Hot Honey Ground Beef Sweet Potatoes (Printable)
Roasted sweet potatoes stuffed with spicy-sweet hot honey ground beef and fresh toppings for an easy, wholesome meal.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
02 - 1 small red onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
→ Meats
06 - 1 pound lean ground beef
→ Sauce & Seasoning
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons hot honey (or 2 tablespoons honey plus 1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce)
09 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Toppings (optional)
15 - 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese
16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
17 - 1/2 avocado, sliced
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast for 40 to 45 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.
02 - While potatoes roast, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add red onion and bell pepper; sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables are softened.
03 - Incorporate minced garlic into the skillet and cook for 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant.
04 - Add lean ground beef, breaking up with a spoon, and cook until completely browned and cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
05 - Drain any excess fat if needed. Stir in tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Continue cooking for 2 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
06 - Drizzle hot honey (or honey and hot sauce) over the beef mixture. Stir thoroughly and simmer for 2 additional minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
07 - When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut each lengthwise without slicing completely through. Fluff the interior gently with a fork.
08 - Spoon hot honey ground beef filling into each sweet potato.
09 - Top with shredded cheese, allowing it to melt for 2 minutes if using. Garnish with sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, and avocado slices as desired. Serve immediately while warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sweet-spicy combo is unexpectedly comforting and makes weeknight dinners anything but dull.
- You can prep the topping while the potatoes roast, so dinner comes together quicker than you think.
02 -
- I once rushed the potatoes and they came out tough—give them the full oven time for dreamiest texture.
- Swapping in hot honey instead of honey and hot sauce together makes the prep one step simpler and keeps the heat in balance.
03 -
- If you use a hotter hot sauce, start with less—you can always add more but not take it away.
- Cooking the tomato paste with the spices makes the filling much richer in flavor.