Southwest Beef & Sweet Potato Skillet
Chili-spiced ground beef with roasted sweet potato, black beans, and corn
Ground beef browns with Southwest spices, then simmers in one skillet with roasted sweet potato cubes, black beans, and corn until everything is tender and coated in a smoky chili-tomato sauce.
Why crews like it: Naturally sweet and savory without feeling like a diet dish. Beans and sweet potato mean it holds and reheats better than a plain beef skillet.
Ingredients
- 3.5 lb lean ground beef
- 2.5 lb sweet potatoes
- 2 cans black beans
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 5 cloves garlic cloves
- 2 whole avocado
- 2 whole lime
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Roast the sweet potato: Toss sweet potato cubes with 2 tbsp oil and 1 tsp salt. Roast at 425°F 22–25 minutes, flipping once, until fork-tender and caramelized at the edges.
- Brown the beef: Cook ground beef and onion in remaining oil over medium-high 8–10 minutes, breaking into crumbles, until no pink remains and onion is soft.
- Bloom the spices: Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika to the beef; cook 1 minute until fragrant and the spices coat every piece of meat.
- Simmer the skillet: Stir in diced tomatoes with chiles, black beans, and corn. Simmer 8–10 minutes uncovered until slightly thickened and everything is heated through.
- Fold in sweet potato and serve: Gently fold roasted sweet potato into the skillet so it doesn't break apart. Taste for salt, then serve with avocado slices and lime wedges at the line.
Tonight's spread
- Sliced avocado and lime.
- Shredded cheese and cilantro for topping.
Hall tips
- Roasting the sweet potato separately keeps it from turning to mush in the skillet.
- A dollop of Greek yogurt works as a lighter stand-in for sour cream.
- Shredded pepper jack on top adds a nice melt without much extra effort.
Meal prep
Cube sweet potatoes small (½ inch) so they roast in the same time it takes to brown the beef. Station: Roast sweet potato on a sheet pan while the beef browns on the stove—two things happening at once saves real time. Station: Don't skip draining the beans—extra liquid waters down the skillet. Station: Top station: avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream.
Leftovers
- Wrap into burritos with rice for a fast next-day lunch.
- Reheats well covered in the microwave—add a splash of water if it looks dry.
- Large skillet
- Half-sheet pan
Related recipes
- Beef Rice Bowls
- Turkey Taco Skillet
- Beef and Broccoli
- Chicken Enchilada Skillet
- Thai Basil Ground Beef Skillet
- Beef Birria with Consommé for Dipping