Loaded Sweet Potato Skins (Printable)

Crisp sweet potato skins stuffed with spiced black beans and cheese, finished with fresh herbs and creamy toppings.

# What's Needed:

→ Sweet Potatoes

01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed

→ Filling

02 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
03 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - ½ teaspoon chili powder
09 - ¼ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Toppings

12 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack
13 - ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
14 - ⅓ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
15 - 1 avocado, diced
16 - 2 green onions, sliced
17 - Lime wedges, for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Place them on the baking sheet and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife.
03 - Allow sweet potatoes to cool slightly. Cut each in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a ¼-inch border. Reserve flesh for another use.
04 - Brush the inside and outside of the skins lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange cut side up on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes until crisp.
05 - Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeño; sauté until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
06 - Add black beans, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through.
07 - Spoon the bean mixture evenly into the crisped sweet potato skins. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
08 - Return filled skins to the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese melts.
09 - Remove from oven. Garnish with cilantro, avocado, green onions, and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. Serve with lime wedges.

# Tips for Success:

01 -
  • The sweet potato skins get properly crispy in the oven, so every bite has that satisfying crunch before you hit the creamy bean filling.
  • Its hearty enough to feel like a real meal, but you can still pick them up with your hands and eat them like loaded potato skins at a bar.
  • You can prep the skins ahead and fill them right before guests arrive, which saved me more than once when timing got tight.
02 -
  • Dont skip crisping the skins before filling them, I tried filling them right after scooping once and they turned soggy halfway through eating.
  • Save the scooped out sweet potato flesh for mashing into breakfast hash or stirring into soup, it feels wrong to waste something that tasty.
03 -
  • Use a grapefruit spoon or a small ice cream scoop to hollow out the sweet potatoes cleanly without tearing the skins.
  • If your skins are too thin and keep breaking, leave a slightly thicker layer of flesh next time, it gives them more structure to hold the filling.

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