This dish really has no reason to be so good! It’s simple on paper: caramelized sweet potatoes, seasoned ground beef and a fresh Pico de Gallo. But one you take the first bite you will not believe how well these flavors all come together!
The Secret to Perfectly Caramelized Sweet Potatoes
A sweet potato that’s just “cooked through” is fine. A sweet potato that’s deeply caramelized, sticky, almost candied at the edges, with that concentrated, toasty sweetness…is the entire reason this recipe works. So don’t rush it!
The method: halve your sweet potatoes lengthwise, oil them generously all over. Sprinkle with salt. Place them cut-side down on a parchment-lined sheet tray, and bake at 375°F for 45–60 minutes.
After you remove them from the oven, don’t touch them! Let them rest so the sugars slightly harden.
A few things about why this works:
Low and slow (well, low-ish and slow, relative to a blast-furnace roast) gives the natural sugars in the sweet potato time to actually break down and caramelize instead of just steaming through.
Rushing this at a higher heat gets you a potato that’s cooked but you skip past the part where the sugars really develop!
Prep-Ahead Tips
The beauty of this recipe is that almost every component holds up beautifully in the fridge, which makes it a great one to get ahead on!
The pico de gallo is better made a few hours (or even a day) ahead: the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño need time to actually talk to each other. Make it the night before and let it sit, covered, in the fridge!
The seasoned beef reheats like a dream. Cook it up earlier in the day and store it in an airtight container in the fridge! Warm it gently in a skillet or the microwave right before serving. Bonus move: double the batch and freeze half for a future Monday.
The sweet potatoes can be roasted a day ahead, too. Let them cool completely, store them in the fridge, and when you’re ready to eat, pop them back cut-side down in a 425°F oven for about 10 minutes to re-crisp and rewarm. You’ll actually get a little bonus caramelization on the reheat!
Loaded Caramelized Sweet Potatoes with Pico de Gallo
- Yield: 5-6 1x
Ingredients
For the sweet potatoes:
4 medium sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the beef:
1 lb ground beef (85/15)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
For the pico de gallo:
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp kosher salt
To serve:
sour cream
crumbled cotija or shredded cheddar cheese
sliced avocado
Instructions
Prep the Sweet Potatoes
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Generously rub each sweet potato half with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place them cut-side down on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast for 45-60 minutes, until the flesh is caramelized and a knife slides in with zero resistance.
Once you take them out of the oven, DO NOT TOUCH THEM! You want the sugars to slightly harden so let them rest for about 10-15 minutes before flipping them over.
Make the Pico de Gallo
While the sweet potatoes roast, toss together 2 diced Roma tomatoes, ¼ of an onion, finely diced, 1 seeded and minced jalapeño, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, the juice of 1 lime, and 1/2 tsp of salt in a bowl. Give it a stir and let it sit on the counter (the flavors just get better the longer they hang out together!)
Brown the Beef
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ½ diced yellow onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes, then add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 1 minute more, just until fragrant. Add 1 lb ground beef, breaking it up as it browns, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp chili powder, and ¼ tsp ground cinnamon. Let it cook 1-2 minutes more to wake up the spices!
Assemble the Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Flip the roasted sweet potato halves cut-side up and gently press down the centers to make a little well for all your toppings. Divide the beef among the halves, then pile on the pico de gallo, a good dollop of sour cream, crumbled cotija or shredded cheddar, and sliced avocado.
Serve immediately while the sweet potato is still warm and everything else is cool and bright on top!
Notes
Roasting the sweet potatoes, cut side down, is for that caramelization! The flat side gets direct contact with the hot pan and turns almost candied at the edges. Short on time? Microwave the halves cut-side up covered with a damp paper towel, for 6-8 minutes, until just fork-tender (not fully soft, they will finish cooking in the oven). Then flip them cut-side down in a 425° F oven for 10-15 minutes, just to caramelize.
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