Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (5 Ways!)

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Last month, I took my basic baked sweet potato recipe and upgraded it to make stuffed sweet potatoes — they were perfect for giving our weeknight meals a makeover! There are 5 savory stuffing variations to choose from, so there’s an option for everyone at the table. I tested this stuffed sweet potato recipe 3 times with each filling, for a total of 60 (!!) potatoes, so needless to say, my friends and family got to enjoy these a lot… and they were so good, they’re all gone. 😉

I love preparing stuffed veggies like these because they make an easy all-in-one meal. From Greek-style stuffed tomatoes and fajita chicken stuffed peppers, to beef and cranberry stuffed delicata squash and Italian sausage stuffed zucchini boats, there are so many ways to change up the flavors. This time, I opted for BBQ, fajita, black bean, chicken, or ground beef stuffed sweet potatoes — they’re just as good as they sound!

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for stuffed baked sweet potato recipe what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Don’t be intimidated by the long ingredient list! It’s only long because there are 5 flavor options for stuffing sweet potatoes. Each one needs just a few ingredients…

Sweet Potatoes:

No matter what filling you choose, these basic ingredients are used for roasting the potatoes before stuffing them:

• Sweet Potatoes – When selecting sweet potatoes for baking, look for ones that are firm and heavy for their size, with skin that is free of marks and blemishes. The amount of filling in this recipe is intended for large sweet potatoes, about 9-12 ounces each, but if yours are smaller, you can divide the filling among more of them or even enjoy the filling on its own.
• Olive Oil – For roasting the sweet potatoes. You can also use any neutral cooking oil you prefer, such as avocado oil or refined coconut oil.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

BBQ Chicken Stuffing:

BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes need just 4 ingredients for the filling. This one was the favorite among my friends.

• Shredded Chicken – I used leftover air fryer whole chicken for this recipe, but if you don’t have any leftover chicken to use, you can quickly make shredded chicken in the Instant Pot or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
• BBQ Sauce – For a BBQ stuffed sweet potato recipe, I used sugar-free BBQ sauce, but any kind works.
• Cheddar Cheese – You could use any cheese you prefer, such as Monterey Jack, Colby, or mozzarella. Find a shredded variety or shred yourself.
• Green Onions – Also known as scallions, these provide a mild and sweet flavor to the BBQ chicken. Diced red onions or fresh chives would also work well.

Mexican Black Bean Stuffing:

Black bean stuffed sweet potatoes make a great vegetarian meal with plant-based protein. (They can also be vegan if you omit the cheese and sour cream.) It has all the flavors and toppings for tacos, but with black beans instead of meat.

• Black Beans – Use a canned variety, and drain and rinse before using. If you prefer meat rather than beans, you can use 1 pound of ground beef, barbacoa, or shredded chicken instead.
• Lime Juice – I use fresh lime juice for the best flavor, but you could use bottled for convenience.
• Taco Seasoning – To keep my food made with clean ingredients, I make my own homemade taco seasoning, but you could use pre-made seasoning as well.
• Cheddar Cheese – Or, use any shredded cheese you prefer.
• Sour Cream – Adds a creamy richness to Mexican black bean stuffing. Plain Greek yogurt should also work.
• Jalapeno – The seeds of a jalapeno are the spiciest part, so omit them to make it less spicy. You can also omit the jalapeno altogether.
• Avocado – For cool and creamy texture that balances out the spicy flavors.
• Fresh Cilantro – You could also use fresh oregano or sliced green onion.

Ground Beef Stuffing:

This filling features ground beef marinara with a gooey mozzarella topping.

• Olive Oil
• Ground Beef – I prefer 85/15, but you can use any kind you like. If you don’t like beef, you can also replace this with ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground sausage.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper
• Marinara Sauce – I like to use sugar-free alternatives like my homemade marinara sauce, but you can use any kind you like.
• Italian Seasoning – Make your own homemade Italian seasoning for a boost of flavor. Or, use pre-made spices mix for convenience.
• Mozzarella Cheese – I recommend pairing mozzarella with the ground beef, but you could use cheddar, Colby, or any shredded cheese you prefer.
• Fresh Basil – You could also try other fresh herbs, like thyme or parsley.

Broccoli Cheese Stuffing:

This is my youngest daughter’s favorite filling! She’s not usually a big fan of broccoli, but loves it when combined with cheese and sweet potatoes. It’s also a vegetarian option.

• Broccoli – Cut broccoli into even-sized florets to ensure they cook at the same rate. This recipe includes instructions for cooking it, but you can also use leftover roasted broccoli, sauteed broccoli, or air fryer broccoli.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper
• Cheddar Cheese – Use any shredded cheese you prefer, just make sure you divide it for stuffing and sprinkling on top.

Shrimp Fajita Stuffing:

This filling is basically my shrimp fajitas recipe, cut down to be the right amount for stuffed sweet potatoes.

