One Skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl

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Easy, healthy, and delicious, take a gander at our One-Skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl!  This mouth-watering vegetarian meal is filled with tender sweet potatoes, fluffy rice, sweet bell peppers, protein-packed black beans, crisp corn, and your favorite burrito bowl toppings.

Pair this sweet potato burrito bowl with a veggie-loaded salad like this Olive Garden Salad or Greek Salad.

One-skillet sweet potato burrito bowl loaded with toppings, served in the skillet.

One-Skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls are inexpensive to make, loaded with good-for-you ingredients, and require minimal clean-up. One skillet! Talk about a dinner win: this is it!

Today I’m sharing how to make this easy recipe, some possible ingredient substitutions, and lots of ideas for how to top your burrito bowl. I’m also including a few variation ideas to make this meal your own. Let’s get started!

Assortment of ingredients for the bowls, ready for a flavorful combination.

One-Skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl Ingredients:

  • Sweet potato: Diced into 1/2-inch pieces — smallish, so they’ll be tender in the right amount of time. 
  • Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: If you’d like to amp up the spice, add in diced tomatoes with green chilies.
  • Frozen corn: Frozen is crispier than canned, but canned can work in a pinch, and so can fresh-off-the-cob kernels.
  • Black beans: Drained and rinsed. Beans are the main protein source for this recipe.
  • Sweet bell pepper: I use mini bell peppers for color variety, but 1 large red, orange, or yellow pepper would work. (Here are some ways to use up your leftovers mini peppers)
  • Freshly minced garlic: Use jarred, minced garlic for quicker prep, or go with 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in a pinch.
  • Seasonings: Salt and pepper (of course), and then some cumin and chili powder add loads of flavor. Feel free to add in some paprika (about 1/2 teaspoon) if you’d like.
  • Chicken broth: Use low-sodium if you’re watching salt; chicken stock also works (swap out vegetable broth or vegetable stock for vegetarians). And if you struggle to measure the correct amounts, you might want to try this angled measuring cup. It makes it so much easier!
  • Freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese: Monterey jack or Colby jack are also great in this recipe.
  • Fresh lime juice: This optional ingredient adds acid and freshness to the dish.
  • Diced cilantro: Another optional ingredient, this adds freshness and flavor to the dish.

QUICK TIP

Sweet potatoes vs. yams: Many people use the terms yam and sweet potato interchangeably, but really, the two tuberous vegetables are quite different. Chances are strong that the veggies you find in American grocery stores are sweet potatoes. Whether they’re yellow, orange, red or purple, sweet potatoes are what we typically use. Yams are imported and pretty hard to find in the U.S. Yams are also much larger than sweet potatoes; they can get up to 5 feet long and weigh 100 pounds! Yams also have a very rough bark on the outside. You may think sweet potatoes have thick, tough skin, but once you see a yam, you’ll feel differently!

Topping suggestions

However you like to top any other burrito bowls will likely work here. Below are some of our favorites:

  • Fresh lime: I like to add individual wedges to plates so people can add more to their portions.
  • Pico de gallo or a fresh tomato: Add a scoop of pico or dice some cherry tomatoes for a topper.
  • Fresh avocado: Thinly sliced or chopped. A scoop of guacamole also works great.
  • Fresh cilantro: Finely minced.
  • Sour cream: Fat-free or lite works great.
  • Tortilla strips: If you’re looking to add some crunch, store-bought or homemade tortilla strips will win every time.

Variation ideas

  • Add an onion: Sauté 1/2 cup diced yellow onion along with the sweet potatoes.
  • Sweet bell peppers: You can leave them out or substitute a poblano pepper.
  • Make it low calorie: Reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (and less of it) and fat-free sour cream will help you create a lighter burrito bowl.
  • Go vegetarian: This dish isn’t truly vegetarian because of the chicken broth, but it’s easy to substitute in vegetable broth (or stock) instead.
  • Add heat: If you like things spicy, reach for a can of fire-roasted diced green chiles or an extra 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder. You could also add in a diced jalapeño pepper.

Adding, mixing, and sautéing ingredients for the one skillet sweet potato recipe.How to make One-Skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls

  1. Sauté: Start by adding the peeled sweet potato cubes to a large skillet with olive oil. Sauté over medium-high heat until mostly tender and starting to brown on the outside, about 7-10 minutes.
  2. Add rice: We add in the uncooked rice and saute it for 2-3 minutes to toast it a bit before adding any liquid. I also like to stir in the seasonings here so they can get all toasty and fragrant along with the rice.
  3. Add peppers, black beans, frozen corn, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and chicken broth: Everything else comes in at this point, except for the cheese.
  4. Stir: Mix everything well and then bring it all to a boil. As soon as it’s boiling, reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer.
  5. Gaze and admire: After it’s finished simmering you’ll see that the veggies are tender, the liquid is absorbed, and rice is nice and fluffy. Truly a masterpiece!
  6. Add cheese: Sprinkle the cheese on top, put the lid back on, and let it melt down for a minute. Stir it all together and all that’s left is adding your favorite toppings.

