Quick and easy Tex Mex Sweet Potato Skillet recipe loaded with seasoned potatoes, beans, peppers, and corn, simmering in juicy diced tomatoes, and finished with a squirt of lime juice, and melted cheese.
We also love this sweet potato hash and sweet potato and eggs.
This delicious and easy Tex Mex sweet potato skillet is one of the easiest and healthiest ways to get Mexican-inspired flavors in a one pan meal. It makes for a quick weeknight vegetarian meal and one of the easiest dinners that will have everyone running to the table!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Delicious. Sizzling sweet potatoes, beans and corn, are loaded with spices and cooked down until the veggies are nice and tender. Then topped with melted cheese, a squirt of lime, and herbaceous cilantro, and add green onion to bring it over the top!
- Easy. A skillet meal made in one pan with ingredients you probably already have at home.
- Quick. Your entire dinner is ready in under 40 minutes.
- Healthy. A complete meal including, veggies, protein, good fats, and good carbs, is gluten-free, dairy-free, and loaded with nutrients.
- Leftovers. Makes great leftovers for healthy lunch or reheating for dinner!
Ingredients for Tex Mex Sweet Potato Skillet
- Sweet potatoes: Look for firm potatoes without brown spots. I prefer buying organic and keeping the peel on because it contains many vitamins and nutrients.
- Black beans: Canned low sodium black beans will work. Don’t forget to rinse and drain. Make Instant Pot black beans from dried beans and portion them out and freeze for later.
- Corn: I like to use frozen corn and not canned, but you can use canned if you have it on hand.
- Canned diced tomatoes: Are the tomato base for the sauce. I like to use low sodium whenever possible.
- Bell pepper: Along with yellow onion adds a lot of flavor once they are sautéed.
- Garlic and onions: I use yellow, white, or red onion and garlic sautéed in the recipe. Then, I use green onion to sprinkle on top as a garnish. So delicious!
- Seasoning: Homemade taco seasoning, without all the extra additives and preservatives, adds so many signature elements to the flavor of Tex Mex. Along with cumin and salt, it’s all you need.
- Toppings and garnishes: Avocado (or guacamole), cilantro, freshly grated cheese, green onion, yogurt, pico de gallo or salsa, and a squirt of lime are all customizable toppings and garnishes that complete this dish.
- Oil: A really good quality avocado oil or coconut oil will ramp up the good fat benefits in this recipe. You could also use olive oil.
How to Make Sweet Potato Skillet
I am using a large 12 inch non-stick skillet. This sweet potato recipe relies on a few moving parts and seasoning ingredients in batches. But the final result is worth it!
- Cook sweet potatoes in a well-preheated skillet with half of the seasonings for 5 minutes. This step will ensure well seasoned creamy morsels at the end.
- Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. As these veggies release a lot of water, if you add them together with potatoes they will not properly brown.
- Add black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and remaining spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Everything will be super tender.
- Garnish with avocado, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, and stir. Sprinkle with cheese, cover, and let stand until cheese has melted.
Tips for Best Results
- Be prepared: Woks or large deep skillets are meant for fast cooking and they tend to capture steam. Think stir fry! Although this isn’t a stir fry at all, it is still a good idea to make sure to prepare everything ahead of time so that you’re not cooking everything longer than necessary.
- Cut everything into same size pieces: Sweet potatoes and bell peppers particularly. So they cook evenly.
- For best texture: Add the cheese once the skillet has been removed from the heat. It’s meant to be melted on top and not incorporated too much into the dish. The avocado and sweet potato are already creamy, and adding too much melted cheese into the dish as opposed to just on top will change the texture of each bite. It’ll be too mushy!
Variations
- Substitute the sweet potatoes for butternut squash or regular Yukon Gold or red potatoes instead. It will be approximately same cooking time.
- Extra protein: You can add some cubed chicken, cut-up sausage, or ground turkey to make this more high protein meal. If it is ground meat or raw chicken, cook first breaking it into small pieces or allowing sides to brown, and then follow the recipe. Already cooked diced meat can be added with the beans and tomatoes. I like to use leftover baked chicken breast.
- To maximize nutrition, sprinkle with some nutritional yeast and hemp hearts before serving.
- You can play around with the toppings and garnishes as you like. Use fresh parsley if chopped cilantro isn’t your thing. Omit what you don’t want, or double up on what you do want. Swap the yogurt for sour cream. Don’t forget the extra lime wedges!
- Like a lot of heat? For added spice, use a bit of extra chili powder, or use actual chilies, red pepper flakes, or jalapenos. Even spicy salsa would be great!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Tex Mex sweet potato skillet hot with a dollop of creamy Greek yogurt and salsa, if desired. I feel like it doesn’t need too many toppings because it’s got so many flavors and textures going on already.
