients add flavor, texture and nutritional benefits to this hearty, popular dish.

Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

For many popular chili recipes, the secret ingredient is something that adds a hint of sweetness – chocolate, brown sugar, and even peanut butter. Sweet potatoes are a really nutritious way to add a sweet dimension to chili.

The biggest health benefit of sweet potatoes is the amount of beta carotene they contain. Beta carotene helps reduce your risk of cancer and can help slow cognitive decline. Plus, it helps your vision!

Sweet potatoes are also a great source of fiber. This is good news if you suffer from constipation and great news if you are worried about your cholesterol or blood sugar levels.

The choline found in sweet potatoes can help you sleep better. It also has positive effects on learning and memory.

Finally, several of the nutrients in sweet potatoes help you maintain a healthy weight. Personally, I love any food that tastes great and I can enjoy guilt-free.

Health Benefits of Beans

I know there are a lot of great beanless chilis out there. You just won’t find them on my site because I think they are too good for you to leave them out of recipes where they fit so well.

Chili is an obvious place to use beans and I never make it without them. I do, however, mix and match beans depending on what I have on hand and sometimes, just for variety.

Beans are not only a great source of protein and antioxidants, they also provide many of the same health benefits as sweet potatoes:

Good for your heart
Fight cancer
Prevent diabetes
Promote a healthy weight
Good for digestion

When it comes to choosing which beans to use. I mix and match the following (usually choosing two different varieties for chili):

Red kidney beans
Black beans
Pinto beans
Great northern beans
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

All of the beans listed above have under 135 calories per 1/2 cup serving, 7 – 8 grams of protein, and 6 – 7.5 grams of fiber. See this Bean Comparison Chart for full nutritional information on these beans, plus several others.

Why (Or Why Not) to Add Guinness

You can absolutely make this chili without beer. Simply substitute an equal portion of vegetable broth and you’ll have a delicious, satisfying chili.

If you are worried about the alcohol in beer, you shouldn’t be (for this recipe). Even though the alcohol is “trapped” inside your pressure cooker and thus can’t evaporate away like it does in other cooking methods, it will become part of the vapor and most of that will be released when the pressure releases so you can safely remove the lid.

The reason you’ll want to use Guinness instead of broth or water is because of the rich, earthy flavor that works especially well in hearty dishes like chili. And though you don’t have to use Guinness specifically, you’ll want to stick with a dark stout.

Honestly, I’m not a beer drinker so it was forever before I tried adding it to chili. Once I tried it, I’ll never go back. It really does bring out the other flavors without overtaking the dish.

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