Ground Beef Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are one of our favorite Whole30 meals – so much so that we eat them off round all the time (with a little sour cream, of course)! This 30-minute weeknight dinner is made entirely from scratch (yes, the taco seasoning too!) and is packed with flavor and nutrition. It’ll be an instant family favorite – pinky promise.
Jump to:
The first time Cameron and I did a Whole30, we were just a couple of days into the round it when he looked at me said “TACOS”.
I raised an eyebrow. He raised an eyebrow.
He continued…”Um, we can’t have tacos. How did I not realize that we can’t have tacos? Seriously – we can’t have tacos?”.
Let me explain – the man lives on Mexican food in general, and tacos in specific. A week cannot pass where he doesn’t indulge in tacos in some way, shape or form, and that form usually includes a tortilla.
I felt for him in this situation – truly, I did. I seriously love tacos too! But I just shrugged my shoulders and replied “You signed up for this bud”.
Obviously we survived. And as we’ve gone on to complete additional Whole30 rounds, I’ve picked up some taco tricks along the way that help satisfy our cravings without cheating – like these taco stuffed sweet potatoes.
After slogging through a few rounds with tacos stuffed into lettuce wraps (not ideal, but you know, it gets the job done), burrito bowls (better!), and fajita salads (best!), it finally struck me – stuff the taco meat into a sweet potato. I mean duh, right?
I’m generally not a fan of sweet potatoes on their own. I like them enough to toss them into other dishes, but a baked sweet potato doesn’t get me salivating like a russet does – so that’s probably why it took me so long to connect these very obvious dots. But let me tell you – a perfectly baked sweet potato stuffed with spicy ground beef taco filling, then smothered with pico and avocado? It’s OMG heavenly. Sweet and spicy perfection.
These taco stuffed sweet potatoes are indeed so delicious that they make it into our rotation on a regular basis, Whole30-ing or not. Off round I add some sour cream, but to be honest, they don’t need much else. The entire meal comes together in 30 minutes, and that’s really just the icing – um, spicing? – on top.
How to Make Quick Baked Sweet Potatoes
I’m a cooking purist in many ways – but not when it comes to baked sweet potatoes! Traditional oven baked sweet potatoes are delicious, but they take quite a bit of time (up to an hour, start to finish). I use this hack on busy weeknights to make quick and easy baked sweet potatoes. It results in the same crispy skin and creamy flesh, but they’re ready in just a fraction of the time.
Heat the oven to 450°F.
Using the tines of a fork, prick the sweet potatoes on all sides. Place the sweet potatoes onto a microwave safe plate and microwave for 5 minutes. Remove the plate from the microwave using an oven mitt (it’ll be hot!), then use tongs to transfer each sweet potato to square of foil.
Drizzle each sweet potato with a teaspoon of olive oil, then wrap the foil around the sweet potatoes and transfer to a baking sheet.
Bake the sweet potatoes for 10 minutes. Viola! Crispy skin, creamy flesh – perfectly baked sweet potatoes in just 15 minutes.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
If you’ve never made your own homemade taco seasoning you’re in for a treat. It’s so much more flavorful than anything you can buy in the store, not to mention cheaper, super quick (3 minutes!), totally customizable to your preference for heat, and free from any additives or junk.
Here’s what we’ve got up there:
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Coriander
- Red pepper flakes
- Oregano
- (not pictured) a thickener of your choice – either cornstarch or arrowroot powder (for paleo/Whole30/corn-free readers)
Add more or less chili powder and red pepper flakes to preference. I’ve got kids, so I keep the heat a little tamer.
Throw all those seasonings into a jar along with the cornstarch or arrowroot powder, shake it up, and you’re done! I make this homemade taco seasoning in big batches (usually I quadruple the recipe) so I always have a stash in reserve (one “serving” is about a third of cup).
