This stuffed sweet potato taco bar is your new go-to for quick dinners, fun game day spreads, or meal prep that doesn't get boring. It follows a super simple build: roasted sweet potatoes, taco-seasoned protein, cheese, and all the toppings you love. Whether you're feeding a crowd or just yourself, this DIY-style dinner lets everyone customize their own-just like a nacho bar, but with a nutrient-dense twist!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through one of my links-at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks so much for your support! See my disclosure policy for more details.
Table of Contents
Why you'll love it
- Totally customizable: Sweet potatoes make the perfect base for whatever you're craving. Add beef, beans, cheese, or load it up with all the veggies in your fridge. Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure meal, everyone builds their own plate exactly how they like it.
- Nutritious and satisfying: Thanks to fiber-rich sweet potatoes, lean protein, and healthy fats from toppings like avocado, this is a well-rounded meal that will keep you energized and full.
- Minimal prep, major flavor: With just 10 minutes of total prep and cooking, this meal comes together fast-especially if you're using the microwave to cook the potatoes.
- Crowd-friendly: Whether you're hosting taco night or setting up a DIY bar for a party, this setup works for all diets and preferences.
What is a stuffed sweet potato taco bar?
It's exactly what it sounds like! Instead of building your taco on a shell or tortilla, you're using a baked sweet potato as the base. From there, you stuff it with taco-seasoned proteins, melty cheese, and all the toppings you'd typically find at your favorite taco joint. It's like a taco bar meets baked potato bar, and it's endlessly versatile.
Is it healthy?
As a registered dietitian, I'm all about building meals that are balanced, colorful, and actually satisfying. This stuffed sweet potato taco bar delivers just that with a perfect combo of nutrient-packed ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes provide fiber, vitamin A (beta-carotene), and complex carbs to help regulate blood sugar and keep you full. Research shows their rich nutritional content may support heart health, help reduce inflammation, and protect against certain diseases.
- Lean proteins like ground turkey or beans offer essential amino acids for muscle repair and energy. Including lean proteins helps stabilize blood sugar levels and keeps you feeling satisfied longer.
- Healthy fats from toppings like avocado and cheese support satiety and nutrient absorption of fat soluble vitamins.
Together, these nutrients create a balanced meal that supports sustained energy, muscle recovery, and overall health.
What ingredients do you need?
Here's how to build your bar, with plenty of options "of your choice" to make it your own:
- Sweet potato base: Start with 4 medium sweet potatoes. I like using Bako Single Sweets and microwaving because they are pre-washed and ready to steam. Pop in the microwave for 5-8 minutes and you're good to go!
- Protein of your choice: Choose one or more of these cooked and seasoned options. I usually go with ground turkey or canned black beans! Other options include ground beef, shredded chicken, pulled pork, ground turkey, beyond Steak, canned beans (black, pinto, or kidney), refried beans, crumbled tofu, or cooked lentils.
Tip: Season your protein with a classic taco spice blend-chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, and a pinch of salt.
- Cheese of your choice: Add about ¼ cup per serving, or set out a few options like Mexican blend, cheddar, monterey jack, mozzarella, pepper jack, or crumbled feta
- Toppings of your choice: This is the fun part! Set these out in small bowls so everyone can build their own: guacamole or diced avocado, salsa or pico de gallo, queso, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, diced tomatoes, jalapeños (fresh or pickled), green onions, black olives, corn kernels, diced red or green onion, pickled red onion, chopped cilantro, sliced radishes, shredded lettuce
Feel free to mix up the toppings: No salsa? Use hot sauce. No fresh tomatoes? Try canned fire-roasted ones. It's all about what you've got on hand.
How do you make taco stuffed sweet potatoes?
Here's how to bring it all together in less than 20 minutes:
1. Cook the sweet potatoes.
Microwave 4 medium sweet potatoes for about 5 minutes each, until fork tender. Slice open and lightly fluff the inside with a fork.
2. Prepare your protein.
Cook and season your protein of choice using taco seasoning or a homemade blend. If using beans or lentils, just warm them up on the stovetop or microwave with a bit of seasoning.
