Home > Dinner > Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes January 22, 2021 | 4 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. These Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes start with caramelized, tender sweet potatoes, and seasoned ground turkey, and then are loaded up with your favorite taco toppings. Be sure to try some of our other favorite stuffed sweet potato recipes: these Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes, these Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, or a Mexican Street Corn-inspired Loaded Sweet Potato. Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Amid all the delicious holiday baking and recipe development, it’s nice to have a nutritious meal that feels like pure comfort food. Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes fit the bill. They’re satiating and hearty while still being healthful and fresh. I took my favorite method for baking sweet potatoes, loaded it up with the filling from my family’s favorite Turkey Tacos, and drizzled copious amounts of the best chili-lime sauce on top. The secret to the best baked sweet potatoes Baking whole sweet potatoes can take well over an hour and the result can often be a little lackluster. So, instead, we roast sweet potato halves. This takes about half the time in the oven and results in deliciously caramelized and sweet fleshy interiors. Once you try it this way, I’m convinced you’ll never want to bake sweet potatoes any other way! Here’s a quick break-down: Wash and cut. Thoroughly scrub the sweet potatoes to remove any dirt or debris. Dry the potatoes and then cut them in half lengthwise. Add oil and seasoning. Drizzle oil over the potatoes and rub the oil into both sides. Add salt and pepper to both sides of the potatoes and then again, rub into all sides. Bake. Arrange the potatoes face down and put them in the oven to bake until tender! QUICK TIP When baking sweet potatoes, be sure to line the tray with parchment paper or a Silpat® liner. This keeps the flesh side of the potatoes (facing down on the tray) from burning or browning too much. Make sure to use a large enough tray (or 2 trays) so that the potatoes aren’t too close to each other and the hot air can circulate freely. A few sweet potato baking tips Use similar-sized sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes come in all different shapes and sizes so it’s important to try and get ones that are similar sized. This allows for all the potatoes to finish cooking at about the same time. Oil and season your sweet potatoes. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to your sweet potatoes before baking; this allows the sweet potatoes to really manifest their full flavor. It also helps with the caramelization and all-around tasty flavor. Place sweet potatoes flesh-side down. While it might seem odd to place the sweet potato with its flesh side down the whole time, it is actually key to the flavor. It allows the potatoes to caramelize as they bake. Adjust cook time. It’s important to note that depending on the size of your sweet potatoes, and the calibration of your oven, your sweet potatoes might need additional or less cooking time. I like checking them every once in a while, by taking a fork, flipping over one of the potatoes a bit to see how tender they are, and continuing from there. Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potato Filling Tips Keep the ground turkey cold and avoid overcooking. Keep the turkey in the fridge right up until it goes in the skillet. Don’t set it out or let it come to room temperature. Because of the low fat content, ground turkey isn’t too forgiving when it’s overcooked; it will become dry, crumbly, and lose flavor. Check out more ground turkey cooking tips here. I recommend ground turkey that is sold in a carton, rather than in a chub. Chub-style ground turkey is the kind that comes in the plastic tube. It tends to be quite watery and less flavorful. If you aren’t a fan of ground turkey, try lean ground beef or ground chicken instead! Use quick-prep options. For the fastest possible prep time, use frozen diced onions, pre-minced garlic, and a packet of taco seasoning in place of the seasoning mix indicated in the recipe. Keep toppings to a minimum and enjoy this meal in a flash! Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Toppings Once the potatoes are baked and the taco filling mixture is complete, it’s all about the toppings. Add as many or as few as you’d like. I’d definitely recommend the chili lime (included in this recipe) sauce to finish things off! Grated sharp (or extra-sharp) Cheddar cheese Store-bought or homemade salsa (This salsa recipe takes 10 minutes to whip together and is our favorite!) Drained and rinsed black beans (These can be tossed into the taco meat filling to increase the amount of protein and fiber in this dish — they’ll also help stretch the meat further.) Chopped cherry tomatoes Fresh cilantro A squeeze of fresh lime A large scoop of sour cream (we use fat-free to keep these on the light side) Sliced avocado or scoop of guacamole Chili-lime sauce (This sauce uses a few of the same seasonings in the taco filling mixture, plus mayo, and some fresh lime juice and zest.) More nutritious dinners Turkey Bolognese with spaghetti Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup with chickpeas Harvest Bowl with butternut squash Sweet Potato Couscous with fresh basil pesto Turkey Meatloaf with lots of “hidden” veggies FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe These Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes start with caramelized, tender sweet potatoes, seasoned ground turkey, and are then loaded up with your favorite taco toppings. