These gluten free and dairy free BBQ Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are the perfect easy and healthy meal. The BBQ seasoning combined with the sweet potato flavor is AMAZING and they come together in just 20 minutes!
It seemed only fitting that the first recipe I share in 2019 be a healthy one (and of course delicious!). I’ve been making these BBQ Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes for a while now and they are always a huge hit.
I remember the first time we had them my husband and I were shocked at how tasty they were. Typically on nights when I can’t think of anything for dinner, I fall back to one of my super easy and quick meals.
Tacos, pasta, or turkey burgers are the usual choices, but I wanted something different. When I make turkey burgers, I always use my BBQ seasoning in them and it gives the turkey such a wonderful flavor.
I thought instead of taking the time to make turkey burgers, I could just cook the ground turkey and add the same seasoning to get a similar flavor.
I also happened to have some sweet potatoes on hand and thought that sounded like a pretty good combo. Since it was a week night and I needed dinner to be ready quickly, I decided to make the sweet potatoes in the microwave.
If you haven’t ever done this before, it’s super easy and cuts the sweet potato cook time down to just 10 minutes.
HOW TO COOK SWEET POTATOES FAST:
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Poke the sweet potatoes with a fork multiple times on all sides.
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Wrap each sweet potato in a damp paper towel. This creates a steaming effect.
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Place the sweet potatoes on a microwave safe plate and cook for 5 minutes in the microwave.
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Turn the sweet potatoes over (careful, they will be HOT!) and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until a fork goes all the way through the potato with ease. You will need to cook them longer depending on how many sweet potatoes you have in the microwave at once.
I love any kitchen hack that saves me time like this one does!
OTHER WAYS TO COOK SWEET POTATOES:
In the oven:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Poke the sweet potatoes with a fork multiple times on all sides.
- Place sweet potatoes on a sheet tray lined with foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, you just cook the turkey, add the seasonings, and assemble. It really couldn’t get any easier!
It’s crazy how much flavor you can get from such simple ingredients!
I really should have know the BBQ seasoning would go amazingly well with the sweet potatoes since this is how I make my BBQ Roasted Sweet Potatoes all the time.
I think my surprise came from how well the turkey paired with it all as well. It’s delicious!
So let’s get cooking!
STUFFED SWEET POTATO RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
To make these BBQ stuffed sweet potatoes, you will need:
- Sweet potatoes: You will need about 4 medium sized sweet potatoes for this recipe.
- Ground turkey: I love using ground turkey for stuffed sweet potatoes because it pairs so well with the BBQ seasoning and it a healthier meat option.
- Olive oil: This is used to cook the ground turkey since it’s typically not a very high fat meat.
- BBQ Seasoning: Smoked paprika, Chili powder, Cumin, Garlic powder, Onion powder, Salt, Black pepper. This is such a delicious seasoning blend!
- BBQ sauce for topping: This is optional, but makes the stuffed sweet potatoes even more delicious!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY STUFFED SWEET POTATOES:
To make the BBQ stuffed sweet potatoes:
- Cook the potatoes: To make this recipe extra quick, we are cooking the potatoes in the microwave. Simply, poke the sweet potatoes with a fork multiple times, wrap them in a wet paper towel, and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes. Flip them and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until they are soft all the way through.
- Cook the turkey: While the sweet potatoes are cooking, add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat. Cook the turkey until the meat is cooked through (about 8-10 minutes).
- Add the BBQ Seasoning: Add the seasonings to the pan with 2 tbsp water. Stir to coat the meat in the seasoning. Heat for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Assemble: Once the potatoes are done cooking, cut them open length wise and fill with the BBQ Turkey. Optionally top with your favorite BBQ sauce.
These BBQ Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes have been added to my list of quick week night meals and really are one of my favorite gluten free and dairy free dinner recipes.
Do you have any simple recipes that surprised you with how delicious they were? I can’t wait to hear about it and hope you love these BBQ Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes as much as my family does!
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BBQ Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes – Gluten Free and Dairy Free
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 20 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 4 medium sized sweet potatoes
- 1 – 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- BBQ sauce for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Poke the sweet potatoes with a fork multiple times on all sides.
- Wrap each sweet potato in a damp paper towel. Place the sweet potatoes on a microwave safe plate and cook for 5 minutes in the microwave.*
- Turn the sweet potatoes over (careful, they will be HOT!) and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until a fork goes all the way through the potatoes with ease. You will need to cook them a bit longer depending on how many sweet potatoes you have in the microwave at a time.*
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat.
- Cook the turkey until the meat is cooked through (about 8-10 minutes).
- Add the seasonings to the pan with 2 tbsp water. Stir to coat the meat in the seasoning. Heat for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Once the potatoes are done cooking, cut them open length wise and fill with the BBQ Turkey.
- Optionally top with your favorite BBQ sauce.
Notes
You can also cook the sweet potatoes in the oven:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Poke the sweet potatoes with a fork multiple times on all sides.
- Place sweet potatoes on a sheet tray lined with foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until tender.
My fella and our roommate devoured this. It was actually on the stove when we ran to the store and the roommate came in and saw food on the stove and just ate half thr meat without a potato. They love it both ways. I’m using this for a make-shift sloppy joe tonight again
I’m so happy to hear everyone enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing! ☺