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Sweet Potato Bowl
By Snejana Andreeva
on Jan 24, 2025, Updated Mar 29, 2025
Meal prep kings and queens, I have got a winning meal for you! 👑 My sweet potato bowl is the twist on a burrito bowl you didn’t know you needed. 🌯 Rice and beans are replaced with tender cubes of roasted sweet potato: a high-fiber, antioxidant-rich , slow-burning carb. 🍠They’re piled high in a bowl with ground meat loaded in flavor, thanks to fresh garlic and onion and chile powder. Next comes a crunchy veg topping . And to finish it all off, you can add plenty of cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and super fresh lettuce. The nutritional info is great for those of us counting our macros. 💪 This recipe is so easy to meal prep; check out the meal prep section below for all my tips and tricks.
- Why You’ll Love Sweet Potato Bowl
- How to Prepare
- Nonna’s Tip 🥣
- Sweet Potato Bowl Variations and Substitutions
- Similar Recipes
- Best Served With
- How to Make This Ahead for Meal Prep
- Common Questions
- Sweet Potato Bowl Recipe
Why You’ll Love Sweet Potato Bowl
This new spin on a burrito bowl packs in protein, fiber, and a rainbow of veggies . It satisfies my Chipotle craving and leaves me feeling fueled. I like to keep things interesting, substituting rice and beans with tender cubes of roasted sweet potato 🍠. They add an incredible amount of nutrition to the dish, and keep me fuller longer . I am obsessed with my food chopper , which makes quick work of preparing a medley of perfectly-chopped veggies. There are so many ways to customize this dish based on your favorite seasoning, vegetables, and protein of choice. You can even make this recipe vegan !
How to Prepare
🔥 Make the sweet potatoes. Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can also air-fry them at 390F (200C) for 17 minutes making sure to toss them halfway through.
🍠 Add the peeled, cubed sweet potato to a bowl and toss with the oil. Next, season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Place on the baking sheet and bake until fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the potatoes over halfway through cooking.
🥩 Meanwhile, cook the ground meat.
🥄 Add the ground meat. Using a wooden spoon, break it into small chunks as it browns. Cook the meat for about 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has fully evaporated.
🧄 Once the meat has browned, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili powder, if using. Cook for a few more minutes, until the onions have softened.
🥒 Prepare the chopped veg. Using a food chopper , pass the tomato, cucumber, onion, and jalapeño through one at a time. Season with salt and stir.
🌯 Assemble the bowls. Divide the sweet potatoes, ground meat, chopped veg, and grated cheese equally among four bowls.
🫙If you want to make a light sour cream or yogurt sauce, you can add 1/3 cup of yogurt (or sour cream) to a bowl, add salt (to taste), fresh chopped dill, and a clove of minced garlic. If using sour cream, you can add a touch of water to thin it out. I like to mix it and add to a squeeze bottle.
🥑 Finally, feel free to top with guacamole, and sliced lettuce. Enjoy!
Nonna’s Tip 🥣
You can cut down on prep time by purchasing pre-cut sweet potatoes from the store or using defrosted, frozen sweet potatoes 🍠.
Sweet Potato Bowl Variations and Substitutions
- Feel free to use any ground meat you love: beef, chicken, pork, lamb, or even a vegan ground meat substitute.
- You can cut down on prep time by purchasing pre-cut sweet potatoes from the store or using defrosted, frozen sweet potatoes 🍠.
- Instead of sour cream, try a drizzle of homemade spicy mayo 🌶.
- Measure seasonings with your heart ❤️! You can also substitute or add more spices. Some spices that complement this dish include ground chipotle chile, onion powder, coriander, and cumin💥.
Similar Recipes
Easy Greek Bowl
15 mins
Healthy Shrimp Bowl
12 mins
Beef Burrito Bowl Recipe
20 mins
Spicy Salmon Poke Bowl
55 mins
Tuna Poke Bowl
55 mins
Best Served With
- Obviously you’re going to want a big dollop of homemade guacamole on top
- I love a seasonal salsa! Try mixing it up with my mango salsa or peach salsa 🍑.
- Pickled red onions are so easy to make and add a burst of tartness.
- These bowls are delicious garnished with fresh or pickled jalapeños 🌶️, fresh herbs (such as cilantro or scallions), sliced black olives, and lime wedges.
How to Make This Ahead for Meal Prep
This is a perfect recipe for meal prep , because the components can easily be doubled or tripled and they store and reheat well. Decide how many servings you want (the recipe makes 4 servings). In the recipe card, on the upper right corner, you can increase the recipe by selecting “2x” or “3x”. Following the recipe instructions, prepare the sweet potatoes, ground meat, and chopped veg separately. Store all three components of the dish separately, in airtight containers in the fridge. The veg will last 1 to 2 days before it wilts ; the potatoes and meat will last for 4 days in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, portion out the potatoes and meat and microwave until warm. Then add the veg and toppings and enjoy!
Common Questions
Certainly, you can omit the cheese or replace it with your favorite shredded vegan cheese. Sour cream is always optional.
If you don’t have a veggie chopper , all you need is a sharp knife and some patience to cut the veggies into small, equal-sized pieces.
Yes, you can make this vegan by using your favorite vegan ground meat alternative in place of the beef.
The potatoes and beef can be reheated in a microwave-safe container or bowl in about 1 to 2 minutes. Then add the toppings.
Yes, this is a wonderful meal prep recipe. You can assemble the bowls with the sweet potatoes, meat, and cheese and store in the fridge for about 3 days. Add the fresh ingredients just as you are about to enjoy.
A New Recipe Card!!
- Check off each step in instructions!
- Add ingredients to your shopping list!
