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30-Minute One-Skillet Sweet Potato Sloppy Joes make a hearty meal that is full to the brim with rich, savory, sweet and tangy flavors. If you’re a fan of both traditional sloppy joes and sweet potatoes, this easy recipe is a must make!
Similar to Hamburger Helper and Beef Stroganoff, I’ve always been a huge fan of Sloppy Joe’s.
There’s something about the hearty beef swaddled in sloppy joe sauce that hits the taste buds with magical surprise. I see sloppy joe sweet potatoes as being the perfect meal prep recipe to enjoy for busy weeknight dinners. Or, whip it up at a moment’s notice after work for the whole family to enjoy!
You’ll love how quickly and easily this simple yet filling meal is! All you need is some basic ingredients, one large skillet (or pot) and about 30 minutes of time.
I will say, you need to enjoy the classic flavors of regular sloppy joes and also be a fan of sweet potatoes in order to embrace the meal. If you hit both of these metrics, you’ll go bonkers over how satisfying this easy dinner recipe is!
Ingredient Notes:
Ground Beef: The main ingredient here, lean ground beef brings richness and protein to the meal. I use 90% lean (10% fat) grass-fed ground beef for the right level of richness. You can swap out the ground beef for ground chicken or ground turkey.
Sweet Potato: I trade out the buns for a large sweet potato to bring complex carbs, starch, and micronutrients to the meal. You can use any kind of sweet potato you’d like. Orange skin yams work great, as do Japanese sweet potatoes.
Yellow Onion and Garlic: Onion and garlic bring a savoriness to every meal that is impossible to replicate in any other way.
Bell Pepper: Adds natural sweetness and smokiness to the dish. I use a red bell pepper but a green bell pepper works too.
Ketchup: Pick your favorite ketchup to add tangy sweet flavor to the meal. I use unsweetened ketchup, which I find is still plenty sweet and brings tomato goodness. The brand I pick includes straightforward ingredients, no funny business.
BBQ Sauce: Similarly, pick your favorite BBQ sauce. I also use unsweetened BBQ sauce, which has smoky flavor, lots of umami flavor, and some subtle sweetness. I use Primal Kitchen BBQ Sauce which is made with all clean ingredients.
Worcestershire Sauce: Here for an unmistakable umami flavor.
Mustard: Classic Sloppy Joes are made with yellow mustard for a big burst of tang. I like using brown mustard because it is my personal preference and it is what I keep on hand.
Beef Broth: A little extra liquid is needed for the sauce, so I add beef broth or chicken broth. Water works too.
Avocado Oil: For cooking the vegetables. I use avocado oil over olive oil because it has a higher smoke point, which reduces the risk of it burning throughout the cooking process.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the meal to your personal taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Recipe Customizations:
- Make my Healthy Sloppy Joes recipe if you prefer the bun over the sweet potatoes.
- Toss in up to 5 ounces of baby spinach or 1 cup of additional chopped vegetables (like zucchini, carrots, butternut squash, etc.) for some extra veggies.
- Skip the store-bought sauces and make your own homemade sauce by combining tomato sauce, tomato paste, pure maple syrup or brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, etc. Simply follow the ingredients in the Notes section of the recipe card at the end of this post.
- For a kick of heat, add red pepper flakes, chipotle chili powder, or cayenne pepper to your personal taste.
- Another alternative to preparing this recipe is to roast sweet potatoes on a baking sheet at 400 degrees F wrapped in aluminum foil for 60-90 minutes (depending on the size of the potato). Poke holes in the sweet potatoes prior to baking. Once you have tender sweet potatoes, stuff them with the meat mixture and top with cheese, sour cream, etc. This is a fun twist on my version, but requires some additional time and a sheet pan.
How to Make Sweet Potato Sloppy Joes:
Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, until it is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes.
Add in the chopped sweet potato, bell pepper and minced garlic and stir well. Continue sautéing another 3 minutes.
Transfer the ground beef to the skillet and use a spatula to break it into smaller chunks. Continue browning and stirring to incorporate the meat into the vegetables. There is no need to cook the meat through just yet.
Add in the ketchup, beef broth, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard and stir well.
Cover the skillet and cook at a controlled boil for 10-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato chunks have reached your desired level of softness.
Taste the dish for flavor and add salt and black pepper to your personal taste. If you’d like, top the sloppy joe mixture with green onions or serve with dill pickle slices, sour cream, or cottage cheese.
Serve in big bowls, and enjoy!
Storage Options:
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Recipe Tip
Cut down the prep time by chopping the sweet potato, bell pepper, and garlic while the onion is sautéing. Similarly, measure out the sauce ingredients while the sweet potato and bell pepper are cooking.
If you love making one-pot meals like this easy skillet recipe, also try some of my other personal favorites.
More One-Skillet Meals:
- Easy One-Skillet Lasagna
- Ground Turkey Enchilada Skillet
- Mexican Ground Beef and Zucchini Skillet
- 30-Minute Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet
- Thai Zucchini and Chicken Skillet
Sweet Potato Sloppy Joes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 large sweet potato, chopped into chunks
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey, I use 90% ground beef
- ½ cup unsweetened ketchup
- ½ cup beef broth
- ¼ cup unsweetened BBQ sauce
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp yellow mustard, optional
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, until it is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the chopped sweet potato, bell pepper and minced garlic and stir well. Continue sautéing another 3 minutes.
- Transfer the ground beef to the skillet and use a spatula to break it into smaller chunks. Continue browning and stirring to incorporate the meat into the vegetables. There is no need to cook the meat through just yet.
- Add in the ketchup, beef broth, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard and stir well.
- Cover the skillet and cook at a controlled boil for 10-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato chunks have reached your desired level of softness.
- Taste the dish for flavor and add salt and black pepper to your personal taste. If you’d like, top the sloppy joe mixture with green onions or serve with dill pickle slices, sour cream, or cottage cheese.
- Serve in big bowls, and enjoy!
Notes
- 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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