Hot Honey Ground Beef Sweet Potato Boats (Print View)

Roasted sweet potatoes filled with spicy-sweet seasoned ground beef for a satisfying 60-minute meal.

# What You'll 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 lb lean ground beef

→ Sauce & Seasoning

07 - 2 tbsp olive oil
08 - 2 tbsp hot honey (or 2 tbsp honey + 1/2–1 tsp hot sauce)
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Toppings

15 - 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese
16 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
17 - 1/2 avocado, sliced

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce sweet potatoes several times with fork. Place on baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes until fork-tender.
02 - Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and bell pepper, sauté 3-4 minutes until softened.
03 - Add garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring until fragrant.
04 - Add ground beef to skillet. Cook, breaking up meat, until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
05 - Drain excess fat if necessary. Stir in tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook 2 minutes.
06 - Drizzle hot honey over meat mixture. Stir to combine and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
07 - When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice lengthwise down center without cutting all the way through. Gently fluff inside with fork.
08 - Fill each sweet potato with hot honey ground beef mixture.
09 - Top with cheese if using. Let melt 2 minutes, then garnish with green onions, cilantro, and avocado slices. Serve warm.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The hot honey creates this addictive sweet heat that makes everything taste better
  • It looks fancy but comes together in under an hour with mostly pantry ingredients
  • The sweet potato and beef combination keeps you satisfied for hours without feeling heavy
02 -
  • Pierce the sweet potatoes well before roasting or they might explode in your oven
  • Let the beef mixture cool slightly before filling the potatoes so they do not get mushy
  • The hot honey can be adjusted to your heat tolerance. Start with less if you are sensitive.
03 -
  • Look for sweet potatoes that are uniform in shape and size for even cooking
  • If the beef seems too greasy, drain it before adding the spices and honey
  • Warm your honey slightly if it is too thick to drizzle easily

Go Back