From the roundup: 22 Easy High Protein Fall Dinners the Whole Family Will Actually Eat
This ground turkey and sweet potato skillet is the dinner I fall back on when it is 5:30 and I have not thought past “there is turkey in the fridge.” Everything goes into one pan: the turkey, the sweet potatoes, black beans, and a can of diced tomatoes that does most of the work for you. Start to finish it takes about 35 minutes, and the only hands-off stretch is the 10 to 12 minutes the sweet potatoes spend covered with the lid on, steaming through in the broth.
The cumin and smoked paprika give it a warmth that feels like fall without being heavy. I serve it over rice most nights, but a few of my kids prefer it scooped into warm corn tortillas, which means I usually put both on the table and let everyone do what they want. Either way the skillet is scraped clean.
How this one became a regular
I started making this skillet in October a couple of years ago when I had two sweet potatoes left over from a big batch of roasted vegetables and no real plan for them. I figured they would soften up fine in a covered pan with the broth, and they did. My third kid, who picks around anything “orange” in most dishes, ate it without comment, which in this house counts as a win.
It has been in the regular rotation since then, mostly because I can get it on the table before anyone starts circling the pantry looking for snacks.
Why you will love this
- One skillet from start to finish, so cleanup is fast on a weeknight.
- The broth-steaming method in step four means the sweet potatoes cook through without getting mushy or scorched on the bottom.
- Black beans and ground turkey together make it filling enough that nobody asks for a second dinner an hour later.
- It keeps well in the fridge for four days, and the flavors actually improve by day two.
- Naturally gluten-free as written, so it works for mixed households without any adjustments.
Tips for success
- Cut the sweet potatoes into true half-inch cubes, not bigger. Larger pieces will still be firm in the center when the turkey has long since cooked through.
- Let the spices toast for a full minute with the turkey before adding the liquid. That one minute makes the cumin and paprika taste deeper instead of raw.
- Drain the black beans well but do not rinse all the starch off, a little body in the beans helps the final mixture thicken up during the last few minutes uncovered.
- Do not skip the lid in step four. I tried rushing it once by leaving the lid off and the broth evaporated before the potatoes were tender. Cover it and give it the full 10 to 12 minutes.
If the skillet turns out watery
- If there is too much liquid after adding the tomatoes, raise the heat and cook uncovered for an extra 2 to 3 minutes. It thickens quickly once the heat is up.
- Canned tomatoes vary a lot by brand. If yours are especially juicy, hold back a tablespoon or two of the juice when you add the can.
- A watery skillet usually means the lid was lifted too many times during the steaming step, letting steam escape. Stir once at the halfway mark and leave it alone otherwise.
- If it is still loose, a spoonful of tomato paste stirred in at the end will pull it together without changing the flavor much.
Substitutions
Ground chicken works in place of turkey with no changes to timing. Extra-lean ground beef works too, though you may want to drain off some fat after browning before you add the spices. For a fully vegetarian version, skip the meat, double the black beans, and swap chicken broth for vegetable broth. It is still filling.
Kidney beans or pinto beans substitute easily for black beans. If a kid in your house does not like sweet potato, butternut squash cut to the same size cooks in about the same time. For heat, a diced jalapeno added with the onion does the job. Frozen diced sweet potato works fine and saves the peeling and chopping step.
Make-ahead and storage
If you want to get ahead, peel and cube the sweet potatoes up to 24 hours in advance and store them submerged in cold water in the fridge. They will not brown and they will be ready to go straight from the water into the pan. The onion and garlic can be prepped and stored in a small container at the same time.
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low with a small splash of broth or water to loosen it up, or microwave in 90-second intervals and stir in between. This freezes well for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove rather than the microwave if you can, the texture holds better that way.
Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to turn golden at the edges.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Then add the ground turkey. Break it apart with a wooden spoon and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until no pink remains. The turkey should be in small crumbles, not large chunks.
- Sprinkle in the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat the turkey evenly with the spices and let it cook for 1 minute more so the spices toast slightly in the pan.
- Add the cubed sweet potatoes to the skillet along with the chicken broth. Stir everything together, then reduce heat to medium. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the sweet potato cubes are fork-tender. The broth steams the potatoes so they cook through without burning.
- Remove the lid and stir in the drained black beans and the canned diced tomatoes with their juices. Raise the heat back to medium-high and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes until the liquid reduces and the mixture thickens up slightly.
- Taste and adjust salt as needed. Serve hot from the skillet over steamed rice or with warm flour or corn tortillas. Top with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime if you like.
Notes
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