3. Set up the bar.
Arrange cheese, protein, and toppings in small bowls or a sheet pan for easy access.
4. Build your stuffed sweet potatoes.
Fill each sweet potato with protein, sprinkle on cheese (which will melt from the heat), and top with your favorite fixings.
5. Serve and enjoy!
These are best served warm but also reheat beautifully for meal prep!
Customize it your way
Like all of my recipes, this stuffed sweet potato taco bar is completely customizable. Choose what protein, cheese, and toppings you want to use.
- Protein of your choice: Whether you're craving ground beef, seasoned tofu, or just a scoop of refried beans, there's a protein here for everyone.
- Cheese of your choice: Love a melty cheddar? Or want something bold like feta? Mix and match or skip it altogether for a dairy-free version.
- Toppings of your choice: Get creative here-sweet and spicy corn salsa, creamy avocado, or a spoonful of Greek yogurt all work beautifully.
Feel free to mix up the base: You can sub white or gold potatoes if you're out of sweet potatoes. Or try serving the toppings over roasted squash halves or even rice bowls for something different!
Meal prep and storage tips
- Make ahead: Cook the sweet potatoes and protein up to 4 days in advance. Store everything separately in containers for easy assembly later.
- Reheat: Microwave stuffed potatoes for 1-2 minutes or until warmed through.
- Leftovers: Store assembled sweet potatoes in the fridge for up to 3 days. Toppings like guac are best added fresh
Pro tip: If you're packing lunch, keep the toppings in separate containers to avoid sogginess-warm up your potato, then assemble with fresh toppings when it's time to eat.
Need more help with recipes for your busy schedule?
In my coaching + cooking program, I help busy people with beginner cooking knowledge become confident in the kitchen so that they can enjoy nourishing foods they love and stress less about mealtime. Click here to learn more about this virtual program led by a dietitian.
Stuffed Sweet Potato Taco Bar
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Base Ingredients:
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
2 cups (16 ounces) protein of your choice
- Ground beef, cooked and seasoned
- Shredded chicken, cooked and seasoned
- Pulled pork, cooked
- Ground turkey, cooked and seasoned
- Beyond Steak, cooked in pan or air fryer
- Canned beans, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans - drained and rinsed
- Refried beans
- Tofu, crumbled and sautéed
- Lentils, cooked
1 cup cheese of your choice
- Shredded mexican blend cheese
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Shredded monterey jack
- Shredded mozzarella
- Shredded pepper jack
- Crumbled feta cheese
1 cup toppings of your choice
- Guacamole
- Diced avocado
- Salsa
- Queso
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Diced tomatoes
- Sliced jalapeños
- Chopped green onions
- Sliced black olives
- Corn kernels
- Diced onion
- Pickled red onion
- Chopped cilantro
- Sliced radishes
- Shredded lettuce
Instructions
Instructions:
- Cook the sweet potatoes with your preferred cooking method. a. Microwave: Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork then place on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for for 5–6 minutes, flipping halfway through, until fork tender. b. Boil: Place sweet potatoes in a large pot of water and boil for 20–25 minutes until tender.
- Prepare the protein: Choose your favorite protein and cook as needed. For ground meat, sauté in a skillet over medium heat until browned and cooked through (165°F for poultry). Stir in taco seasoning to taste. If using canned beans or lentils, drain, rinse, and warm with seasoning.
- Set up your bar: Arrange cheese and toppings in bowls to create a build-your-own stuffed sweet potato bar.
- Assemble the sweet potatoes: Slice each cooked sweet potato open, fluff the insides with a fork, then fill with your protein of choice, sprinkle on cheese, and add your favorite toppings.
- Distribution Note: You can just eyeball distributing out all the ingredients but if you want to be more exact about it, here's the general breakdown per sweet potato:• ½ cup protein• ¼ cup cheese• ¼ cup toppings
Notes
Nutrition
save this stuffed sweet potato taco bar recipe on pinterest:
More build-your-own meal ideas
If you love this stuffed sweet potato taco bar, try one of these next:
Leave a Reply