Ben and I had a stuffed sweet potato-off earlier this week. Yeeeppers. If you would have told me a decade ago that I’d be THIS EXCITED to see which flavor combination would claim victory between a BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato and the loser (I’ll spare you the details as the combination didn’t work on any planet,) I would have looked at you like you had four heads. But, well, here we are.
Someone should make a show about 30 somethings because, OH WAIT NO THEY SHOULDN’T. Unless shopping on Amazon Prime, trying new face creams, convincing your toddler that learning to write the alphabet is super fun, and making competing baked potatoes sounds like it has mass appeal. Bravo, call me mmkay?
Anyway, it’s true! I am so pumped about the BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes I’m sharing with you today which slayed the competition! I’m not sure what happened but all of the sudden last week stuffed sweet potatoes just needed to be in my life. Like couldn’t get them out of my mind. Around the same time I saw a commercial for cheesy quesadillas from Taco Bell which reminded me of the BBQ Chicken Quesadillas I used to make Ben round the clock when we first got married. Sweet potatoes + BBQ Chicken Quesadillas = BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, made with just 4 main ingredients. Trust me when I say you need these in your life!
Sweet potatoes are roasted until tender on the inside and roasty-toasty on the outside, then cracked open, stuffed with shredded BBQ chicken and smoked cheddar cheese, then sprinkled with the toppings of your choice. I went with diced red onion, tangy pickled peppers, and freshly chopped cilantro. The combination of sweet potato and BBQ sauce, smoky cheese, spicy onion, sour peppers, and savory cilantro is a match made in Heaven and made every single one of my taste buds happy.
I’m filing BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes under the “easy dinner” category because they’re truly simple and, like I said, made with just 4 main ingredients. Toss scrubbed sweet potatoes into the oven to bake when you get home from work or wherever then let them roast for an hour. 20 minutes before they’re done, saute a couple chicken breasts then shred and mix with BBQ sauce. Stuff the sweet potatoes with the chicken then add cheese, broil, and sprinkle with toppings. Presto = stuffed sweet potatoes!
This recipe hits the spot for dinner but it is the PERFECT leftover lunch too. Just combine everything in a dish then reheat for a couple minutes in the microwave before eating. Tastes just as good as fresh, plus it’s hearty yet healthy and a great meal to power you through the afternoon. Still need convincing? Think of BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are a healthier version of your favorite BBQ Chicken Pizza. Right?! Get after it!
Start by scrubbing then drying 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes (10-12oz each.) Pierce the potatoes a few times with a fork then place on a cooling rack set atop a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on how big your potatoes are, or until a knife can be easily inserted into the centers.
Normally it’s recommended you place potatoes directly on an oven rack to bake, but oven racks can be a hot spot for gluten cross contamination. For example, before I got sick we used to bake regular pizzas directly on the racks, so they’re now covered in gluten. This cooling rack/baking sheet setup not only mimics the oven rack baking method but keeps everything gluten-free, too.
When the potatoes have 20 minutes left to bake, get the BBQ chicken going. Season 2 chicken breasts with homemade GF seasoned salt (or regular salt,) and pepper then saute until cooked through. Once the chicken breasts are cool enough to handle, shred with two forks then mix with enough of your favorite BBQ sauce to generously coat. This can be done a day ahead of time, if you like!
Once the potatoes are soft, slice them open lengthwise then use tongs to press both ends together and open the potatoes up. Stuff each potato with 1/4 of the shredded BBQ chicken and 1oz freshly shredded smoked cheddar cheese. I love this Red Apple Cheese brand, which you can find at pretty much every grocery store right in the regular cheese aisle. The smokiness really cuts through the sweetness of the potato and BBQ sauce and is pretty much the best thing ever. LOVE me some smoked cheese!!
Pop the potatoes under the broiler for a couple minutes, just until the cheese melts.
Last step is to top the potatoes with all your favorite fixins’ – I chose lots of diced red onion, chopped cilantro, and about 10x the amount of pickled peppers you see here. Like I said, the combination of sweet, spicy, tangy, and fresh is out.of.this.world.GOOD!! Hope you love these stuffed sweet potatoes as much as we did – enjoy!
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BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Description
BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes call for just 4 main ingredients and are insanely delicious. Leftovers are just as tasty too!
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes (10-12oz each,) scrubbed and dried
- 2 large chicken breasts
- homemade seasoned salt (or regular salt) and pepper
- BBQ sauce
- 4oz smoked cheddar cheese, shredded
- Toppings: minced red onion, chopped cilantro, chopped avocado, mild pepper rings
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees then pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Line a baking sheet with foil then place a cooling rack on top, and then place the sweet potatoes on top of the cooling rack. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on how big your sweet potatoes are, or until a knife can be easily inserted into the center.
