BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are fresh and healthy, yet craveable and mouthwatering. This gorgeous, gluten free dish totally satisfies!
My husband and I had a stuffed sweet potato-off earlier this week.
Related: 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 inventing new stuffed sweet potato combinations sounds like it has mass appeal.
In case it does, call me, Bravo!
Anyway, I’m so pumped about the BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes that won the aforementioned super interesting competition. Trust me when I tell you that you need these shredded chicken and toppings-packed stuffed sweet potatoes in your life!
Easy Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are roasted until tender on the inside and roasty-toasty on the outside, then split open and stuffed with shredded BBQ chicken, smoked cheddar cheese, and toppings including minced red onion, pickled peppers, and chopped cilantro.
The combination of sweet potato and BBQ sauce, smoky cheese, spicy onion, sour peppers, and herby 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 in the “easy dinner” category because everything can be prepped or made ahead of time then reheated and assembled.
How to Make this Recipe
Start by scrubbing then drying small sweet potatoes. 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.
While the potatoes are baking, make the BBQ chicken.
Season chicken breasts that have been pounded to an even thickness with homemade seasoned 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.
Recipe Tip
Skip the stove and use Air Fried Chicken Breasts, Baked Chicken Breasts, or Grilled Chicken Thighs instead!
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 shredded BBQ chicken and freshly shredded smoked cheddar cheese. The smokiness of the cheese really cuts through the sweetness of the potato and BBQ sauce.
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 like 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 delicious. Hope you love these stuffed sweet potatoes as much as we do — enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 small sweet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
- 2 chicken breasts, ~1lb, pounded to an even thickness
- homemade seasoned salt, see notes
- BBQ sauce
- 4 oz 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 sprayed with nonstick spray 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 Seasoned Salt recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
OMG these look amazing!!!
“Thirty-something” was a classic late 80s sitcom with a similar premise…I’m sure YouTube is full of cheesy clips!
LOVE that brand of smoked cheese! these are going on our meal plan asap :)
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. :)
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 :)
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!
Wow these look amazing, and great photography!
Thanks, Sara! :)
You legit think of the best stuff. Can’t wait to try this out!
You are too kind! Hope you love it, Joanna!
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!
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!
OMG these sound so delicious!!
Rachael xx
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. ;)
I LOVE stuffed sweet potatoes! These look SO GOOD!