20 minute meal! These Turkey Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are a fantastic option when you need a quick dinner recipe.
This isn't the first time I've stuffed sweet potatoes, but each time I do, I wonder why I don't make them a regular item on my meal plans. The first version involved spinach, feta and hummus - an easy meatless meal option. The second time around, I stuffed the sweet potatoes with a hoisin turkey and broccoli mixture. One of my readers commented, "Tripled this recipe to freeze for lunches – absolutely delicious! Will definitely be a staple for lunch!"
Hopefully these turkey taco stuffed sweet potatoes will get such rave reviews. They certainly did at my house!
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While it can be very convenient to dump a package of taco seasoning in the ground turkey, I assure you that it takes no more than a minute to add the individual seasonings, which give you a lot more control over the sodium levels and flavor. In fact, this entire recipe takes just 20 minutes to make. While the sweet potatoes are cooking in the microwave, the turkey mixture cooks on the stovetop. Multi-tasking at its best!
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise, scoop out the flesh and mash it with some olive oil and cumin before scooping back into the skins. Top it all off with the cooked, seasoned ground turkey mixture.
We used pepper Jack on top of our stuffed sweet potatoes, but cheddar, Monterey Jack or even Parmesan cheese would work just as well.
Watch how easy it is to make these Turkey Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes:
Printable Recipe
Turkey Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cumin divided
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¾ pound lean (93%) ground turkey
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ¼ cup canned crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup grated pepper Jack cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Cook in the microwave on HIGH until tender when pierced with a fork, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let the potatoes rest until cool enough to handle.
- Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop the flesh out of the potatoes and place in a medium-sized bowl. Reserve the skins. With the back of a fork, mash the potato flesh until most lumps are gone. Stir in the olive oil, ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Divide the mashed sweet potato evenly between the potato skins. Place on a baking sheet.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, remaining ¾ teaspoon cumin, oregano, paprika, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes.
- Preheat the broiler. Spoon the turkey mixture into each sweet potato skin. Top each with 1 tablespoon grated cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 30 seconds. Garnish with parsley. Serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Lisa
Just wondering how they hold up as left overs?
Dara
Lisa, I've eaten them as leftovers plenty of time and they turn out well. Be sure to cover with foil while reheating to retain the moisture in the meat. And to be honest, I've also eaten them straight out of the fridge and loved them just as much! 🙂
Jessica Holt
These never get old. We've made them 5 or 6 times now and enjoy them even more each time . It's just my husband and me, so the remaining two stuffed potatoes get eaten for lunch the next day. Two meals in one!
Shelly
Yummm! Made these bad boys for dinner last night with a few alterations. I added black beans & green chills to my turkey mixture. Also added a little bit of the shredded pepper jack to my sweet potato mixture before returning to the skins. Everyone loved them & went to bed with happy tummys. Thank you for the inspiration !
Shelly
kept trying to put "5 Stars" but it wasn't letting me 🙁
Emily
Made these tonight and they were great! I love that this is a healthier taco option, yet still filling. I added black beans, chopped onion and poblano pepper to the turkey mixture and used cilantro instead of parsley. Will definitely make again. Another plus is this is a very budget friendly meal.
Sarah
I made these last night. My husband and I both loved them! Delicious and easy - thank you for the recipe!
Katy
We don't own a microwave. This might be a silly question, but how long would the sweet potatoes need to be in the oven (and at what temperature) to achieve the same results as the ones produced with a microwave? I have all the ingredients and can't wait to try this out! Thank you in advance!
Dara
Hi Katy, not a silly question at all. To bake a sweet potato, pierce the potato in several places with the tines of a fork, then bake in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until tender. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
T.shaw
You don’t have to wrap them with foil? Just place them on the rack? Thx
Dara
When you pop them in the oven at the end, it's just to melt the cheese. The sweet potatoes are cooked in the microwave at the beginning of the recipe. However, if you choose to bake the sweet potatoes in the oven instead of the microwave (before adding the filling), you can place them directly on a baking sheet without wrapping in foil.
Ricky
We made this last night and will be making it a thousand more times. It was that good and the entire family agreed. Thank you for the recipe.
Katie
This was delicious! I left out the cheese and used one fresh tomato instead of a can and it still worked great! It definitely takes more than 10 minutes to cook/prep though.
Lori
Are these yams? At my grocery store the sweet potatoes are white and yams are orange. So I'm never sure which one to get.
Dara
That's always confusing, Lori! Technically they're yams, but some grocery store label them as sweet potatoes.
Samantha
Yams are native to Africa. What most North American s think is a yam is actually a soft sweet potato. Maybe we need to educate our grocers.
Trudy
Awesome meal great way to have taco