• Small Shrimp – I used small shrimp, peeled, deveined, with tails removed. You could use larger ones for this Fajita Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes recipe if you prefer.
• Fajita Seasoning Mix – I use homemade fajita seasoning, but you could use store-bought as well.
• Olive Oil
• Lime Juice – I use fresh lime juice for the best flavor, but you could use bottled for convenience.
• Garlic – I used fresh minced garlic for the best flavor, but you could use 1 teaspoon jarred garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder for convenience.
• Onion – I recommend a sweet onion as they bring out the flavor of the stuffing, but you can use any kind you have on hand.
• Bell Pepper – To add color, I used 1/2 red and 1/2 yellow bell pepper. You could use one color only, or any combination you like.
• Fresh Cilantro – Dill, parsley, or even mint can work as substitutes for fresh cilantro in shrimp fajita stuffing.

How To Make Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

This section shows how to make healthy stuffed sweet potatoes, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Prep. Preheat oven. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a fork or knife to pierce small holes all over the sweet potato skins.
2. Season. Drizzle olive oil over the sweet potatoes, then season with salt and pepper. Massage the oil and seasoning into the skin.
3. Bake. Cook sweet potatoes in the oven, flipping carefully with tongs about halfway through, until fork tender.

4. Make filling. While potatoes bake, make sweet potato stuffing of choice. Fillings need to be pre-cooked, so see instructions on the recipe card below. (These pictures show filling for BBQ chicken, black bean, broccoli cheese, and shrimp fajita fillings.)

5. Slice. Cut a slit lengthwise in the top of each potato. Lightly mash the inside with a fork, so that there is room for fillings. Season insides with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stuff. Pile the stuffing you made into each slit of the sweet potatoes. If topping with cheese, bake again until cheese is melted. (The pictures below show the potatoes sliced open, followed by ground beef, BBQ chicken, black bean, broccoli cheese, and shrimp fajita stuffed sweet potatoes, in that order.)

Storage Instructions

• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• Reheat: Warm in the microwave on high power for 1-2 minutes, or bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
• Freeze: You can freeze any of these stuffed sweet potato recipes, as long as you do so without fresh herbs or other toppings. Cool completely, wrap with foil or plastic wrap, and place in a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 4 months. You can reheat

What To Serve With Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

No matter how you stuff them, any of these stuffed sweet potato recipes can be a nutritious meal all on their own! But you can also pair them with:

More Easy Sweet Potato Recipes

Try out some of my sweet potato recipes that are easy to make and packed with flavor.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (5 Ways!)

Make easy stuffed sweet potatoes with 5 filling choices: BBQ chicken, broccoli cheese, shrimp fajita, beef marinara, or Mexican black bean!

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 45 minutes

Total: 55 minutes

Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.

Mexican Black Bean Stuffing:

Broccoli Cheese Stuffing:

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

Bake Sweet Potatoes:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

2. Place the potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a fork or knife to pierce small holes all over the potatoes (about 4-5 spots per potato is enough).

3. Drizzle the olive oil over the sweet potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Massage the oil and seasoning into the skin.

4. Bake sweet potatoes in the oven for 40-50 minutes for medium sweet potatoes, or 50-60 minutes for large sweet potatoes, flipping carefully with tongs about halfway through, until fork tender.

5. While the potatoes are baking, make the filling of your choice below.

6. When the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, cut a slit lengthwise in the top of each potato. Lightly mash the inside with a fork, so that there is room for fillings. Season the inside with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Stuff sweet potatoes with filling as described below. (You’ll need about 1/3 to 1/2 cup filling per potato, so may have extra filling left over if your potatoes are small to medium instead of large.)

BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes:

1. Combine the shredded chicken and barbecue sauce in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook just until hot, then remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

2. When the potatoes are ready, stuff the BBQ chicken mixture into them. Top with shredded cheese.

3. Bake stuffed sweet potatoes at 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

4. Sprinkle with sliced green onions.

Mexican Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes:

1. In a large bowl, combine the rinsed black beans, lime juice, and taco seasoning.

2. When the potatoes are ready, stuff the black bean mixture into them. Top with shredded cheese.

3. Bake stuffed sweet potatoes at 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

4. Top the potatoes with sour cream, jalapeno slices, diced avocado, and fresh cilantro.

Ground Beef Stuffed Sweet Potatoes:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the beef for 8-10 minutes, breaking apart the meat with a spoon or spatula, until browned.

2. Stir in the marinara and Italian seasoning. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until thickened.

3. When the potatoes are ready, stuff the beef marinara mixture into them. Top with shredded cheese.

4. Bake stuffed sweet potatoes at 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) for about 5-7 minutes, until the cheese is melted and browned.

5. Sprinkle with fresh basil ribbons.

Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Sweet Potatoes:

1. Bring a large saucepan of salt water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes, until tender.

2. Drain the broccoli. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir 1/2 cup of shredded cheese into the broccoli.

4. When the potatoes are ready, stuff the broccoli cheese mixture into them. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese.

5. Bake stuffed sweet potatoes at 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Shrimp Fajita Stuffed Sweet Potatoes:

1. Cook shrimp fajitas according to the instructions here. (You’ll need 1/2 the regular fajita recipe for stuffing sweet potatoes, which are the amounts listed above.)

2. When the potatoes are ready, stuff the shrimp fajita mixture into them. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 stuffed sweet potato

Nutrition info is for BBQ chicken sweet potatoes, and will vary depending on the stuffing you choose.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 549

Fat 16.4g

Protein 27.3g

Total Carbs 73.9g

Net Carbs 62.4g

Fiber 11.5g

Sugar 17.5g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

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