Southwestern Ground Beef Sweet Potato Skillet

by Kayla Berman on January 21, 2025 1 comment

Add some Southwestern spice to your dinner table with this easy Ground Beef & Sweet Potato Skillet! This deliciously filling high-protein, high-fiber meal is packed with lean meat, colorful veggies, zippy spices, and melty cheese—a decidedly crowd-pleasing combo.

When it comes to weeknight cooking, I’m a huge fan of one-pot meals—who doesn’t love having just one dish to clean up at the end of a cooking adventure? After a long workday, keeping it simple is the name of the game.

This yummy ground beef sweet potato skillet has become one of my favorites, injecting some Tex-Mex charm into my Taco Tuesdays. (Don’t worry—I’m still obsessed with my baja shrimp tacos and chicken fajita tacos. I just love variety!) And, with just 12 basic ingredients—5 of which are spice cabinet staples—this bad boy is about as easy as they come.

Better yet, ground beef and sweet potatoes are both inexpensive and nutritious—two things I’m sure we can all get behind! Add some Mexican-inspired spices, sweet bell peppers, caramelized onions, creamy black beans, and plenty of cheese and you’ve got yourself a winner, winner skillet dinner.

Whether you serve it solo, or with some soft, warm tortillas, crispy tortilla chips, or a side of cilantro lime rice, this sweet potato and ground beef skillet recipe is sure to please the whole family. (Or, if you’re rocking out solo, it’s a fantastic option for meal prep—the leftovers are even better the next day!)

For more delightful things you can make in your favorite cast iron pan, try my Mexican Beef & Rice Skillet, Healthy Chicken Pomodoro Skillet, Caramel Brownie Skillet, and Vegan Chocolate Chip Skillet next!

Why You’ll Love This Ground Beef Sweet Potato Skillet Recipe

Spectacular Spin-Off – Year after Year, my most popular recipe has been my Italian-inspired Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Bake. Here, we swap in hearty red meat and a Southwest flavor profile for a fun twist that’s every bit as scrumptious as the original.
Delicious & Nutritious – Between the protein-packed lean beef and cheese, and the fiber-packed beans and vibrant veggies, this is a filling, satisfying meal that’ll sate even the biggest hunger.
Quick & Easy – With just 3 veggies to chop, there’s almost no prep required—you’ll spend just 15-20 minutes of active time to make the whole thing. Plus, since the beans are already cooked, dinner will be on the table in a snap!

Nutritional Deep Dive

For all my macro-counting masters out there, I think you’re going to love what this Southwestern sweet potato skillet brings to the table. For each generous ¼-skillet portion, you’re looking at 450 calories, 43 grams of carbs—12 of which are fiber—40 grams of protein, and 15 grams of fat. (Please note that this is if you use reduced-fat cheese and 93% lean ground beef.)

And, as always, there are plenty of ways to tweak the recipe to fit your dietary needs:

For more protein, add a dollop of Greek yogurt—it tastes like sour cream, but is better for you.
Need more fiber? Serve it atop a bed of steamed brown rice. As a bonus, the combination of beans and rice creates a third source of whole protein! You can also opt to leave the skins on your sweet potatoes—just be sure to scrub them well and pull off any runners.
Want to cut back on calories and/or fat? Swap in lean ground turkey or ground chicken instead of beef. You can also reduce the amount of cheese you use, or omit it entirely.

Ingredient Spotlight: I won’t deny it: I love starches—bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, you name it. But of all the starchy goodies to choose from, sweet potatoes are among the healthiest! They’re packed to the brim with crucial nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, beta carotene, potassium, and carotenoids. They’re also high in fiber, so despite their sweet taste, they have a low glycemic index and help maintain stable blood sugar levels. Oh, and that boost of fiber is also great for your gut health. Furthermore, sweet potatoes are loaded with antioxidants, helping keep inflammation at bay. So, next time you’re in the mood for a dose of carb-y goodness, try reaching for one of these colorful marvels!

Ingredients & Substitutions

As promised, this skillet dinner requires only a short list of basics:

Lean Ground Beef – To keep this beef & sweet potato skillet nice and light, I recommend reaching for 93% lean beef. If possible, choose grass-fed beef for the most health benefits—it contains up to ⅔ fewer calories, 2-4 times more omega-3 fatty acids, twice as much CLA, and significantly more vitamins and antioxidants than conventional beef.
Yellow Onion – This is my go-to onion for sautéing—it’s sweet and becomes perfectly soft. Feel free to swap in red onions, shallots, or white onions if needed.
Red Bell Pepper – Whenever possible, I try to eat the rainbow. Feel free to swap in yellow or orange bell pepper for an equally sweet take, or use green bell pepper for an earthier flavor.
Garlic & Garlic Powder – Using both kinds of garlic ensures you get both the sweetness of cooked and the spicier bite of fresh.
Chili Powder, Ground Cumin, Oregano, & Red Pepper Flakes – This blend of warming spices adds serious Tex-Mex charm. Feel free to swap in taco seasoning or fajita seasoning if you’d like, but make sure to adjust your seasoning as needed since most blends include salt.
Sweet Potatoes – I generally reach for cheerful orange sweet potatoes, but you can swap in either white or purple sweet potatoes if you’d like.
Canned Black Beans – This pantry staple comes in clutch whenever you need to add fiber in a flash. You’re welcome to use another type of bean if necessary—pinto or kidney beans would both be great.
Shredded Cheese – Go for something melty here—cheddar, colby, jack, or pepperjack are my favorites.

How To Make Southwestern Sweet Potato & Ground Beef Skillet

This easy one-pan meal comes together in just a few simple steps:

Step 1: Sauté Beef & Aromatics. Add the ground beef, onion, bell pepper and minced garlic to a skillet over medium heat. Break up the ground beef into large chunks and cook until browned. Drain off any extra fat.

