Description
These BBQ Chicken Sweet Potato Bowls combine tender, smoky BBQ chicken with the natural sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes, all topped with fresh ingredients like avocado, black beans, and cilantro. A healthy, flavorful meal perfect for a nutritious lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potatoes
- 2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and pierced several times with a fork
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
BBQ Chicken
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (your favorite brand)
Toppings
- 1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt (optional)
- Jalapeños, sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for baking the sweet potatoes.
- Prepare sweet potatoes: Scrub the sweet potatoes thoroughly and pierce them several times with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Season sweet potatoes: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Rub this mixture evenly over the entire surface of the sweet potatoes.
- Bake sweet potatoes: Place the seasoned sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until they are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Cool slightly: Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes to handle safely.
- Prepare chicken: While sweet potatoes bake, cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes for even cooking.
- Season chicken: In a mixing bowl, toss the chicken cubes with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper until fully coated.
- Cook chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer (cook in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding). Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.
- Add BBQ sauce: Reduce the heat to low and pour in the BBQ sauce. Stir the chicken to coat evenly with the sauce, simmering for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Keep warm: Remove the skillet from heat and keep the BBQ chicken warm while assembling the bowls.
- Prepare toppings: Dice red onion and avocado, chop cilantro, and rinse and drain the black beans and corn kernels (if using frozen or canned).
- Cut open sweet potatoes: Slice each baked sweet potato lengthwise, being careful not to cut all the way through. Use a fork to fluff the inside flesh to create a bed for the toppings.
- Assemble bowls: Spoon the warm BBQ chicken evenly into each sweet potato half, filling generously.
- Add toppings: Top the chicken-filled sweet potatoes with corn, black beans, red onion, avocado, and chopped cilantro. Add shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and sliced jalapeños if desired.
- Serve immediately: Serve the bowls immediately, garnished with lime wedges to squeeze over the top for added freshness and brightness.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken breasts with chicken thighs for juicier meat.
- Use low-sugar or homemade BBQ sauce to reduce sugar content if preferred.
- For added heat, include more jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce.
- These bowls can be meal prepped by storing components separately and assembling just before eating.
- Optional toppings like shredded cheese and sour cream can be omitted for a lighter version.