- When sweet potatoes have 20 minutes left, season chicken breasts with seasoned salt and pepper then saute in a large skillet until cooked through. Once cool enough to handle, shred chicken with two forks then mix with enough BBQ sauce to coat.
- Slice sweet potatoes in half lengthwise then use tongs to press the ends towards each other to help open them up. Fill the openings with shredded BBQ chicken then top with a quarter of the shredded cheese and place back onto the cooling rack. Broil until the cheese has melted then serve with toppings.
Notes
- Click here for my Homemade Gluten-Free Seasoned Salt recipe >
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
I LOVE stuffed sweet potatoes! These look SO GOOD!
You have me cracking up at “someone should make a show about 30 somethings….” I’m seriously living your same situation right now, and thoroughly enjoying life right now. But, outsiders (AKA younger, cooler people) look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them the stuff that excites me! They’ll get to where we are some day. You are speaking my language with these sweet potatoes right now, though. I’ve been eating them like crazy lately, but haven’t done them stuffed yet.
Can’t even imagine what I’ll be getting excited about in another 10 years. ;)
OMG these sound so delicious!!
Rachael xx
Two of my favorite things together – BBQ chicken and sweet potatoes. This meal is going on my list for next week.
I hope you love it, Fiona!
Hey there, I’m doing the GSF course and I’m curious – do you have a low sugar or no sugar BBQ that is decent? This meal is calling my name for this weekend but I’m on day 10 of being sugar free and don’t to crack now!
Can you have dates? I love this recipe: http://againstallgrain.com/2015/04/22/paleo-bbq-sauce/
Ooo, awesome, Kate! Thanks for posting this!
You legit think of the best stuff. Can’t wait to try this out!
You are too kind! Hope you love it, Joanna!
Wow these look amazing, and great photography!
Thanks, Sara! :)
These stuffed sweet potatoes are a necessity! LOVE all things bbq chicken and sweet potatoes, so it’s no surprise that I’m drooling rn!
I made something very similar to this for my husband when we first started dating. This looks way better, though so I can’t wait to try it :)
I love this idea. I roast a load of sweet potatoes every week and eat them with everything (e.g., fried eggs and avocado, chili, roasted vegetables, curries), but I haven’t tried them stuffed with BBQ chicken! Plus, I love the idea of topping with pickled peppers. I need more pickled peppers in my life.
SAME. Always room for more pickled peppers in my life. :)
LOVE that brand of smoked cheese! these are going on our meal plan asap :)
“Thirty-something” was a classic late 80s sitcom with a similar premise…I’m sure YouTube is full of cheesy clips!
OMG these look amazing!!!
I am dying to know what the losing combination was!
Made these last night with a few tweaks: I used the BBQ chicken from your BBQ Crockpot Chicken Sammies and we used regular baked potatoes instead of sweet. I served it with a side of baked beans and broccoli. It was like having Smokey Bones at home! Thanks for another fantastic dinner!
Made these for a movie-night in on Wednesday & they were superb! One trick I used for the sweet potatoes was to microwave them in a wet paper towel for 4 minutes & then roast them in the oven. It cut down on oven time drastically while still giving them a roasted taste. I was a little skeptical of the banana peppers, but they were a delicious touch, thanks!
Just made these tonight for my family of four – FANTASTIC! Loved by all, especially my husband who didn’t think it was going to be as good as it was. This will be in our monthly meal rotation from now on for sure. Thanks for the great recipe!
HA! Yes – so glad to hear everyone loved it, Melissa!
[…] View the full recipe on one of my favorite food blogger’s pages. This girl is so creative and will have you in the kitchen like it’s your actual job. […]
[…] View the full recipe on one of my favorite food blogger’s pages. This girl is so creative and will have you in the kitchen like it’s your actual job. […]
I 2 was just diagnosed with celiac and was wondering do you have a Facebook I can follow and are all your recipies gluten free?
You bet, Melissa! Here you go: https://www.facebook.com/IowaGirlEatsOfficialPage
What are the macros for the stuffed sweet potato
So glad i gave this a try kat week. Absolutely delicious! My husband and i ended up splitting a 9 oz potato and saving the other potato for another dinner. Reheats beautifully! Very yummy and filling!
Oh I’m so glad to hear it, Sue!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Do you have the nutrition info for this recipe? Thirty Something was a tv show—drama, not sitcom.. Great show.