Step 2: Add Seasoning. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook while stirring constantly for 1 minute.

Step 3: Simmer. Add in the cubed sweet potatoes, black beans and water. Stir well. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

Step 4: Uncover. Remove the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes to evaporate any remaining liquid.

Step 5: Add Cheese. Remove the pan from heat. Add the cheese and replace the lid. Let the dish sit for about 5 minutes for the cheese to melt.

Step 6: Serve with your favorite toppings.

raw ground beef, diced red bell peppers, diced onion, and minced garlic added to a skillet with a wooden handle.

seasonings sprinkled atop the ground beef and veggie mixture in the skillet.

Optional Variations

Beef-Free – You’re welcome to swap in pretty much any ground meat you have on hand—turkey, chicken, pork, chorizo, and bison are all fair game!
Vegetarian – If meat isn’t your jam, try using your favorite meat-free crumbles, pressed & grated extra-firm tofu, or, for a lower-protein/higher-fiber option, minced mushrooms.
Extra Spicy – If you like your dinners to be fiery, feel free to add some chiles to the mix. Add a chopped poblano pepper and/or some minced jalapeños or serranos to the veggie & beef mix. Don’t forget to use pepper jack cheese and/or serve with a few shakes of hot sauce for another layer or two of heat.
Crisper Drawer Clean-Out – If you have random bits and bobs of veggies floating around your fridge, feel free to use this sweet potato ground beef skillet as an opportunity to clean house. Mushrooms, diced tomatoes, carrots, regular potatoes, and greens like spinach or kale would all be welcome additions.

Expert Tips

Chunky Charm – I like to keep my ground beef in larger chunks for this skillet recipe rather than making small, uniform pieces like for ground beef tacos. I aim for them to be approximately the same size as my sweet potatoes. Speaking of which, try to cut your peppers and onions to be roughly the same size as well!
Reason to Rinse – If beans make your tummy more *ahem* musical than you’d like, give them a solid rinse under cool water after draining. Why? This can help remove excess phytic acid, which is the primary culprit for those gaseous emissions. (Note: the more beans you eat, the less they’ll affect you in this manner!)
Cover, Uncover – To get the sweet potatoes nice and tender in a short period of time, putting a lid on the skillet is key—it helps raise the temp higher by keeping it from rising, plus the steamy environment helps distribute the heat more evenly and efficiently.

Serving Suggestions

The great thing about this ground beef skillet dinner is it has everything you need, all in one pan—meat, starch, and veggies. As such, you don’t need to serve it with anything; it’s great as a solo dish. That said, there are plenty of ways to gussy up your plate and/or stretch the meal further:

Southwestern Sides: Consider serving this Tex-Mex dinner with other Southwestern staples like Mexican rice, elote, or black bean and corn salsa to fill out your plate.
Brunch or Breakfast: Add a sunny side up or jammy soft boiled egg for an added hit of protein—not to mention an excellent excuse for digging in first thing in the morning.
Double the Fun: Know what’s better than a ground beef sweet potato skillet? A ground beef sweet potato skillet served in an air fryer baked sweet potato.
Wrap It Up: Serve warm corn or flour tortillas on the side of this skillet meal. It makes for an excellent taco or burrito filling!
Nacho Noms: For a dinner that eats like a special treat, try serving your ground beef and sweet potato mixture over a bed of crunchy tortilla chips. Kids love it! You can also serve the skillet on a buffet table for game day, offering chips to the side for dipping.
Tasty Toppers: Get creative with your garnishes. I love adding tangy Greek yogurt, fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, crispy tortilla strips, and a few shakes of Cholula. 😋

Storage and Reheating Instructions

This Southwest ground beef and sweet potato skillet is just as good (maybe even better) as leftovers.

Fridge: Transfer any leftovers into airtight containers (preferably pre-portioned for easy grab-and-go meals) and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Freezer: For longer storage, freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Allow to defrost overnight in the fridge (or at room temperature for about an hour), then cover with a damp cloth and microwave at 50% for about 4 minutes. You can also use the reheating function on your toaster oven, or bake (make sure to use an oven-safe dish!) at about 300ºF for 10-15 minutes.

FAQs

How long should you cook ground beef in a skillet? How long to cook sweet potatoes in a skillet?

For this ground beef sweet potato recipe, we’re looking to brown the beef for as long as it takes the veggies to soften—about 5-7 minutes. It will continue to cook after you add the remaining ingredients, so don’t worry if the chunks are still a little pink in the center. Once you add the sweet potatoes and water to the pan, it should only take about 15 minutes of covered cooking to get them tender, then you remove the lid to let it dry out a bit before adding cheese and serving.

How can you cook ground beef so it ends up in crumbles instead of big clumps?

I personally prefer slightly bigger clumps of beef here, but taste is subjective. If you want to crumble it up into smaller bits, just keep breaking it apart with a spatula—it’ll become easier to break apart as it cooks more.

What meat pairs well with sweet potatoes?

I think pairing ground beef with sweet potatoes is a pretty stellar move, but don’t feel limited! I don’t think I’ve met a meat that doesn’t pair with sweet potatoes—chicken, turkey, pork, steak, and even fish like salmon are all great options.

Do you cook sweet potatoes with or without the skin?

That’s totally up to you! Sweet potato skin is edible, and is packed with nutrients. That said, some folks find it a little tough, so they remove it. Either is acceptable! But, if you’re running short on time and patience, try making this skillet with the skins on—I have a feeling you won’t mind one bit.

Related Recipes

More Healthy Dinner Recipes

More Meal Prep Recipes

Connect With Me!

If you make this skillet recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.