Quick tips

  • Large non-stick skillet: I recommend a large skillet since there is a lot of food that goes into the pan. I use a 12-inch skillet for this recipe and it’s the perfect size.  Using a non-stick pan is best so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn.
  • Freshly grated cheese: While you can use packaged shredded cheese, the cellulose coating that keeps the cheese from clumping in the bag makes it resist melting nicely in this dish (and it tends to get greasy). 
  • Good canned tomatoes: The tomatoes add so much to this dish, so I highly recommend choosing the fire-roasted variety and going with a good quality brand such as Cento or Muir Glen.

More sweet potato recipes:

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One Skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls

4.94 from 33 votes
Don't you love a dinner made in just one skillet? Enter Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls: a mouth-watering vegetarian meal with sweet potatoes, rice, sweet peppers, black beans, corn, and toppings such as fresh cilantro, Cheddar cheese, fresh tomato, and sour cream.
One-skillet sweet potato burrito bowl loaded with toppings, served in the skillet.
Print Recipe

One Skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls

One-skillet sweet potato burrito bowl loaded with toppings, served in the skillet.
4.94 from 33 votes
Don't you love a dinner made in just one skillet? Enter Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls: a mouth-watering vegetarian meal with sweet potatoes, rice, sweet peppers, black beans, corn, and toppings such as fresh cilantro, Cheddar cheese, fresh tomato, and sour cream.
Course Dinner, Vegetarian
Cuisine Mexican, Vegetarian
Keyword Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 -8
Chelsea Lords
Calories 514kcal
Cost $5.98

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sweet potatoes, (heaping 2 cups) cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, separated
  • 1 cup white rice
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (15.25 ounces) black beans
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth for a vegetarian meal)
  • 1 cup very thinly sliced (or chopped) sweet bell peppers (I used miniature assorted red, yellow, and orange)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, optional
  • 1 and 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
  • Optional: 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, chopped avocado or guacamole; 1 small Roma tomato or a handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped; low-fat sour cream

Instructions

  • SWEET POTATOES: Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into small pieces (refer to picture for size: 1/2 inch cubes). In a large skillet (Note 1) over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once oil is shimmering, add in all the diced sweet potatoes. Sauté for 7-10 minutes or until mostly tender and lightly browned on the outside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 cup of white rice to the pan.
  • RICE: Continue to cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes at medium heat. Add in the 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and salt and pepper. Stir for 30 seconds to a minute, or until fragrant.
  • OTHER INGREDIENTS: Add in the 1 can of undrained, diced fire-roasted tomatoes, 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans, 1 cup frozen corn, 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth, and 1 cup thinly sliced bell peppers. Give everything a really good stir, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a little bit above low, but not quite to medium heat.
  • COOK: Cover the skillet with a lid and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through. Check occasionally, stir as needed so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom.
  • CHEESE: Remove the lid and stir in the optional lime juice and cilantro. Top with the shredded Cheddar cheese and then cover the skillet with the lid for 1-2 minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Gently stir in the cheese.
  • SERVE: Spoon the finished burrito mixture into individual serving bowls. Top your burrito bowls with sour cream, chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped cilantro, chopped avocado or guacamole, or any other desired toppings. Enjoy immediately!

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Skillet: You'll need a large skillet for this recipe since there is a lot of food that goes into this dish. I use a 12-inch skillet for this recipe and it's the perfect size.  A non-stick skillet works best so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings | Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 602mg | Potassium: 991mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 11996IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 290mg | Iron: 4mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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Recipe Rating




104 Comments

  1. I totally have a thing for these one skillet/one pan meal things. So quick, tasty, and satisfying! Sweet potatoes in anything makes my heart melt. What a great dinner idea!

  2. This dish is gorgeous, Chelsea! And it looks so incredibly delicious! My stomach is literally growling, and it’s only 7am! 🙂 I love all of the flavors in here. Such a perfect one skillet meal. Pinned!

  3. No.words. This dish is just gorgeous, Chelsea… and I’m loving how easy the prep is! Also, you’re right about sweet potatoes — they’re all sorts of amazing. Pinned!

  4. 5 stars
    I LOVE sweet potatoes. I’ve recently just started adding them to my casseroles, enchiladas and every thing else. This sounds like I recipe I can’t wait to try!! 🙂

  5. This looks like my kind of fall dish! Really loving all the flavors here. And the burrito part. 🙂 Also it looks so easy–love that it’s one skillet! I am terrible at chopping things, but that could be more of my issue than my knives, haha.

