Name: Spicy Pork and Sweet Potato Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 T. extra virgin olive oil; 1 medium red onion, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 2-3 garlic cloves, minced; Sea salt and black pepper, to taste; 1¼ lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1” cubes; 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” cubes; 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 t. ground cumin; ½ t. chili powder; 2 t. Italian seasoning; ½ t. crushed red pepper flakes; 2 bay leaves; 1 14-oz. can crushed tomatoes; 2 c. low-sodium chicken stock; ¼ c. fresh parsley, chopped, divided

Make this Spicy Pork and Sweet Potato Stew when you want a simple recipe that needs just the one pot but is packed with flavour. The stew uses a few simple ingredients and diced pork tenderloin for the perfect fall comfort food.

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Why you’ll love this recipe

One pot recipe: You can make the whole thing in one single pot so there’s very little washing up involved afterwards.
Lots of fall flavors: The combination of pork with sweet potatoes and spices makes for a great fall feel recipe.

What is Spicy Pork and Sweet Potato Stew?

This is a one pot recipe that uses a few ingredients to make a hearty stew that’s ideal on a cooler fall evening. It uses tenderloin pork which has loads of flavour and is also easy to cut up and use in stews and casseroles.

Ingredients

Pork tenderloin: Cut into 1 inch cubes to let it cook quicker
Sweet potatoes: Cut two medium potatoes into cubes after peeling them
Black beans: Canned beans work perfectly for this recipe, just drain the excess liquid and rinse them
Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes from a can will add the liquid you need to the sauce
Chicken stock: You can go for a low sodium option if you want to cut back on the salt or just a standard one.
Herbs and spices: The stew uses garlic, cumin, chili powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and fresh parsley to bring the flavours together.

Grab the full ingredients details and instructions in the recipe card below!

Substitutions and Additions

Pork: You can use something like pork butt, boneless pork shoulder or even pork stew meat in place of the tenderloin if you can’t get it at your local store. Just remember to adjust cooking times to suit the different cuts of meat to ensure they are cooked enough but not overcooked.

Instructions

Step 1: Cook the vegetables

Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add red onion, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies soften and develop a bit of color, approximately 3-4 minutes.

Step 2: Add the pork and potatoes

Add pork tenderloin and sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat begins to brown, around 2-3 minutes.

Step 3: Add the black beans and spices

Add black beans and spices and stir to combine. Cook for another 30 seconds, or just until the spices become fragrant. Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.

Step 4: Add tomatoes and simmer

Add crushed tomatoes and chicken stock and increase heat to high. Bring to boil, and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork is cooked through and the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, approximately 13-15 minutes.

Step 5: Finish seasoning

Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. Stir in 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired.

Step 6: Serve

Top with remaining fresh parsley for garnish and serve immediately.

Recipe tips

Make a double batch: Like most tomato-based dishes, this flavorful stew tastes even better the next day – so consider making a double batch to enjoy later!
Adjust the spices: If you want more or less spice in your recipe, simply adjust the amount of red pepper flakes, cumin and chili powder you use.

Recipe FAQ

Can you make this into a vegetarian option?

Yes, you can easily make this into a vegetarian stew. Remove the pork and the chicken stock and replace it with something like butternut squash and a vegetable stock. Just check any cooking times to take into account the different texture of the squash compared to the meat.

Can you use a slow cooker for this?

You can use a slow cooker in place of the pan for the stew. It will usually take about 6 hours on low for the recipe to cook to the point of the meat is nicely done and easy to pull apart.

Storage & reheating

Fridge: Store any leftovers in the fridge and use them within 5 days.
Freezer: Freeze any leftovers in an airtight container once cooled and use within 3 months. Allow it to defrost thoroughly before you reheat it.
Reheating: You can just reheat the stew in a saucepan over a medium heat until the meat is hot. Add a little water if the tomato sauce has dried a little in the fridge.

More recipes

Want more ideas? Check out these other related recipes!

Yield: 4 portions