Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rice Skillet
on Nov 22, 2021, Updated Jul 04, 2024
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This easy, one pan, Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rice Skillet is a hearty and healthy vegetarian dinner the whole family will love! Made with brown rice, sweet potatoes, black beans, green chiles, spices and topped with melted cheese. On the table in 30 minutes and great for leftovers the next day!
If you’re looking to add more vegetarian meals to your weekly dinner plans, but are worried you’ll still be hungry because there’s no meat in the recipe, fear not! This Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rice Skillet is so hearty and full of flavor you won’t think twice about it being vegetarian.
This easy one pan dinner was inspired by one of my most popular recipes, Mexican Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet. It has many of the same flavors, but without the chicken and the addition of brown rice.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients For Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rice Skillet
- How To Make Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rice Skillet
- Time Saving Tips
- Toppings For Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rice Skillet
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Skillet Dinners
- Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rice Skillet Recipe
Ingredients For Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rice Skillet
- sweet potato
- chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, garlic powder
- diced green chiles
- salsa or salsa verde
- brown rice
- black beans
- cilantro
- lime
- cheddar, Colby Jack or Monterey Jack cheese
How To Make Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rice Skillet
Heat a some olive oil in a large skillet, preferably one with a lid. If you don’t have a skillet with a lid use a piece of foil or a large plate. Add in the diced sweet potato, salt and pepper, and sauté it over medium heat for about about 8 minutes. It won’t be completely soft at this point.
Add several tablespoons of water to the skillet and cover it with a lid so that the sweet potato steams and doesn’t get overly browned while it continues to cook. Once the sweet potato is fork tender add in the green chiles, black beans, rice, dried spices, salsa, cilantro, lime juice, and additional salt and pepper.
Stir everything together and let it heat through for a few minutes. Add the shredded cheese on top and cover the skillet with the lid. Let everything cook for another couple minutes until the cheese is melted and everything is warm.
Time Saving Tips
- Use leftover cooked brown rice, minute rice, microwaveable bagged rice, or frozen rice to save 40 minutes of cooking time.
- If you have leftover roasted sweet potatoes those can be used instead.
Toppings For Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rice Skillet
Avocado – Since this is a vegetarian meal, avocado is a great way to add healthy fat, fiber, and a little protein to make it more satiating.
Greek yogurt or sour cream – The added creaminess and tang of the Greek yogurt goes so well with the spices, green chiles, and salsa in this recipe. Greek yogurt is also a good way to add in additional protein.
Tomatoes – They add a nice bit of sweetness.
Black olives – briny, salty, and a great addition if you enjoy olives.
Crushed tortilla chips – If you want a crunchy element to this dish, add the crushed tortilla chips when you add on the cheese. Sort of like nachos on top! Be aware that they’ll soften and won’t be crunchy if you plan to have this for leftovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cooked white rice, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice for a lower carb option would all work well and be delicious.
Yes. Pinto beans would be a great alternative if you or your family prefer them.
Regular salsa or salsa verde both work. I suggest not using a thick and chunky salsa because you’ll want the liquid to help create the sauce. I used Saso Classic Verde Salsa.
Try adding corn, diced zucchini, spinach, and/or a can of fire roasted tomatoes.
More Skillet Dinners
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Greek Meatballs and Orzo Skillet
- Turkey and Vegetable Skillet
- Skillet Enchilada Chicken with Black Beans and Corn
- Southwest Ground Beef Sweet Potato Skillet
Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups peeled and diced sweet potato
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 ounces diced green chiles
- 1/2 cup salsa or salsa verde
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 15 ounce can low sodium black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Juice of a lime
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar Colby Jack, or Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add in the diced sweet potatoes, salt and pepper, and sauté over medium heat for about about 8 minutes. Add 3-4 tablespoons of water to the skillet and cover it with a lid. Let the sweet potatoes steam until they're fork tender, about another 4 minutes depending on the size.
- Add the green chiles, black beans, rice, spices, salsa, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper to the skillet. Stir everything together until combined.
- Add the shredded cheese to the top and cover the skillet with the lid. Let everything cook for another 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and everything is warm. Serve topped with additional cilantro, avocado, and plain Greek yogurt or sour cream if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was too spicy for us, and am expecting heartburn tonight! I loved the easy recipe, and all the ingredients. Had a nice bowl full with some corn tortilla chips. What would I leave out to cut the spiciness? Halve the green chilies amount? I did use mild chilies and mild green salsa. Thank you.
I’d suggest decreasing the chili powder and maybe the salsa amounts to decrease the acid reflex/heartburn issue
Should rice be already made?
Yes. You’ll want to use cooked rice for this recipe.
I used quinoa cooked in taco seasoning in place of rice – this recipe is especially yummy in a burrito with sour cream and guac!
I added chicken! Plan to freeze, thank you to who said that could be done above. Also snuck in some cauliflower rice to get an extra veggie
I made a double batch and portion froze this – it turned out really well
Delicious! How much is a serving, 1 cup or 1 1/2…something else?
Made this tonight. I used frozen Cauliflower rice in place of brown. I added onion that i sautรฉed with the sweet potatoes, i added ground sausage also. I doubled all the spices. Turned out great. Would add corn next time. Also left out cheese. Will add to individual servings. Very good
I did it today and it was great! Definitely will do again ๐๐
Such a great recipe! Very very simple and quick. I added chorizo and caramelised onions in a separate pan and combined it all at the end. Worked very well with some smoked salt and smoked cheddar, topped with half an avo and some oat creme fraiche.
Oh my that sounds heavenly!๐ฅฐ๐
This was amazing! I didnโt have salsa verde but had a can of green enchilada sauce tucked away in the corner of my pantry that saved the day. Adding this to my favorites. Thanks for sharing!
I would like to make this for meal preps,how many days would this last in the fridge?
I’ve had the leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days and they’ve been fine.