Southwestern Baked Sweet Potatoes
on Jan 29, 2016, Updated Mar 25, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These southwestern baked sweet potatoes are a hearty vegan recipe with veggies and beans. While the potatoes are in the oven, I make a quick and easy filling with black beans, corn and red peppers, seasoned in a mix of dried spices. I cut the baked sweet potatoes in half, top them with the vegetables and beans and finish them with avocado, salsa and cilantro. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave, and they taste great again.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re looking for a vegan dinner that’s filling with lots of vegetables and beans, these baked sweet potatoes tick all the boxes. It’s a win whenever I can transform potatoes from a side dish to a main dish. This recipe eats like wholesome comfort food.
Dried spices are a simple way to add bold flavor. With the right blend of seasonings, you can get so much wow from your spice drawer. This recipe proves just that.
These stuffed sweet potatoes are fantastic for make-ahead meals and leftovers. You can reheat them in the microwave, and they taste just as good as when you first baked the potatoes and sautéed the beans, peppers and corn. I always look forward to eating them
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Sweet potatoes: Look for potatoes that are similar in size. Avoid the really big ones that are very wide and oversized. You can see in the photo above that I prefer small to medium sweet potatoes.
- Dried spices: I use a blend of ground cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper to season the filling.
- Black beans: Pour the beans into a strainer and rinse them with cold water to get off all the goop from the can. You can substitute with pinto beans or kidney beans.
- Red peppers: If you don’t have a red bell pepper, you can use orange, yellow or green depending on your preference. Green will be more bitter than the other colors.
- Corn: Please note in the recipe below that I use a small can of sweet corn. This is just the right amount to fit in the skillet, and it’s plenty for the sweet potatoes.
- Red onions are the starting point for building the flavors of the bean-pepper-corn mixture. They also add some crispness and texture.
- Olive oil: You will need oil for brushing the potatoes before baking them and for sauteing the vegetables and beans.
- For serving: I top the potatoes with mashed or diced avocado, store-bought salsa and cilantro. If you aren’t a cilantro person, you can skip it or substitute with sliced scallions.
How To Make These Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes
1. Bake the sweet potatoes. Prick them all over with a fork and brush them with oil. Bake the potatoes on the prepared pan until they are completely soft in the middle. This will take 50-60 minutes. They’re ready when you can pierce them with a knife, and it easily goes through with little to no effort.
2. Sauté the onions. Do this in a big skillet over medium high heat. Give the onions 3-4 minutes to soften.
3. Add the aromatics. That includes the jalapeños, cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. The ingredients will get fragrant in a minute.
4. Stir in the black beans, red peppers and corn. Sauté them for 3-4 minutes. The peppers should be crisp-tender, and the corn and beans should be warm.
5. Assemble the baked potatoes. I slice them in half to maximize the surface area for the filling, and it makes them easier to eat. Then garnish the sweet potatoes with mashed avocado (bonus points if you have guacamole), salsa and cilantro.
Serving
If you want something on the side, you can serve the baked potatoes with brown rice or another cooked grain. I like scooping up bites with tortilla chips. You can also deconstruct them and turn them into Tex-Mex veggie bowls and pair them with cilantro lime rice. I also have recipe for a Mexican chopped salad with a zesty lime dressing that you can toss with your favorite greens.
Southwestern Baked Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for brushing potatoes
- 1/3 cup chopped red onions
- 1 jalapeño, deseeded & minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 red red pepper, diced
- 8.5 ounce can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
- For serving: mashed or diced avocado, salsa, chopped cilantro
Save this recipe
Get it sent to your inbox plus new recipes every week.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and brush them with olive oil. Place them on a sheet pan and roast for 50-60 minutes until they are soft in the middle. You should be able to easily pierce them with a knife.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes until they start to soften and turn translucent.
- Add the jalapeños, cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Continue sautéing for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the black beans, red peppers and corn. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until the red peppers are cooked but still crisp and the corn and beans are warmed through.
- Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Use a fork to fluff their flesh. Spoon the beans, peppers and corn onto the potatoes. Top with avocado, salsa and cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe sounds delish! Gonna try this one for sure. Thanks for sharing, Paige!