This Sweet Potato Turkey Skillet is a quick & easy weeknight dinner recipe that tastes great AND is full of nutrition! Everything comes together in one large skillet for a simple dinner the whole family will love.
As a dietitian, I have so much fun creating healthy meals that are a balance of lean protein, dietary fiber for gut health, heart-healthy fatty acids, and other nutrients like antioxidants and vitamins.
This Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet has all that AND it's loaded with so many fresh delicious flavors. Plus, it's one of the easiest dinners possible for busy weeknights - the perfect one-pan meal! This is a gluten-free recipe for my GF friends. Meal prep it in advance or make it when dinnertime rolls around. Either way, I hope you enjoy this balanced meal as much as I do! 😊
If you're looking for more weeknight dinners and one-pan meals, try my Turkey Taco Skillet with Black Beans, another ground turkey skillet dinner. If you want an option with Ground Beef, try my Unstuffed Pepper Skillet!
Jump to:
Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This Sweet Potato Turkey Skillet is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Check the printable recipe card at the bottom for measurements & full recipe.
- Sweet Potatoes - this recipe lets the sweetness of the sweet potatoes shine through so it's important to pick good ones! There are hundreds of kinds of sweet potatoes. I use a jewel variety of sweet potato which has orange flesh and is a go-to for baking or roasting. An easy way to select a good sweet potato at the grocery store is to choose one that is firm. Store your sweet potatoes in a dry place. According to the US Sweet Potato Council, storing them in the fridge can give them an unpleasant taste.
- Lean Ground Turkey - I use either 93% or 99% lean turkey for this recipe. 99% is extra lean so it will be more dry since it has less fat. If you want a more moist end product, I suggest using 93% lean instead. You could also substitute with a different ground meat. Lean ground beef or ground chicken would work great. If you are vegan, feel free to substitute with extra beans or tofu.
- Black Beans - black beans add fiber for gut health and more protein. You can substitute with a different kind of beans if you want - white beans or red kidney beans would work.
- Bell Pepper - this is optional, but I add a diced red pepper for some fresh flavor and added nutrients. Red Bell peppers are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and fiber. You could use yellow, orange, or green bell peppers instead.
- Baby Spinach - added at the end for more nutrients including iron, antioxidants, and potassium.
- Yellow Onion - to add depth of flavor. You can use onion powder instead if you want.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - to cook the turkey. You can substitute with avocado oil if you prefer.
- Chicken broth - or water to steam the sweet potatoes. Chicken broth will add a bit more flavor, but if you don't have any you can absolutely use water.
- Spice blend - I suggest making your own taco seasoning because it is so easy and you can customize it with your favorite spices. I use a combination of chili powder, cumin, regular paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, kosher salt, and pepper. If you're in a time pinch and have a favorite packaged taco seasoning, feel free to use it instead! Siete brand has a good one.
- Mozzarella Cheese - I love using melty Mozzarella for this recipe. Feel free to use Monterey jack cheese, sharp cheddar cheese or your own favorite shredded cheese. Or make it vegan and dairy-free by using a vegan cheese or cutting out the cheese altogether.
- Fresh Cilantro & Squeeze of Lime Juice - don't skip these because they add so much flavor at the end!
- Salt & Black Pepper - to tie all the flavors together.
How to Make Sweet Potato Turkey Skillet
Below are the instructions for how to make this turkey sweet potato recipe with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
- Step 1: Dice sweet potatoes, onion, and pepper. Drain and rinse the can of black beans. Heat a large pan or cast iron skillet with a lid over medium heat and add olive oil. Once the pan is heated, add diced onions and bell pepper. Saute until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Step 2: Add ground turkey, spices, and salt & pepper. Break apart the ground turkey into small pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula. Brown ground turkey until almost cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
- Step 3: Add the diced sweet potato and chicken broth to the cooked turkey. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sweet potato is fork tender.
- Step 4: Turn off the heat. Add the black beans, spinach, and cheese and stir until the spinach wilts and the cheese melts. Sprinkle cilantro and squeeze lime juice on top of the skillet.
