Southwest Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet

Name: Southwest Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 cup diced onion; 1 pound lean ground beef; 5 teaspoons chili powder, divided; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste; 1 teaspoon grated garlic; 2 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes; 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes; 4 ounces canned diced green chiles; 1/4 cup water; 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese; Cilantro for garnish (optional)

by Danae · Published: Sep 16, 2020 · Updated: Aug 24, 2021

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Southwest Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet is a 30 minute, easy and delicious recipe the whole family will love! It’s all made in one pan, works great for meal prep and there’s so many ways to serve it!

Overhead photo of a metal skillet filled with ground beef, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, southwest spices and topped with melted cheese and cilantro. Wooden serving spoon in the skillet.

I bet you were a little surprised to see a ground beef recipe on my blog. I’m definitely more of a chicken, turkey, fish girl, but every once in a while I get a craving for beef. My husband on the other hand would probably live off of beef. Needless to say he was very excited when I made this Southwest Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet.

This is an easy one pan dinner that has flavors most people can get behind. You’ve got spice from the chili powder, savory from the ground beef and a little sweetness to balance it out from the sweet potatoes. This skillet meal takes about 30 minutes to make and there’s many ways to serve it, which I’ve shared below.

Close up photo of a metal skillet filled with ground beef, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, southwest spices and topped with melted cheese and cilantro. Wooden serving spoon in the skillet.

Ingredients Needed to Make Southwest Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet

yellow onion
garlic
ground beef, I prefer grass fed 90/10%
chili powder and ground cumin
sweet potato
fire roasted tomatoes
diced green chiles
cheddar, Colby Jack or Pepper Jack cheese

How to Make Southwest Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet

To make this skillet recipe start by adding the ground beef and diced onion to a large skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Use a wooden spoon to crumble the beef. When the beef is nearly cooked through add in the garlic, chili powder and ground cumin. Cook everything for another minute and then pour it out onto a plate.

Wipe out the skillet and add in the diced sweet potato, fire roasted tomatoes, green chiles, water, more chili powder and cumin. Stir everything together, cover it with a lid and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Add the ground beef mixture in with the sweet potatoes and stir everything together. Top it with shredded cheese and cover with a lid for a couple minutes so that the cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro and serve with slices of avocado if you’d like.

Overhead photo of a dinner plate with ground beef, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, southwest spices and topped with melted cheese and cilantro. A fork is on the plate along with avocado slices and two lime wedges.

How to Serve the Southwest Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet

Rice – Serve on top of white or brown rice. For extra flavor try it with cilantro lime rice.

Cauliflower rice – For a lower carb option try cauliflower rice. I season mine with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder. You could also docreamy mashed cauliflower.

Quinoa – Quinoa is another great option if you want something other than rice. For my tips on how to cook perfect quinoa check out refer to this post for sun dried tomato quinoa salad. The ground beef and sweet potato skillet would also go great with this Mexican quinoa salad with honey lime vinaigrette on the side.

As is – Since this skillet recipe contains both protein and carbs, it’s actually quite satisfying to serve on it’s own.

Tacos – Use it as taco or burrito filling. Top it with cilantro, chunks of avocado and even some pickled red onions would be delicious!

Closeup overhead photo of a dinner plate with ground beef, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, southwest spices and topped with melted cheese and cilantro. A fork is on the plate along with avocado slices and two lime wedges.

Can I Make it Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! This recipe not only tastes great the day you make it, but the leftover are delicious for several days after. It’s a great option if you meal prep.

Can I Freeze the Southwest Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet?

Yes. After everything is cooked let it cool completely. I suggest skipping the cheese on top and waiting until you plan to eat it to add it on. Once it’s cooled transfer it to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to two months.

Yield: 4-5 servings