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe These Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes start with caramelized, tender sweet potatoes, seasoned ground turkey, and are then loaded up with your favorite taco toppings. Course Dinner, Main Course Cuisine American Keyword Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Prep Time 30 minutes minutes Cook Time 15 minutes minutes Total Time 45 minutes minutes Servings 4 servings Chelsea Lords Calories 279kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $7.60 IngredientsSweet Potatoes▢ 4 (10-13 ounces EACH) medium sweet potatoes (not yams), scrubbed clean and halved lengthwise▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil▢ Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepperTaco Meat Filling▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil▢ 1/2 cup diced yellow onion (~1/2 of 1 onion)▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic (~2 cloves)▢ 1 tablespoon ground chili powder▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: ground cumin, paprika▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper▢ 1/2 tablespoon beef bouillon powder▢ 1 pound (16 oz.) ground turkey extra-lean (90/10 or 93/7) ▢ 1/3 cup tomato sauce▢ TOPPINGS: black beans, sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, sour cream (fat-free or lite is great), fresh guacamole or ripe avocados, chopped cherry tomatoes, salsa or pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, fresh limeChili Lime Sauce (OPTIONAL)▢ 1/2 cup full-fat regular mayo (we love Best Foods/Hellmans)▢ 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (and 1/4 teaspoon lime zest)▢ 1/4 teaspoon EACH: ground cumin, paprika▢ 1/2 teaspoon chili powder▢ 1 teaspoon Sriracha or hot sauceUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsSweet PotatoesOVEN: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a very large, dark, sheet pan with parchment paper or a liner. Don't skip this; it helps the potatoes cook evenly without the cut side burning.CLEAN POTATOES: Thoroughly scrub and clean the sweet potatoes in cold water. Completely dry the potatoes and cut in half lengthwise.PREP POTATOES: Drizzle oil over the potatoes and rub it over all the sides. Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper over all the potatoes and rub into both sides. BAKE: Bake potatoes, flesh-side down, for 30-37 minutes or until the skin looks slightly shriveled and potatoes are tender (easily pierced with a fork). See Note 1.Meat FillingTACO MEAT: Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and once the oil is hot, add in the diced onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for 20-30 seconds; add in all of the taco meat filling seasonings and season to taste with salt and pepper. (I add 1/2 teaspoon of each.) Stir the spices until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Nothing should be burning; reduce the heat if needed. Press seasoned onions to the side of the pan.TACO MEAT CONT.: Add the ground turkey to the center of the pan. Crumble the meat into small pieces and cook until no longer pink (about 5-8 minutes), incorporating the seasoned onions as you crumble. Add in the tomato sauce and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. (This is where the flavor is!) Let simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until meat is fully cooked through, and then remove from heat.Toppings/AssemblySAUCE: In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Season to taste. (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.)ASSEMBLY: To assemble, place baked sweet potatoes on plates, flesh side up. Mash the insides a bit with a fork. Top with spoonfuls of the meat filling; drizzle sauce on top and add any additional desired toppings. (Our favorites are black beans, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and lime juice.) Recipe NotesNote 1: A 5-6-ounce potato will cook in around 25-27 minutes, 6-8 ounce potatoes around 30 minutes, and 9-11 ounce potatoes around 33-37 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a fork into the largest potato. If it goes in easily, the potatoes are ready. If not, bake an additional 5 minutes. Cook until fork-tender, checking every 5 minutes. Nutritional information does not include any of the optional toppings. Nutrition FactsCalories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 498mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1684IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2mg 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. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
These stuffed sweet potatoes are soo yummy and easy to make, I loved them!! I especially like that this recipe bakes the potatoes instead of microwaving them, it’s not a problem to microwave in a pinch but I feel like they taste better baked. The sweet potato goes so well with the spicier taco ingredients and it’s healthy to boot. I’ll be making these again for sure! Also, I’ve never thought to stuff sweet potatoes but I adore it, it’s so versatile and easy, I’lll be trying a variety of other “stuffings” too! Reply
These were absolutely amazing! I’ve already made these twice and have the ingredients ready for a third go. The Chili-Lime Sauce, Black Beans and Cilantro are great additions to enhance flavor. If I could give you a million stars I would. Thank you for this recipe! Reply