How to Make Ground Beef Taco Meat
The first time Cameron and I did a Whole30, our biggest foodie fear was missing our on Taco Tuesday. Luckily my go-to recipe for ground beef tacos transitions perfectly, and it saved the day many times! Just one swap (arrowroot for cornstarch) was necessary. While this ground beef taco meat is tasty tucked into a lettuce cup, it wasn’t until we stuffed them into sweet potatoes that this meal landed a permanent spot in our rotation – Whole30-ing or not! Sweet and creamy sweet potatoes are the perfect companion to spicy taco meat. It’s a filling, delicious, and nutritious dinner that’s not only ready in 30 minutes, but also totally kid-approved.
Heat a 10″ skillet over medium heat, and add a splash of olive oil. Add the onions to the skillet and cook until they’re soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until it’s no longer pink. Use a wooden spoon to occasionally stir the mixture and break up the meat.
Add the homemade taco seasoning plus a tablespoon of tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste is worked into the beef and onion mixture and the spices are toasted and fragrant.
Pour a cup of beef broth into the skillet. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the flavor has intensified – about 5 minutes.
LOOK AT THAT TACO MEAT 😍
Slice the sweet potatoes down the center then stuff ’em with a few big spoonfuls of ground beef taco meat. Top with diced avocado and pico de gallo, and sour cream on the side if you wish. Or top ’em with any of your favorites from the list below!
Toppings for Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
As written, this recipe is Whole30, paleo and gluten free, topped with homemade pico de gallo and chopped avocado (with sour cream on the side). But that doesn’t mean you have to keep it that way!
Top these taco stuffed sweet potatoes with any of the your favorite taco fixings, such as:
- Pico de gallo
- Diced avocado
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Crumbled queso fresco
- Sour cream
- Diced raw red onion or pickled red onions
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Guacamole
- Sliced jalapeños
Tips for Making Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- To time this recipe perfectly, start the sweet potatoes before you start the beef. By the time the taco meat is finished cooking, the sweet potatoes will have cooled enough so you can slice and stuff them.
- Customize the taco seasoning to your preference. Use up to 2 tablespoons of chili powder and ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a very spicy blend.
- We like 80/20 ground beef for this recipe – the fat adds lots of flavor. If you’re not into ground beef, ground turkey and ground chicken work well too. Use dark turkey meat if you can find it, and be sure to add an extra splash of olive oil to the skillet when you sautee the ground turkey or chicken.
- If you’d like to make this meal lower carb, use just half a baked sweet potato.
- The cooked taco meat stores in the fridge for up to 5 days and freezes beautifully. I often double the recipe and tuck half into the freezer for *those* nights (you know what I’m talking about!).
More Quick and Easy Mexican Inspired Recipes
- Mexican Cauliflower Rice
- Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Peppers
- Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Skirt Steak Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema
Did you make these Ground Beef Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
Ground Beef Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRecommended Equipment
- 10" Skillet
- Aluminum foil
- Microwave safe plate
Ingredients
Baked Sweet Potatoes
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 4 tsp olive oil
Homemade Taco Seasoning
- 1-2 tbsp chili powder, depending on preference for heat.
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp cornstarch, or arrowroot powder for Whole30
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp coriander
- pinch oregano
- pinch red pepper flakes
Ground Beef Taco Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced to ½″
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
Toppings
- pico de gallo, to taste
- diced avocdo, to taste
- sour cream, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450°F.
- Prepare the sweet potatoes. Poke the sweet potatoes all over using the tines of a fork. Place the sweet potatoes onto a microwave safe plate and microwave for 5 minutes. Place each sweet potato onto a piece of foil, then drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Wrap the sweet potatoes tightly in the foil, then place onto a baking sheet. Transfer the sweet potatoes to the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
- Make the taco seasoning. While the potatoes are microwaving, make the taco seasoning. Combine all the ingredients for the taco seasoning in a lidded jar. Shake to combine.
- Make the ground beef taco filling. Heat a 10″ skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 7-8 minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet. Continue cook, stirring occasionally to break up the beef, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
- Add the taco seasoning and tomato paste to the skillet. Stir until the tomato paste is worked into the beef and onion mixture and the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour the broth into the skillet. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Slice the sweet potatoes in half, then stuff with the ground beef taco filling and add your favorite toppings. Eat immediately. The ground beef filling keeps in the fridge in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
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