  6. 5 stars
    One pan meals are seriously the BEST! I love how easy this is to throw together, and that it has pantry staples that I already keep on hand. Just perfect for those busy, I don’t want to cook kind of nights!

  7. Love this! I’d have to say corn is my all time fave veggie, but sweet potato is a very close second. I never used to like them until I hit my 20s, and it’s been a glorious existence since then… now I look at regular potatoes and think… eh hahahaha

  8. Chelsea, you totally know the way to my heart. Sweet potatoes are hands down my favorite too…and I’m loving this one pot meal!

  9. This dish is gorgeous Chelsea! And yay for sweet potatoes, I could live off them every day 🙂 Love how much you jam packed into this delicious one skillet meal and all the other great options you gave 🙂 So delicious!

  10. Seriously, wow. This looks amazing Chelsea, and so obvious that you put a ton of work into this post! Pinned and will be trying this!

  11. I’m a fellow sweet potato lover so this has my name written all over it! Plus I LOVE that it’s one skillet. I will definitely be pinning this to have on hand for a busy weeknight recipe. Thanks lady!

  12. I saw this on Pinterest earlier today and I pinned it EVERYWHERE because oh man it is all my favorite things in one skillet! Also, I am always looking for more meatless meals so this is awesome, Chelsea! 😀

  13. This looks fantastic!!! I bet you could substitute quinoa for the white rice since it cooks in approximately the same amount of time, or use par-cooked brown rice. But sometimes white rice just hits the spot, doesn’t it! This is definitely on my must-make list!

  14. Always looking for good quick recipes while balancing work and a 5 month old… this definitely fits the bill!! Thank you, I’m making this tonight! 🙂

  15. Oh my yes.
    Looks quite dangerous though, I think it’d be hard to avoid seconds (and thirds)! Definitely making it next weekend, thank you!

  16. This looks SO good and easy!! I’d definitely be trying it with the brown rice (thank god for a rice cooker haha!)! I love one dish meals!

      1. I’m making this for my daughter who just had hip surgery, and she has to eat gluten free dairy free, so I need to use brown rice so I have that cooked ready to go so my question is which I’m assuming the amount of broth is to cook the rice since I’m using cooked rice I need to reduce the amount of chicken broth?

        1. That is correct! The broth is for the rice being cooked in the same skillet so if you have rice already cooked you don’t need it all 🙂

  17. If you want brown rice, consider the frozen brown rice from Trader Joe’s if there is one near you. Or as suggested, make your own ahead of time. Easy to cook,, them spread on a cookie sheet and freeze, then put in freezer bags!

  18. 5 stars
    I seriously can’t get over how good this looks Chelsea! It’s like a skillet rainbow…all of my favourite things chucked into one warm, wholesome palette! <3

  19. These look incredible! Can’t beat a one-pan dinner, especially one that’s as cheesy and flavourful as this 🙂

  20. you are awesome!! i have loved EVERY recipe of yours i have tried!!! THANK YOU so much for sharing!! From our family to yours!!!

  21. 5 stars
    I made this and it was a hit with everyone… even my 2 pickiest kids (8 and 4)!
    LOVED it!! I will make this many more times! I will probably double the recipe next time since some of us went for more!! I’d like to have leftovers for sure! So so good!

  22. 5 stars
    We’ve made this recipe multiple times now and we just love it! It is so adaptable. The first time, we tried it with brown rice (adding it already cooked at the end) and it was delicious, but soupy since the white rice wasn’t there to soak up the liquid. We also added ground beef that time. Since then, we always add white rice like you suggest, plus shredded chicken, onions, and black olives (because I’m obsessed). Plus, since this recipe makes so much food, I always have leftovers to take to work for lunch and my co-workers always comment that it looks/smells so good! Thanks for the great recipe!

    1. 5 stars
      I love, love, love this dish. I make it with the Minute brown rice and it works great, add it just like you would the white rice in the recipe and it comes out perfect. So delicious!!

  23. 5 stars
    This recipe is amazing! I thought for sure that my meat loving Husband would asked where the chicken was. Much to my surprise, he thought it was delicious as is and called it a ‘keeper’. Thanks!

  24. 5 stars
    Oh my goodness, I was looking for something to help my teenagers give up their Qudoba addictions….. You have it here!! Thank you, they all loved this recipe.

    1. Haha how awesome!! Thanks so much for the kind compliment – so glad you all enjoyed these!! 🙂

  25. Do you think this would freeze well? It would be great to keep in the freezer, thaw the night before, and toss in my bag for lunch.

    1. I personally have never tried it, but I don’t see why not…Maybe you would just want to wait to add the cheese when you heat it up later 🙂

  26. 5 stars
    This was very tasty! I just made it for dinner tonight. I added in more lime juice because I’m a freak about lime flavor in Mexican dishes! I loved this as a meatless meal and will definitely make again. Thank you! I’m new to your site and am excited to start making more of your delicious-looking recipes!

