Hot Honey Ground Beef Sweet Potato Boats (Printable)

Roasted sweet potatoes loaded with spicy-sweet ground beef for a wholesome, satisfying meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
02 - 1 small red onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 green onions, sliced

→ Meats

06 - 1 lb lean ground beef

→ Sauce & Seasoning

07 - 2 tbsp olive oil
08 - 2 tbsp hot honey
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Toppings

15 - 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese
16 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
17 - 1/2 avocado, sliced

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce sweet potatoes with fork and place on baking sheet. Roast 40-45 minutes until fork-tender.
02 - Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper, sauté 3-4 minutes until softened.
03 - Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly.
04 - Add ground beef to skillet. Cook, breaking up meat, until browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes.
05 - Drain excess fat if needed. Stir in tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes.
06 - Drizzle hot honey over meat mixture. Stir to combine and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
07 - When cool enough to handle, slice sweet potatoes lengthwise down center without cutting through. Gently fluff inside with fork.
08 - Fill each sweet potato with hot honey beef mixture. Top with cheese if using, let melt 2 minutes. Garnish with green onions, cilantro, and avocado. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The hot honey creates this incredible sweet-spicy glaze that makes ordinary ground beef feel restaurant special
  • Everything cooks on one pan while the potatoes roast, so cleanup is surprisingly minimal
  • These reheat beautifully for lunch the next day, if they even last that long
02 -
  • Don't rush the potato roasting step undercooked potatoes will ruin the whole experience
  • The hot honey can crystalize if it hits too much heat at once, so drizzle it slowly and stir immediately
  • Letting the meat rest in the spices for those final 2 minutes makes the difference between good and incredible
03 -
  • Use a spoon to create a little well in each potato before filling it holds more beef and looks more generous
  • Let the roasted potatoes cool for at least 10 minutes before handling, otherwise the steam can burn your fingers
  • Double the beef mixture and freeze half for an instant dinner next week

Go back