I would make a simple spring mix salad or lettuce salad to go with it. Or frankly, we often make a green smoothie to pair it with because it’s easy.
Feeding an extra hungry crew? Serve some shrimp tostadas, air fryer nachos or black bean nachos, too!
You’ve heard of breakfast for dinner, but have you heard of dinner for breakfast? This would make a great breakfast or brunch idea, especially with a couple of fried eggs on top.
How to Store
Store: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
I do not recommend freezing this dish. There are too many veggies that hold water so when thawed, it would become too watery.
Make ahead: You can refrigerate diced sweet potatoes in a bowl with cold water for up to 2 days. Refrigerate chopped green onion, garlic, and bell pepper in another covered container for the same period.
FAQs
That’s up to you. You don’t have to because the skin comes with additional nutrients and gives the skillet dish a rustic look. If you prefer the texture of this dish without the skin, by all means, peel them.
Sure, you can. It will have a slightly different flavor profile without the sweet potato, but crispy golden potatoes are just as great in a Tex Mex skillet. You may also want to try my Ukrainian breakfast skillet potatoes.
If you don’t cube them small enough to fully cook in time, or don’t cook them for long enough, according to the instructions, you may find that your sweet potatoes aren’t cooked through and soft. They don’t need to be mushy, but they should be able to be pierced without resistance.
If you use a cast iron skillet or oven safe skillet, then yes. Once you’ve added all of your ingredients, instead of simmering it on the stove you could transfer it to the oven. You can also broil the top only.
More Skillet Recipes to Try
- Ground turkey and potato skillet
- Tex Mex chicken and zucchini
- Chicken burrito skillet
- Taco skillet
- Quinoa skillet
More Sweet Potato Recipes
- Oven roasted sweet potatoes
- Mashed sweet potatoes
- Sweet potato hummus
- Healthy sweet potato casserole
Tex Mex Sweet Potato Skillet
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs sweet potato cubed
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp coconut or avocado oil
- 2 large red bell peppers diced
- 14 oz can low sodium black beans drained & rinsed
- 1 cup corn frozen or canned
- 14 oz can low sodium diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 tbsp cumin divided
- 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 3/4 tsp salt divided
- 1/2 lime juice of
- 1 cup 4 oz Tex Mex cheese, shredded
- 2 medium avocados diced
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1/3 cup cilantro chopped
- Greek yogurt and salsa for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat large deep skillet on medium heat and swirl oil to coat. Add sweet potatoes, 1/2 tbsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add onion, garlic, bell pepper and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, remaining 1/2 tbsp cumin and 1/4 tsp salt, taco seasoning and pepper; then stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
- Turn off heat. Add avocado, green onion, cilantro, lime juice and stir. Sprinkle with cheese, cover and let stand until cheese has melted.
- Serve hot with Greek yogurt and salsa if desired.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.
It was delicious. In addition to the red peppers, I used 1 jalapeño I also added additional cumin
I just got done making this and I did put the quinoa in and I used 1/2 cup and it work great. I also added some shredded sharp cheese on top. This is a GREAT RECIPE! My family loves it.
I make this every week for lunch for my fiancé and me. A double batch lasts us through the week and I never get sick of it. Perhaps the most delicious thing I have ever eaten!
Wow. Interesting. You must really love it!!! I would get tired of it lol.
Is there a version of this recipe that does the casserole variation? Thanks!
I don’t think so. You can browse my collection of casseroles here. Hopefully it will give you some inspiration.
I have made this dish several times. We love it. So easy. So tasty. Thinking about adding quinoa to it tonight. Do you think quinoa would work well in the dish?
Oh yes! Sweet potatoes and quinoa go well together. You might season it a bit extra.
Hi Olena,
In this recipe you mentioned “Broil”…does that mean I have to use high heat on stove or Oven broil option.
Thanks.
Oven broil.
Ohhh..that was a quick answer! Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe.
Do you cook the potatoes before adding them to the skillet?
No.
thanks! making it now! do you leave the skillet uncovered the whole time? even as it’s simmering?
Covered.
I love one pot meals, definitely excited to try this out.
I made this last night and it was amazingly delicious!!! Having leftovers for lunch today rolled up in a tortilla. I put some in the freezer, hope it freezes well!
Thanks!
How did freezing this work out? I’m making it now and it makes a ton!
I havent tried to freeze it but I think someone did. It keeps well in a fridge for up to 5 days so you can eat it all week.:) Funny this is enough for one dinner for four of us.
I love cooking in my skillet so this recipe is definitely one I will be recreating. A great recipe for a delicious and easy weeknight meal.. thanks for sharing it!