It’s mash-up time! Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes combine two of my very favorite things – ground beef tacos and roasted sweet potatoes. When you’re craving tacos, but need to keep that healthy little angel on your shoulder happy, this 30-minute meal is perfect. And no, there’s no compromising here, because while this might be a healthy, Whole30 dinner recipe, it’s packed with tons of flavor!
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?”.
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”.
Enter stuffed sweet potatoes. We started with tacos, and then went a little wild (yeah, we made buffalo chicken stuffed sweet potatoes too!).
While we’re no longer rigorous about our January Whole30 rounds, taco stuffed sweet potatoes have remained as a quick and easy dinner option, year-round!
If you can’t get enough healthy Mexican dishes, try these other Whole30 and low carb favorites: steak fajita salad, Mexican cauliflower rice, Instant Pot carnitas, and Mexican potato hash.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick Cooked Sweet Potatoes: I’m a cooking purist in many ways – but not when it comes to baked sweet potatoes! Traditional oven baked sweet potatoes can take an hour or more to bake. On busy weeknights, I use this quick hack instead: microwave the potatoes for 5 minutes, then drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 10 minutes. The results? Same crispy skin and creamy flesh, ready in just a fraction of the time.
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, quick (3 minutes!), totally customizable to your preference for heat, and free from any additives or junk. Use arrowroot powder to thicken in place of cornstarch if you’re on a strict Whole30 or paleo diet.
Versatile Serving Options: 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 taco stuffed sweet potatoes with any of the your favorite taco fixings:
- 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
How to Make Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Sweet and creamy sweet potatoes are the perfect companion to spicy taco meat. It’s a filling, delicious, and nutritious dinner that’s ready in just 30 minutes!
- Poke holes all over the sweet potatoes using the tines of a fork. Place on a microwave safe plate and cook for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the potatoes to a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in the foil.
- Transfer to a 450°F oven and roast for 10 minutes. Open the foil and rest until cool enough to handle (5-10 minutes).
- Combine the taco seasonings in a small lidded jar and shake until well combined – chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, coriander, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add cornstarch or arrowroot powder as the thickener.
- Whisk the tomato paste and beef broth until very smooth.
- In a 10″ skillet, saute the onions until soft, then add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.
- Add the taco seasonings and work into the ground beef mixture.
- Pour in the beef broth/tomato paste mixture.
- Simmer, stirring occassionally, until the sauce is thick.
- Slice the sweet potatoes down the center, widen the opening, and spoon the taco meat into the sweet potatoes. Garnish with your favorite toppings and serve right away. Enjoy!
Chef’s Tips!
- To time this recipe perfectly, start the sweet potatoes before you start the ground 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. Add an extra splash of olive oil to the skillet if using 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!).
Did you make these Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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30-Minute Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Description
Ingredients
Baked Sweet Potatoes
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 4 teaspoon olive oil
Homemade Taco Seasoning
- 1-2 tablespoon chili powder, depending on preference for heat.
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or arrowroot powder for Whole30
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- pinch oregano
- pinch red pepper flakes
Ground Beef Taco Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced to ½″
- 1 lb ground beef, preferably 80/20
- 3 tablespoon 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. Combine all the ingredients for the taco seasoning in a lidded jar and hake to combine.
- Whisk the tomato paste and beef broth in a 2-cup measuring cup or small bowl until very smooth.
- 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 work into the ground beef and onion mixture until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour the broth mixture 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. Serve right away, and enjoy!
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