These Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes make a hearty, flavorful vegan dinner. The sweet potato flesh is scooped out and combined with sautéed vegetables and a simple enchilada-style sauce, then returned to the skins and baked until warm and slightly crisp. It’s easy to prepare, adaptable to whatever produce you have on hand, and perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal.
Table of Contents
- Why Make This Recipe?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- How to Make Enchilada Sauce
- Toppings For Mexican Sweet Potatoes
- Recipe Substitutions
- Other Vegan Recipes
- Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Every so often I make a dish that I want to share immediately — this is one of those recipes. I don’t eat vegan all the time, but I do try to include a couple of vegetarian or vegan nights each week to break out of the usual meat routine and get creative with vegetables. These stuffed sweet potatoes are warm, comforting, and packed with nutrients.
Why Make This Recipe?
- Vegan and vegetarian friendly without sacrificing flavor; also adaptable for Whole30.
- Filling and satisfying—one stuffed potato is often enough for a meal.
- Make-ahead friendly: roast potatoes ahead to shorten dinner prep time to about 30 minutes.
- Loaded with vitamins and minerals from sweet potatoes and mixed vegetables.
- Tastes even better the next day, making it great for leftovers.
Ingredients
This recipe uses a handful of pantry and fridge ingredients and is a great way to use up vegetables. Swap items as needed.
Sweet Potatoes – Choose similarly sized garnet or jewel sweet potatoes so you can serve one per person.
Black Beans – Low- or no-salt canned black beans work well; pinto beans are a fine substitute.
Summer Squash or Corn – Use fresh summer squash or zucchini in season, or frozen corn in colder months.
Green Onions and Shallot – Both add brightness; a shallot provides a subtle garlic-like flavor if you skip fresh garlic.
Homemade Enchilada-Style Sauce – A quick flour-thickened sauce flavored with chili and cumin gives the filling a creamy, Mexican-inspired finish without dairy.
How to Make Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Roast sweet potatoes at 400°F (204°C) for 50–60 minutes. Place cleaned potatoes on a baking sheet, pierce with a fork, and roast until tender. Let cool 15–20 minutes before handling. For a shortcut, you can microwave the potatoes to speed this step.
- While the potatoes roast, prepare the sauce: whisk oil and flour in a saucepan over medium-low heat, add spices and tomato paste, then slowly whisk in vegetable broth until smooth. Simmer 4–5 minutes until thick, then remove from heat and stir in a splash of vinegar and salt to taste.
- Cut a slit in each roasted sweet potato and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a thin edge so the skins hold their shape. Reserve the scooped flesh.
- Sauté chopped squash (or corn), shallot, and green onions in olive oil until tender. Add black beans, the reserved sweet potato flesh, and spinach; stir until the spinach wilts. Fold in about one-third cup of the enchilada-style sauce and adjust seasoning.
- Fill each potato shell with the vegetable mixture, return to the oven at 400°F (204°C) for 12–15 minutes, then top with extra sauce and chopped green onions before serving.
How to Make Enchilada Sauce
- Whisk together flour and oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until fragrant and slightly bubbly.
- Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and whisk in tomato paste.
- Slowly whisk in vegetable broth, bring to a simmer, and cook 3–5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in a teaspoon of vinegar and salt to taste.
Toppings For Mexican Sweet Potatoes
The enchilada-style sauce is plenty flavorful on its own, but you can top these potatoes with other sauces or garnishes if you like. Keep in mind some options may make the dish non-vegan.
- Salsa verde (vegan)
- Creamy queso or melted cheese if you prefer vegetarian
- Creamy cilantro sauce or ranch-style dressings
- Fresh cilantro, lime wedges, or sliced avocado for brightness
Recipe Substitutions
- If you avoid tomatoes, skip the tomato paste in the sauce and increase broth and spices slightly for depth.
- To add cheese (vegetarian version), top with shredded white cheese or a prepared queso before the final bake.
- Swap summer squash with zucchini or frozen corn depending on season and availability.
- For a gluten-free or Whole30-friendly sauce, substitute arrowroot powder or another gluten-free starch for the flour.
Other Vegan Recipes
Here are a few recipe ideas that pair well with these stuffed sweet potatoes or offer other plant-based meal options:
Vegetarian
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Side Dish
Bang Bang Brussels Sprouts
Recipes
Sweet Potato Bowl
Side Dish
Homemade Cranberry Sauce without Orange Juice
Additional recipe ideas: Vegan Kale Pesto, Farro and Arugula Salad with Roasted Carrots, Green Apple & Fennel Salad, Mediterranean Pasta Salad (omit cheese and honey), Roasted Red Peppers Vegetarian Wrap (omit cheese), Vegan Falafels, Cherry Vanilla Smoothie.
Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 4 sweet potatoes of a similar size, scrubbed clean and dried
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 7–8 oz canned black beans, drained (*about half a can)
- 1 small summer squash, cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 2 green onions, trimmed and chopped
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
- 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Spicy Sauce
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tbsp flour (*or 2 tsp arrowroot for gluten-free/Whole30)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- Kosher salt, about 1/2 tsp or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork, place on a baking sheet, drizzle with about 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast 50–60 minutes until tender.
- While potatoes roast, make the sauce: whisk olive oil and flour in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add spices and cook 30–40 seconds until fragrant. Whisk in tomato paste, then slowly add vegetable broth, whisking until smooth. Simmer 4–5 minutes until thick. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar and salt to taste.
- When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut a lengthwise slit and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a thin shell. Reserve the scooped flesh.
- In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Sauté squash and shallot 1–2 minutes until lightly browned. Add black beans, reserved sweet potato flesh, and spinach and cook until warmed and spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Stir in about 1/3 cup of the sauce and adjust seasoning.
- Fill each potato shell with the vegetable mixture and return to the oven at 400°F (204°C) for 12–15 minutes. Top with extra sauce and chopped green onions before serving.
Notes
- To reduce hands-on time, roast the sweet potatoes in advance. When you’re ready to eat, prepare the filling and reheat before stuffing and finishing in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 386 kcal, Carbohydrates: 61 g, Protein: 9 g, Fat: 13 g, Fiber: 12 g. Nutrition information is an estimate.
This post was originally published Oct 10, 2018 and revised Oct 30, 2021 to include updated photos and notes.