Loaded Sweet Potato Skins (Printable)

Crisp sweet potato skins filled with black beans, cheese, and fresh garnishes create a satisfying, easy-to-prepare dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Sweet Potatoes

01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed

→ Filling

02 - 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
03 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
06 - 1 tsp ground cumin
07 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
09 - 1/4 tsp salt
10 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
11 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ Toppings

12 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack
13 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14 - 1/3 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
15 - 1 avocado, diced
16 - 2 green onions, sliced
17 - Lime wedges for serving

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork; place on baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife.
03 - Allow sweet potatoes to cool slightly; cut in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Reserve flesh for another use.
04 - Brush insides and outsides of skins lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil; place cut side up on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes until crisp.
05 - Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño; sauté 4-5 minutes until softened.
06 - Stir in black beans, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper; cook 2-3 minutes until heated through.
07 - Spoon bean mixture evenly into crisped sweet potato skins; sprinkle with shredded cheese.
08 - Return to oven and bake 5-7 minutes until cheese has melted.
09 - Remove from oven; garnish with cilantro, avocado, green onions, and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. Serve with lime wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They taste like comfort food but feel fancy enough for guests, so you get compliments without stress.
  • The crispy shells against the creamy, spiced beans create a texture contrast that keeps you coming back for another bite.
  • You can prep most of it ahead and finish with toppings right before serving, making weeknight dinners or parties actually manageable.
02 -
  • If you don't let the potato skins crisp in that second bake, they'll stay soft and rubbery no matter how much cheese you add—the ten minutes makes all the difference.
  • Don't assemble these more than a few minutes before eating or the sour cream will weep and make the shells soggy from the inside out.
  • The reserved sweet potato flesh shouldn't go to waste; freeze it or use it tomorrow in smoothies, pancakes, or hash.
03 -
  • Buy sweet potatoes that are relatively the same size so they finish baking at the same time; uneven pieces will leave you with some undercooked while others are overcooked.
  • If you're feeding a crowd, you can assemble and bake everything up to the cheese step ahead of time, then do a quick bake and top fresh thirty minutes before people arrive.

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