Description
These BBQ Chicken Sweet Potato Bowls are a healthy and delicious meal combining tender BBQ-seasoned chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and fresh toppings. Perfect for a balanced dinner, this recipe features baked sweet potatoes filled with flavorful BBQ chicken, corn, black beans, avocado, and a hint of lime for a delightful and nutritious bowl.
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 clean and pierce them several times with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Season sweet potatoes: Whisk together olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Rub this mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes for flavor and to help crisp the skin.
- Bake sweet potatoes: Place the sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until they are tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Cool slightly: Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and let them cool slightly so they are easier to handle and open.
- Prepare chicken: Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes for even cooking.
- Season chicken: In a bowl, combine the cubed chicken with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Toss until each piece is evenly coated with the seasoning.
- Cook chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer, cooking in batches if necessary to avoid crowding. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink.
- Add BBQ sauce: Lower the heat to low and pour in the BBQ sauce. Stir to coat all the chicken pieces evenly. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes until it thickens and clings to the chicken.
- Keep warm: Remove the skillet from heat and keep the BBQ chicken warm while you prepare the rest.
- Prepare toppings: Dice the red onion, avocado, and chop the cilantro. Rinse and drain the black beans and corn if using canned or frozen.
- Cut open sweet potatoes: Carefully cut the baked sweet potatoes open lengthwise. Use a fork to fluff the inside flesh to create a bed for the toppings.
- Assemble bowls: Spoon the warm BBQ chicken generously into each sweet potato.
- Add toppings: Top the chicken-filled sweet potatoes with corn, black beans, red onion, avocado, cilantro, and any optional toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and sliced jalapeños.
- Serve immediately: Serve the bowls immediately with lime wedges for squeezing over the top for a fresh, zesty finish.
Notes
- You can prepare the sweet potatoes and chicken ahead of time to save cooking day efforts.
- Adjust spice levels by adding more or less chili powder or jalapeños according to taste.
- For a vegetarian option, substitute chicken with grilled tofu or tempeh and use vegetarian BBQ sauce.
- Leftover BBQ chicken makes a great addition to salads or sandwiches the next day.
- Use fresh or frozen corn; if canned, rinse well to reduce sodium content.
- Adding sour cream or Greek yogurt provides additional creaminess but can be omitted for a lighter dish.
