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Campfire Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chilli

Mexican-Inspired Flavours

Table of Contents

✨ Before We Begin…

This is the kind of chilli you take your time with. It doesn’t shout, but it builds — deepening with every layer and softening into something quietly wonderful. It’s the perfect solo supper, the kind you make once and eat twice, spoon in one hand, your pup at your feet.

‘Must be best food offer, of any genre, in Kendal. Hugely accomplished cooking and very much recommended.’
Tony P, Kendal; Food Customer

The Cook’s Mind

Make-Ahead

  • Keeps well for 3–4 days in the fridge — deepens in flavour overnight.
  • Great batch cook; easy to scale.

Freezer-Friendly

  • Yes — freezes beautifully in portions.
  • Reheat gently with a splash of water or stock if needed.

Rescue Mission – What To Do When Things Go Wrong

  • Too dry? Add a splash of water or more tomatoes.
  • Too spicy? Swirl through yoghurt or add a squeeze of lime.
  • Spices caught? Take the heat off and allow things to cool. Taste to see if burnt completely. If so, start again. If they taste ok, add some water to rehydrate them and stir.

Key Substitutions

  • Sweet potato → squash, carrot, or even beetroot.
  • Black beans → kidney beans, chickpeas, or lentils.
  • Cacao → dark chocolate or leave it out for a cleaner base.

Cooking Parlance

  • “Let the purée darken” = stir until it deepens to a rust-red colour, unlocking its depth.
  • “Do its thing” = leave it covered and quiet, with the heat low and your trust high.

A Note on Origin

There’s a Mexican whisper here — spice, tomato, beans, heat — but it’s shaped by British shelves and open fires. The result is rooted in comfort and built for where you are, whether that’s a hilltop or a kitchen chair.

Ingredient Focus: Sweet Potato

Soft, golden, grounding — sweet potato gives the chilli its hug. It adds just enough sweetness to soothe the heat and turns meltingly tender as it cooks.

✨ Fire’s favourite root — soft at heart and slow to rush.

To Ingredient Focus: Sweet Potato

My Favourite Way To Eat

From the pan, outside, eaten with the spoon you used to stir. Ideally with Georgia nearby and the music of the stream and the sounds of nature.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve with Cumin Seed Paratha
  • Top with lime wedges and coriander or parsley.
  • Serve with warm tortillas, toast, or a spoon of yoghurt.
  • Add grilled corn or avocado for contrast and crunch.

Multi-Purpose Recipe

This recipe has more than one life…

  • One pan on day one, new ideas every day after.
  • Stuff into tacos or toasties.
  • Blitz with stock for a smoky soup base.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s grounding, deeply flavourful, and quietly impressive. The cocoa adds mystery, the chilli brings a steady pulse, and the beans make it feel substantial. Simple to cook, hard to forget.

What Will You Learn Whilst Making This Recipe?

You’ll learn to layer flavour with patience — blooming spices, deepening purée, building body. You’ll understand how sweet, smoke, and acid work in balance. And you’ll trust your nose more than your timer.

Handpicked to Go With This One

A few recipes that play well together — flavour friends, not just neighbours.

Waste Less: How To Use Up Your Ingredient Stash!

Got something spare — a handful, a spoonful, or the end of a packet? These tags help you find other ways to use it. It’s a small step toward cooking intuitively and wasting less❣️

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Campfire Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chilli Recipe

Campfire Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chilli

A smoky, cacao-kissed chilli made with sweet potato, black beans, and a short list of store cupboard favourites. Slow-cooked in spirit, even if quick in method, it delivers satisfying heat and earthy comfort. Ideal for a solo supper, a campfire meal, or your cosiest indoor night.
trangia stove with a black skillet pan of vegan sweet potato and black bean chilli, topped with homemade paratha. shows a person's hand stirring.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main
Cuisine Inspired by Mexican Flavours
Servings 2 people
Calories 231

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 150 g brown onion | unpeeled weight; peeled and diced small
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 clove fresh garlic | Peeled and sliced or grated
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp cacoa
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes | less or more, to taste
  • 200 g sweet potato | peeled and diced small; squash works well
  • 200 g chopped tomatoes | tinned
  • 200 g black beans

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a pan on medium low, and proceed to cook the brown onion with a pinch of salt.
    When the onion begins to soften, add the garlic and continue to cook on low. Get the mix nice and soft and caramelised, to really maximise the flavour.
    1 tsp olive oil, 150 g brown onion, 1 clove fresh garlic, 1 pinch salt
  • Add the cumin powder and cook through until it's aromatic. Add a little water if you need to, to keep it glossy and moist.
    1 tsp ground cumin
  • Add the smoked paprika and cook through until it's aromatic. Add a little more water. I've found that adding a little water really does help get the most from dried spices.
    1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Add the tomato purée and cook for a minute or so until it's darker. Be patient, really do allow this key ingredient to darken. This is a key step.
    1 tbsp tomato purée
  • Add the apple cider vinegar and let the sharpness of it hit your nostrils and evaporate.
    1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • Add the cacoa and chilli flakes and stir in, then add the tomatoes, sweet potato or squash and the black beans.
    You can just let all that do it's thing on a low heat now. Low and slow with anything like this. Keep an eye on it. Add more tomatoes if it looks like it's drying out. Or add a lid…
    1 tsp cacoa, ½ tsp chilli flakes, 200 g sweet potato, 200 g chopped tomatoes, 200 g black beans

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 10gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 246mgPotassium: 875mgFiber: 11gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 11520IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 4mg

Nutritional values are estimates only and will vary depending on specific ingredients used. Nutrition is per serving. Information is for the main recipe, not optional accompaniments.

COPYRIGHT

© The Golden Polar Bear, 2026. Recipe and photography by Julia Savory. If you share it, please link back to thegoldenpolarbear.com.

Next Steps?

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‘Totally recommend the cookery course. The meals are really tasty and full of flavour (not like most of the vegan mush I make for myself).’
Kerry B, Cumbria

There’s a fire burning inside. Come warm your paws.

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Photographed truthfully.
If you cook my recipes, your food will look like mine.