Gluten free, Grain free, Paleo, Whole30, Dinner, Chili Archives

Instant Pot Bacon & Sweet Potato Chili (Paleo, Whole30)

This paleo & Whole30-compliant Instant Pot bacon and sweet potato chili is an old favorite made twice as fast in the pressure cooker. Make a big batch and freeze some for later!

I’m kind of a chili purist. I don’t like beans in my chili and I don’t want any tomatoes in there, either. I also don’t like it to be too soupy. Over the years I’ve tried many chili recipes, but my bacon and sweet potato chili is the only one I come back to again and again. Many of my friend have made it, too, and it’s always a hit. It freezes really well, so it’s a perfect make-ahead meal. I’m definitely planning to stock my freezer with some to have on hand once our baby arrives!

Bacon and Sweet Potato Chili (Gluten free, Paleo) | acalculatedwhisk.com

This bacon and sweet potato chili is my go-to paleo dinner. The recipe makes a large batch, and it freezes well!

Do you have a really big skillet? If not, you are going to want to go buy one so you can make this bacon & sweet potato chili right away.

If you are not convinced that you need a 14-inch skillet, I understand. However, I intend to convince you to make this chili. It’s the best chili I’ve ever had, and it’s a complete and colorful one-pot meal. If you didn’t just go buy a huge skillet and/or don’t need to feed a bunch of people, you can halve the recipe and make it in a normal-sized pan.

Why is this the best chili ever? Well, because bacon. And sweet potatoes. And all the fresh things on top that make this the perfect comfort food to carry you from winter into spring.

This dish is for people like me, who don’t want beans or any tomato products or a lot of excess liquid in their chili. I just need salty bacon, sweet potatoes, some perfectly spiced meat, and what’s basically deconstructed guacamole for a topping. Using half pork and half beef gives the chili even better flavor. It’s amazing right away and it’s even more amazing the next day. My mother agreed that this is the best chili ever, and she is kind of hard to please. I haven’t heard her rave so much about a food I’ve made since this cranberry orange curd tart.

There is kale in this recipe. If you don’t want to put kale in your chili you obviously don’t have to, but I want to tell you that you can barely taste it. It’s just a nice way to sneak in some greens and start feeling a little more springy. I got the idea to put kale in chili from the cookbook Cooking with Coconut Oil, and now I’m hooked. It adds great color and texture, and makes me feel extra healthy when I eat it.

One more reason to make this bacon and sweet potato chili, and to put kale in it? Kale & sweet potato are really good friends. See proof here.