    1. So great to hear it!! Thanks so much for the comment and review Sharice! I hope you love whatever you try next 🙂

  27. 5 stars
    thanks for a great recipe! It really is one of my faves. I made it this week again and shared it!

    cheers!

  28. This is amazing!!! I’ve made this twice since I found the recipe a week ago. So happy! Thank you SO MUCH!! <3

  29. 5 stars
    Making it now. This smells amazing. Added a little chili powder as I saudeed the sweet potatoes. May add some hot pepper slices to finish it off with the suggested garnishes. Easy weeknight meal. Thank you!

  30. 5 stars
    Loved this recipe! Pro tip – If you use pre-cooked rice like I did (I wanted brown rice and used a microwaveable packet of Uncle Ben’s long grain brown rice), you DO NOT NEED two full cups of chicken/vegetable broth. One cup will probably suffice. I had trouble getting all the liquid to cook down. It was still delicious, just had to be served with a slatted spoon to drain the broth!

    1. So happy you’ve enjoyed this recipe! Thank you Megan! 🙂 And yes that is definitely right if you use pre-cooked rice you won’t need as much broth 🙂

  31. 5 stars
    Making this dish the second time tonight. It is going to be a weekly dinner recipe because it’s soooo delicious, very easy and fast.

  32. 5 stars
    YUMMY! Made it for dinner tonight and it was easy and it was delish! There are just two of us so there are lots of great lunches for me all week! Thanks for the great recipe!

    1. SO happy to hear this was well enjoyed 🙂 And I’m happy you have lunches for the week, that’s the best! Thanks so much for the comment Carol 🙂

  33. I’ve made this several times, so tasty! I like to add a few extra veggies (carrots, etc.) and I always swap out the white rice for barley. I love the extra nuttiness from the barley. Thanks for the great recipe!

  34. 5 stars
    Tried and LOVED!
    This is definitely being added to my regular recipes.

    I had to remove/add some items because of what I had available:
    No beans(sad, but surprisingly still turned out amaaazing)
    Subbed the spices for my home-mixed taco seasoning 😉
    Added peas (because the only corn I had was my mixed corn/peas combo bag)
    Chopped 2 large, juicy tomatoes instead of the can (sounded better than running to the store)

    Even with all the changes I had to make due to what I had in stock at home, it still turned out delicious!

    1. Wow what a compliment! 🙂 So thrilled to hear that! I haven’t ever tried it in the crockpot (never had too much success with regular or brown rice in a crockpot — it gets mushy/cooks unevenly), but hopefully someone else can respond to your comment. Wish I could be of more help!

  35. 5 stars
    Tried this …and it was brilliant…The addition of sweet potatoes was a total game changer!!

    Thanks So much for sharing!

  36. 4 stars
    This was a little bland. Next time I will add an onion, double the garlic and the chili powder, and add a jalapeño pepper. I will also add red and green peppers (I just used one red).

  37. Just made this for dinner tonight and loved it! It will definitely be used a lot in my house 🙂 I used frozen sweet potatoes and peppers and onions so it was super fast to throw together and only a pot and spatula to wash! I used quinoa instead of the rice to make it a little more healthy and it worked well but could have used a little less water.

  38. 5 stars
    Absolutely LOVE this dish! It’s quick, easy, and DELICIOUS! However, I’m just wondering about how many calories it has? Anyone have an idea?

  39. Fantastic! Kids helped me cook this tonight! We love taco soup, so we only used 1/2 c. rice and cubed and sauteed Ancho Chile chicken breasts, that we added at the end! Sliced olives, cheese, avocado and organic salsa added at the end for a bit more kick! So yummy!????

  40. 5 stars
    A great recipe, one of my go to recipes for meal prep! I change it up a little bit and it is so affordable for those on a budget!

  41. 5 stars
    This is a huge hit with our whole family (including a 6 year old kid). Delicious and so easy to customize according to preferences or what you have on hand.

  42. 5 stars
    Wow! I’ve never posted on a recipe before, but had to say something. This is the best homage vegetarian dish I’ve ever made, and that’s saying something, lol thank you so much for this recipe! I’m I have so many leftovers and can’t wait to eat them. Can any of this be stored in the freezer?

    1. You made my day! I’m so glad to hear that!! Unfortunately I don’t think this is the best candidate for freezing because there is cheese in it which might get grainy as it thaws and the veggies will likely thaw watery.

  43. 5 stars
    Made this for 6, everyone enjoyed it and there were zero leftovers. Cooked as per recipe, including lime juice, smoked paprika and coriander. I found the rice took longer to cook (gave it an extra 5 minutes and it still had a tiny bit of bite). Would definitely have it again.

    1. We don’t have an official serving size it’s just if you divided the dish into 6 bowls each bowl would be a serving! I hope this helps!

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