These Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes take less than 30 minutes to make, are loaded with protein and veggies and are the perfect easy weeknight dinner!
I'm a planner. I like having schedules, and to-do lists and keeping myself as organized as possible. Unfortunately not everyone in my family is the same way. This makes the 5:30 pm question of "what should we make for dinner" inevitable. These 30-minute turkey stuffed potatoes can be made super quickly, with ingredients you probably already have on hand! The best part? It's a meal EVERYONE will enjoy- and they are totally customizable!
These turkey stuffed sweet potatoes are a bi-weekly staple in my house. This is what dreams are made of. Imagine smooth sweet potato with a sprinkle of cumin, topped with tex-mex ground turkey and shredded cheese and broiled until golden is perfection. I promise you won't even be able to taste that it's packed with nourishing ingredients!
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Balanced meal. We've got lean protein, hidden veggies and a colorful carb for a meal that checks all my dietitian boxes.
- Family friendly. These stuffed sweet potatoes are super customizable, so everyone in your family is sure to enjoy them.
- Fast and quick. There's only 30 minutes of hands on time for this recipe, and the rest is waiting. I love making this on weeknights where I want something quick but nourishing.
Ingredients
Ground turkey. For a lean protein option! It can also be swapped for another ground meat of choice.
Spices. Cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, black pepper are the only spices you need. For an easier option, you can even use a pre-made taco seasoning.
Canned tomatoes. Look for canned diced tomatoes (and don’t forget to add the juices as well). Canned tomato cans in Canada are quite large so you can always freeze leftovers or use in a recipe like my turkey chili.
Zucchini and spinach. I like adding these for some added vegetables. They have a neutral flavour and blend in well.
Cheese. I recommend cheddar cheese, but any cheese that melts well is great.
Optional filling additions. Black beans & corn are an amazing source of fibre to make this a satiating meal.
Instructions
Bake or microwave sweet potatoes (see recipe card for both options) until flesh is tender.
Once the potatoes are cooled, slice length wise and scoop out the inside potato flesh (being careful to keep the skins intact because you'll need them later), add potato flesh to large bowl and gently mash the potatoes using a fork or potato masher. Mix in the olive oil and ground cumin.
Distribute the potato mash evenly back into each of the potato skins
In a large pan, add olive oil and garlic over medium high heat and cook until fragrant, Add turkey meat and cook until brown
Add spices and stir meat until spices are fully mixed in.
Add in the diced tomatoes and black bean, corn, and grated zucchini and spinach if you're using and stir until warm. Stir in black beans and corn kernels.
Arrange potato skins on a cookie sheet and distribute mashed sweet potato into each skin. Top with turkey meat mixture.
Sprinkle with shredded cheese
Broil assembled potatoes in the oven for about 6-8 minutes until cheese begins to brown. Remove from oven and I like to serve with green onions, salsa and sour cream (or plain greek yogurt).
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: this recipe is naturally gluten-free.
To make dairy-free: Use a dairy-free cheese. My personal favourite is this one.
To make vegan: Follow the dairy-free instructions and swap the ground turkey for a veggie ground substitute like Yves or Gardein or lentils. You could even increase the amount of black beans to use as the main protein.
To make nut-free: This recipe is naturally nut-free.
One of my favourite things about these turkey stuffed sweet potatoes is how customizable they are. Once you have the base of the sweet potatoes done, you can create your own combination of flavours using whatever you have on hand:
Protein- I typically use turkey meat or ground chicken in my stuffed sweet potatoes Other options include: ground beef, ground veal or even crumbled tofu, tempeh or lentils. You can also skip the ground meat and use black beans
Veggies- Some of my go-to veggies to add are: grated zucchini, grated carrot, chopped spinach and even diced red peppers. other great suggestions would be chopped kale, crumbled broccoli or even some cauliflower rice.
Toppings- I love to top my stuffed sweet potatoes with sour cream, extra cheese, avocado and salsa. Use this as an opportunity to get creative- use your favourite sauces, chopped veggies and even some greens!
Equipment
Storage
These stuffed sweet potatoes are a great meal prep option. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you have leftover filling it also makes a great addition to burritos, quesadillas or salads (try it on my nacho salad).
You can also freeze the stuffed potatoes for an easy meal. Just wrap them in plastic wrap before adding the cheese. When you’re ready to eat them, unwrap and place them on a microwave-safe plate, top with the cheese and microwave for about 2-5 minutes.
Top Tips for Success
To make this recipe even easier, here are my biggest tips:
- Use a pre-made taco seasoning package
- If you would prefer less dishes, gently mash the potato flesh directly in the skin. This saves dirtying another bowl.
- Pre-make your potatoes. The longest part of this recipe is waiting for the potatoes to soften. I find the oven option is the best when cooking multiple potatoes however it does take longer- so I recommend preparing these ahead of time for a fast dinner.
The size of your potatoes is important. I recommend looking for sweet potatoes that are quite wide. This will help ensure the filling stays in the potato skins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can, however I really find the subtle sweetness from the sweet potatoes compliments the mild spice of the filling- creating the perfect balanced bite!
No you do not! If you prefer, you can just make the filling with the ground meat, tomatoes and spices. I recommend pairing with a side salad if you decide to do this.
More Weeknight Recipes
You can make these with less than 30 minutes of prep:
- Buffalo Ranch Tuna Stuffed Peppers
- Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- One Pan Vegetarian Mexican Skillet
- Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
See you in the kitchen!
I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make my turkey stuffed sweet potatoes, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Easy Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- ⅓ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon avocado or olive oil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Filling
- 1 lb lean ground turkey see notes for vegetarian option
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes with their juices
- 1 medium zucchini grated
- 1 large handful of Spinach chopped
- 1 cup Black Beans rinsed and drained (optional)
- 1 cup corn kernels I usually use frozen! (optional)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Optional Toppings
- 2 Green onions thinly sliced
- salsa
- plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
For the Sweet Potatoes
- *Microwave cooking method* Pierce each potato multiple times with a fork and cook one at a time in the microwave for about 3 minutes each side (until soft, this may vary based on your microwave), carefully remove from microwave and allow to cool.
- *Oven cooking method* Preheat oven to 425ºF. On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Bake until tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Once the potatoes are cooled, slice length wise and scoop out the inside potato flesh (being careful to keep the skins intact because you'll need them later), add potato flesh to large bowl and gently mash the potatoes using a fork or potato masher. Mix in the olive oil and ground cumin.
- Distribute the potato mash evenly back into each of the potato skins
For Ground Turkey
- In a large pan, add olive oil and garlic over medium high heat and cook until fragrant, Add turkey meat and cook until just browned. Drain any excess fat or moisture.
- Add spices and stir meat until spices are fully mixed in. Add in the diced tomatoes and black bean, corn, and grated zucchini and spinach if you're using and stir until warm about 2 minutes. Stir in black beans and corn kernels.
For the Final Product
- Arrange potato skins on a cookie sheet and distribute mashed sweet potato into each skin. Top with turkey meat mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese
- Broil assembled potatoes in the oven for about 6-8 minutes until cheese begins to brown
- Remove from oven and I like to serve with green onions, salsa and sour cream (or plain greek yogurt)
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