Hint: Meal prep by dicing the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, and onions in advance!
Dietitian Tip
It seems basic, but it's so easy to forget that when it comes to sticking with healthy eating, having go-to easy dinners like one-pan skillet dinners on rotation is so helpful. Especially on busy days. 😊
Video of How to Make a Sweet Potato Turkey Skillet
Here's a video of how to make this recipe that I hope is helpful!
Variations
The great thing about making this healthy turkey sweet potato skillet meal at home is that you can customize it to your liking. Below are some ideas, but feel free to get creative!
- Spicy - add hot sauce, chipotle chili powder, chipotle peppers, or red pepper flakes to turn up the heat!
- Lower Carb - for a lower carb option, cut the amount of sweet potatoes in half.
- Dairy-Free - you can easily make this recipe dairy-free by using vegan cheese or leaving the cheese out altogether.
- Deluxe - add guacamole, green onion or red onion and top it with tortilla chips and Greek yogurt or sour cream to add tons of flavor!
- Breakfast Sweet Potato Turkey Skillet - I usually enjoy this as a healthy dinner, but you can turn leftovers of this ground turkey dinner into breakfast the next day, too! Just add a fried egg and feta cheese on top of the rest of the ingredients.
How to Store Leftover Turkey Taco Skillet
- Refrigerator - store in the refrigerator in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer - place cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and heat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.
Expert Tips
- Dice your bell pepper and sweet potato into uniform-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Be sure to remove the lid & stir it a couple of times while the sweet potatoes cook so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add more chicken broth as needed!
- If using canned beans, drain and rinse them before adding them to the skillet.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, from a nutrition perspective this is a nutrient-rich option. Ground turkey provides important nutrients like high quality protein, vitamin B12, and iron. Black beans provide dietary fiber for a healthy gut and plant-proteins that help balance hormones. Sweet potatoes contain vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and antioxidants.
Yes, this is a gluten-free recipe.
I use my Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Saute Pan with a Lid and it's a 4.5 qt, 11.8 inch pan that is PTFE & PFOA free. You will need a similarly sized pan with a lid!
Related
Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Sweet Potato Turkey Skillet:
Want to Learn about Nutrition?
Here are some of my educational posts you may enjoy:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Turkey Skillet with Black Beans, One Pan
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced about 1 cup
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon regular paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb sweet potatoes, diced about 2 medium sized sweet potatoes, 3-4 cups
- ½ cup chicken broth or water
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped or parsley
- 1 lime, juice of
Instructions
- Dice sweet potatoes, onion, and pepper. Drain and rinse the can of black beans. Heat a large pan or cast iron skillet with a lid over medium heat and add olive oil. Once the pan is heated, add diced onions and bell pepper. Saute until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add ground turkey, spices, and salt & pepper. Break apart the ground turkey into small pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula. Brown ground turkey until almost cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the diced sweet potato and chicken broth to the cooked turkey. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sweet potato is fork tender.
- Turn off the heat. Add the black beans, spinach, and cheese and stir until the spinach wilts and the cheese melts. Sprinkle cilantro and squeeze lime juice on top of the skillet.
- Hint: Meal prep by dicing the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, and onions in advance!
Video
Notes
- Dice your bell pepper and sweet potato into uniform-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Be sure to remove the lid & stir it a couple of times while the sweet potatoes cook so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add more chicken broth as needed!
- If using canned beans, drain and rinse them before adding them to the skillet.
- Refrigerator - store in the refrigerator in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer - place cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and heat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.
Tanja Foster
I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious. I made a few tweaks such as, adding a poblano pepper, a tablespoon of tomato paste and some adobo soup base. I was worried about the potatoes being mushy or hard but they came out perfect. I also made a cilantro lime crema to drizzle on top. This recipe was super easy, tasty and healthy.
Mallory
Hi Tanja! Thank you SO much for taking time to comment!! I am so happy to hear that you enjoy the recipe! Those sound like amazing additions - especially the cilantro lime crema. I hope you have a great day!
Thank you again,
Mallory