Mexican Sweet Potatoes

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Loaded Mexican sweet potatoes are healthy, flavorful and festive! Let everyone customize their own Mexican baked potato with a variety of fresh and savory garnishes. For vegan stuffed sweet potatoes, use non-dairy cheese and sour cream options. Make this easy recipe in 35 minutes.

📌 PIN MEXICAN SWEET POTATOES

What I love most about Mexican sweet potatoes, it’s a one-dish meal that’s super versatile. With a variety of toppings it can satisfy everyone’s taste buds. Add this easy recipe to your Cinco de Mayo menu.

When baked, sweet potatoes are fluffy and tender. The perfect base for taco fillings and garnishes. If you’d like the skin of the potato salty and crisp, brush it with oil and sprinkle it with flaky salt before baking.

To increase the savory goodness, slather the open potato with butter before spooning in the filling. For vegan diets, use non-dairy garnishes. For hearty appetites that crave meat, cook ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey along with the veggie mixture. Or cook the taco meat with seasoning in a separate skillet and offer it as an optional topping.

For busy families pressed for time, Mexican sweet potatoes are a great make-ahead recipe. To meal prep, bake the potatoes. Let them cool completely, then wrap them in foil and refrigerate. Assemble the vegetable and black bean filling on stovetop. Transfer the mix to an air-tight container. Refrigerate up to 4 days.

When ready to enjoy, reheat the foil-wrapped potatoes in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until warmed through. Rewarm the veggie mixture on stovetop. Assemble the taco stuffed sweet potatoes with a variety of fresh garnishes.

Do you have extra sweet potatoes on hand? Don’t let them go to waste. Make this delicious sweet potato fluff. It’s the perfect side dish for meat, chicken or vegetable entrees. Or use them to make this chicken sweet potato bake.

INGREDIENTS

These are the ingredients for making Mexican baked potatoes along with chef’s notes for why each item is included in the recipe.

• Sweet Potatoes: These flavorful potatoes pair well with the Mexican-style veggie filling and with traditional taco garnishes. But you can also use starchy, low-moisture potatoes like russets and Idaho. These particular varieties are light and fluffy when baked.
• Canola Oil: Is wonderful for sautéing veggies. But you can use any neutral-flavored cooking oil. And for crispy salty-skinned potatoes, you’ll want to coat the potato skins in oil, then heavily sprinkle them with flaky sea salt before baking.
• Flaky Salt (optional): For salty potato skins.
• White Onion: This is the type we prefer in Mexico for garnishing our recipes. However, you can use red onion, yellow onion, or shallots.
• Green Bell Pepper: A delicious, healthy topping for these Mexican taco stuffed sweet potatoes. Although I prefer green bell peppers for color variation, use any color you have on hand: red, orange, or yellow.
• Garlic Cloves: Adds a rustic earthy flavor to the taco mixture.
• Jalapeño: Adds a bit of heat to the veggie mixture. But you can replace the jalapeño with mild (canned) diced fire-roasted green chiles. Or up the spiciness by using a serrano chile which is hotter than a jalapeño.
• Black Beans: These canned beans add delicious flavor, protein and substance to the Mexican sweet potatoes. Be sure to drain off the liquid and rinse the beans well before using.
• Corn: This healthy ingredient adds sweetness, color and texture to the taco filling. You can use fresh kernels, canned corn (well drained and rinsed), or frozen corn.
• Water: Helps create a sauce for the spices so they’ll stick to the veggies and coat them well. To add a bit more flavor, use vegetable stock instead if you have it on hand.
• Chili Powder: This is an essential ingredient for taco seasoning. For this recipe we’re making our own, but if desired you can use an envelope of store-bought seasoning (about 2 tablespoons).
• Onion Powder: Adds tasty depth of flavor that balances the other seasonings.
• Garlic Powder: Adds an earthy rustic taste to the seasoning mix while amplifying the warm flavor of the other spices.
• Sea Salt: This power player adds salty flavor and dimension to savory dishes while enhancing the taste of the other ingredients.
• Ground Cumin: This is a traditional ingredient in Mexican spice blends. It’s warm and earthy with both sweet and bitter tones. It works well with chili powder, bolstering its spicy flavor.
• Sweet Paprika: This is a common spice in Mexican cooking. It adds traditional color and flavor to the taco seasoning.
• Cheddar Cheese: This ingredient is important for a savory creamy taco filling for the sweet potatoes. If desired, you can use a shredded blend of Mexican cheeses, or dairy-free cheddar like Miyokos or Daiya.
• OPTIONAL GARNISHES: Guacamole or cubed avocado, diced tomato or pico de gallo, sour cream (dairy or dairy-free), chopped cilantro, wedges of lime for squeezing.

📖 RECIPE STEPS

RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse sweet potatoes under water and scrub the skins clean with a vegetable brush. Dry with a lint-free towel. Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork on all sides.

• STEP 1: Transfer potatoes to a baking tray. If desired, brush skins with oil and sprinkle well with flaky salt. Slice the centers of the potatoes open. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until fork tender. In the meantime, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper to the pan. Sauté 4 minutes or until veggies are tender.
• STEP 2: Add minced garlic and jalapeño to the pan. Sauté 1 minute. Add black beans and corn. Mix to combine.
• STEP 3: Pour water or vegetable stock into the pan. Sprinkle in taco seasoning mix (or spices: chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, sweet paprika, and sea salt). Stir to combine. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until all of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• STEP 4: Remove pan from heat. Stir in half the cheddar cheese.

👉🏻 KITCHEN SMARTS: For easy clean-up, line a baking tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

• STEP 5: While still on the baking tray, slice the centers of sweet potatoes open lengthwise. But do not sever the potatoes into 2 pieces. With a fork, gently flake the flesh a bit to loosen it up. If desired, add pats of butter and a pinch of sea salt.
• STEP 6: Divide veggie and black-bean taco filling between the potatoes. Spoon it in, stuffing them well. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.
• STEP 7: Bake the taco stuffed sweet potatoes for 5 to 8 minutes or until the cheese is warm and melted.
• STEP 8: Immediately transfer to individual plates and serve. Let people load up the Mexican sweet potatoes with all their favorite garnishes.

🧑🏼‍🍳 RECIPE FAQ

These are the most commonly asked questions when making Mexican sweet potatoes, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.

🥘 MORE HEALTHY MEXICAN RECIPES

If you enjoyed these Mexican sweet potatoes, you’ll also love these healthy Mexican recipes. Each is easy to make and family approved! Print out your favorites for later or pin them to Pinterest.

• Healthy Burrito Bowl
• Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
• Steak Fajitas
• Spicy Grilled Lime Shrimp
• Chicken Tostadas
• Mexican Street Corn Dip
• Tequila Lime Wings

RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Discerning taste testers for these loaded Mexican sweet potatoes gave them super high ratings and 2 two thumbs up. They said hands down this is the BEST recipe for Mexican baked potatoes.

If you enjoyed this Mexican dinner, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with a friend. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.

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MEXICAN SWEET POTATOES 👉🏻 join the conversation

Have you ever tried a loaded Mexican sweet potato? What are your favorite garnishes? Share your thoughts on this easy recipe in the comments below.