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This dish is a lifesaver for busy families during the colder months: Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes roasted in their skins until tender and caramelized, split open and piled with shredded barbecue chicken, black beans, and a bright cilantro-onion-lime relish. It’s economical, satisfying, and easy to adapt — use shredded pork or beef if you prefer.
The key to this recipe is how you roast the sweet potatoes. Pierce them all over with a fork, place them on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch the sweet juices, and roast until they’re soft inside and caramelized at the skin. Those caramelized edges and concentrated sweet juices form the perfect base for the savory shredded chicken, tender black beans, and the bright relish that lifts the whole dish.
For families, this is more of a formula than a strict recipe. Everyone can assemble their own plate: a roasted sweet potato as the base, topped with warmed shredded protein, black beans, and a spoonful of cilantro, onion, and lime relish. The contrast of sweet, savory, and acidic makes it a crowd-pleaser — even picky kids will sometimes surprise you and dig in.
Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes
Rebecca Lindamood
Inspired by my sister-in-law Elvi Jo’s photo of her baked sweet potato dinner!
Ingredients
Per Loaded Baked Sweet Potato:
- 1 large sweet potato — scrubbed and pierced all over with a fork
- 1/3 cup shredded, fully cooked chicken or pork, reheated
- 1/3 cup heated, fully cooked black beans
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, onion, and lime relish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with foil, arrange the sweet potatoes on the pan, and roast for 45 minutes. Turn the potatoes and roast for another 15 minutes, or until they’re soft when squeezed, with caramelized juices escaping from the fork holes and darker areas of caramelized skin.
- To open: jab a fork along a line from one end of the potato to the other, then jab an “X” across that line. Squeeze the potato from the ends to fluff the interior, or use a fork to fluff if you prefer. Top each potato with warmed shredded chicken (or other protein), black beans, and a generous spoonful of cilantro, onion, and lime relish.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the actual ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
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This is my seventeenth post in my commitment to post every. single. day in November for NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). Follow the craziness all month as I share recipes, family anecdotes, and a few giveaways!