Video
Equipment
- ▢ Cutting Board
- ▢ Chefs Knife
- ▢ Baking Sheet
- ▢ Parchment Paper
- ▢ Peeler
- ▢ Mixing Bowls
- ▢ Frying Pan
- ▢ vegetable chopper
- ▢ Measuring Cups + Spoons
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- ▢ 1 pound sweet potato , peeled and cubed (about 4 small sweet potatoes)
- ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ▢ salt , to taste
- ▢ 1 pinch pepper
- ▢ 1 pinch paprika , or oregano
- ▢ 1 pinch garlic powder
Ground Meat
- ▢ 1 pound lean ground beef , or turkey
- ▢ ½ yellow onion , finely diced
- ▢ 3 cloves garlic , minced
- ▢ salt , to taste
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ▢ ½ teaspoon chili powder , or paprika
Chopped Veg
- ▢ 1 tomato , sliced
- ▢ ¼ cucumber , cut in half
- ▢ 1 slice onion , one ring
- ▢ 1 jalapeño , seeded
- ▢ salt , to taste
Extra Toppings
- ▢ ¼ cup cheddar cheese , grated (or any cheese of choice)
- ▢ guacamole , for serving (optional)
- ▢ sour cream or spicy mayo , for serving (optional)
- ▢ Romaine lettuce , thinly sliced
Instructions
Sweet Potatoes
- ▢ Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- ▢ Add the peeled, cubed sweet potato to a bowl and toss with the oil. Season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Place the seasoned potato onto the baking sheet, spreading everything evenly so each piece has space.
- ▢ Bake until fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the potatoes over halfway through cooking. Set aside.
- ▢ You can also air-fry them at 390F (200C) for 17 minutes making sure to toss them halfway through.
Ground Meat
- ▢ Add the ground meat. Using a wooden spoon, break it into small chunks as it browns. Cook the meat for about 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has fully evaporated.
- ▢ Note: When browning ground meat you will notice a lot of water release. You want to cook the meat way past this point until the water has FULLY evaporated and the meat begins to brown and caramelize. You will hear the meat “pop” as it browns. If using ground turkey, it won’t have much fat so you won’t see much browning.
- ▢ Once the meat has browned, reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili powder, if using. Cook for a few more minutes or until the onions have softened. Set aside.
Chopped Veg
- ▢ Using a food chopper, pass the tomato, cucumber, onion, and jalapeño through, one at a time, until you have a fine dice. Season with salt and stir.
- ▢ Note: make sure to prep the veggies into smaller pieces so they can easily pass through the food chopper. If you don’t own a chopper, you can also take your time and cut everything into small cubes with a knife.
Assembly
- ▢ Divide everything equally among four bowls: 1/4 of the sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup ground meat (75 grams after its cooked), 1/8 cup grated cheese (35 grams), and the chopped veg.
- ▢ Feel free to top with guacamole, sour cream, and lettuce. Enjoy!
Sour Cream Sauce
- ▢ If you want to make a light sour cream or yogurt sauce, you can add 1/3 cup of yogurt (or sour cream) to a bowl, add salt (to taste), fresh chopped dill, and a clove of minced garlic. If using sour cream, you can add a touch of water to thin it out. I like to mix it and add to a squeeze bottle.
Nonna’s Notes
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sweet Potato Bowl
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chefs Knife
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Peeler
- Mixing Bowls
- Frying Pan
- vegetable chopper
- Measuring Cups + Spoons
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 1 pound sweet potato peeled and cubed (about 4 small sweet potatoes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt to taste
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 pinch paprika or oregano
- 1 pinch garlic powder
Ground Meat
- 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
- ½ yellow onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder or paprika
Chopped Veg
- 1 tomato sliced
- ¼ cucumber cut in half
- 1 slice onion one ring
- 1 jalapeño seeded
- salt to taste
Extra Toppings
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese grated (or any cheese of choice)
- guacamole for serving (optional)
- sour cream or spicy mayo for serving (optional)
- Romaine lettuce thinly sliced
Instructions
Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the peeled, cubed sweet potato to a bowl and toss with the oil. Season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Place the seasoned potato onto the baking sheet, spreading everything evenly so each piece has space.
- Bake until fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the potatoes over halfway through cooking. Set aside.
- You can also air-fry them at 390F (200C) for 17 minutes making sure to toss them halfway through.
Ground Meat
- Add the ground meat. Using a wooden spoon, break it into small chunks as it browns. Cook the meat for about 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has fully evaporated.
- Note: When browning ground meat you will notice a lot of water release. You want to cook the meat way past this point until the water has FULLY evaporated and the meat begins to brown and caramelize. You will hear the meat “pop” as it browns. If using ground turkey, it won’t have much fat so you won’t see much browning.
- Once the meat has browned, reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili powder, if using. Cook for a few more minutes or until the onions have softened. Set aside.
Chopped Veg
- Using a food chopper, pass the tomato, cucumber, onion, and jalapeño through, one at a time, until you have a fine dice. Season with salt and stir.
- Note: make sure to prep the veggies into smaller pieces so they can easily pass through the food chopper. If you don’t own a chopper, you can also take your time and cut everything into small cubes with a knife.
Assembly
- Divide everything equally among four bowls: 1/4 of the sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup ground meat (75 grams after its cooked), 1/8 cup grated cheese (35 grams), and the chopped veg.
- Feel free to top with guacamole, sour cream, and lettuce. Enjoy!
Sour Cream Sauce
- If you want to make a light sour cream or yogurt sauce, you can add 1/3 cup of yogurt (or sour cream) to a bowl, add salt (to taste), fresh chopped dill, and a clove of minced garlic. If using sour cream, you can add a touch of water to thin it out. I like to mix it and add to a squeeze bottle.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Sweet Potato Bowl https://themodernnonna.com/sweet-potato-bowl/ January 24, 2025
