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Happy Monday, friends. I have got a really fun one for you today. BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes!!!
I love this recipe because the BBQ chicken is reminiscent of summer picnics, or grilling out, while the sweet potato screams cozy fall food. Stuff the sweet potato with a yummy BBQ chicken, cheddar cheese mixture and you’ve got one hearty, comforting fall meal.
Sweet potatoes, I so LOVE you. You are so simple, yet packed with flavor and nutrition, and so sweet. I am so glad you’re back!
When I tested this recipe 3 or 4 weeks ago our sweet potatoes were bland and not very sweet at all. What a difference a few weeks will make. Now they are bursting with sweetness and soft buttery texture. Eating food that’s in season really does make a difference.
Here’s the deal with these BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes. They are super easy to make…but baking whole sweet potatoes does take a long time, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Which is fine when you’ve got other things to do while they are roasting away and it’s chilly outside so you don’t mind having your oven on at 400 degrees.
BUT that time frame isn’t so great if it’s already 6:30 on a Tuesday night, you’re getting hungry, and you’ve got other things to do around the house…or just generally some other life outside of the kitchen ha!
Solution: bake the sweet potatoes in the microwave!!! YES!!!! I just discovered this, not sure how I haven’t tried it before!!
Instead of baking the sweet potatoes for 1 hour you can bake two large ones in 10 minutes!!! That’s 20 minutes total for all 4 potatoes! I mean, what a time saver. Totally worth it. I did, however write the recipe as if you were to bake them for the full time in the oven because the flavor is a little more developed this way. However, I did leave directions for the microwave method in the notes of the recipe card.
From there you do have to bake the BBQ chicken sweet potatoes once they are stuffed, but only for 20 minutes!!
Here’s how to make BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes:
- scrub clean, and dry 4 sweet potatoes. Use a fork to poke holes all around.
- Either bake sweet potatoes in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until fork tender. OR microwave 2 of them for 10 minutes!
- mix the filling: combine previously cooked chicken (I like to use a rotisserie chicken, or leftover Instant pot whole chicken), BBQ sauce, salt, Greek yogurt, red onion, celery, shredded cheddar cheese, and a touch of maple syrup.
- stuff sweet potatoes with BBQ chicken mixture
- bake until chicken mixture is bubbly
- top with shredded cheddar and bake another 5 minutes, until melted
- garnish with green onions and/or extra red onions and serve with extra BBQ sauce for dipping
That’s it, my friends. SO EASY!!
Look below for more detailed directions, okay?
You aren’t far away from having a hearty BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potato. Sweet, savory, BBQ-y, creamy, crunchy celery, cheesy, comforting and warm. AND just plain DELICIOUS!
Come, on you know you want to dig right into that sweet potato that’s overflowing with all the BBQ chicken goodness.
BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes make great leftovers – trust me, we’ve eaten them for dinner 4 nights in a row now – making this a great recipe for meal prepping on the weekends. They are so filling, one large stuffed sweet potato has given us 2 to 3 servings!
They are packed with protein from the chicken and beta carotene, fiber, and healthy carbs from the sweet potato. Healthy food that’s irresistible. It’s my fave kind!
These BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes were inspired by my Buffalo chicken stuffed sweet potatoes that I made a while back. Those were insanely good too! BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes is the buffalo chicken’s less spicy cousin.
What other kinds of flavors can I stuff into a sweet potato?!?
I hope you love this one as much as we do, friends!
Here are more sweet potato recipes you will enjoy:
- Roasted sweet potato hash with Brussels sprouts
- banana sweet potato bread
- buffalo chicken stuffed sweet potatoes
- Thai chicken stuffed sweet potatoes with peanut sauce
- sweet potato salmon melts
Happy Sweet potato-ing!!!
If you made this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment below telling me how you liked it, and rating the recipe. I love hearing from you, and it helps people to find my recipes easier.
Print
BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 8 (4 sweet potatoes, but you may get 2 servings from 1 sweet potato) 1x
- Category: entree, chicken, easy, meal prep
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: gluten free, healthy
Description
BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes are a hearty, nutritious meal to make during the fall and winter. A balance of savory and sweet.
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes (organic is best, when possible)
BBQ chicken filling
- 1/3 cup BBQ sauce (I like choosing a sweet and spicy one)
- Optional: 1 tablespoon maple syrup (If your BBQ sauce is super tangy the maple syrup could help to balance the tang out a little.)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
- 2 to 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 cup previously cooked and cooled chicken, chopped (I like to use a rotisserie chicken, or leftover instant pot whole chicken)
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Optional toppings
- Extra BBQ sauce
- Extra chopped red onions
- Green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Scrub and wash your sweet potatoes and dry well. Poke a few holes in each sweet potato to allow the steam to escape. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Bake: (see notes for a short cut to bake the potatoes that will only take 10 to 20 mins!!) Bake the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a knife can easily be inserted into the sweet potatoes. The cooking time may vary depending on how large your sweet potatoes are. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (do not turn off).
- Prepare the filling: While the sweet potatoes are baking prepare the filling. To a medium sized mixing bowl add the BBQ sauce, salt, Greek yogurt, red onion, celery, cooked and chopped chicken, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese – mix until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings or the level of sweetness as needed.
- Stuff the sweet potatoes: Once the baked sweet potatoes have cooled enough to handle use a sharp knife to cut a slit lengthwise, being careful not to cut all the way to the bottom. Then use your hands to gently push both ends of the sweet potato inwards to create room for the filling. Use a spoon to scrape out some of the sweet potato flesh to make room for the filling. You can reserve the sweet potato flesh for another use. Use a spoon to stuff the sweet potatoes with the BBQ chicken filling, until all of the filling has been used.
- Heat the sweet potatoes: Place the sweet potatoes back in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly. Remove the sweet potatoes and sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, place back in the oven for 5 more minutes, just until the cheese has melted. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool a little before serving.
- Serve: Serve the sweet potatoes with extra BBQ sauce for dipping and drizzling, and extra chopped red onion, and/or chopped green onion for garnish.
Notes
Microwave method: If you want to use a 10 to 20 minute shortcut you can cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave. Instead of cooking them in the oven, place them on a microwave safe plate, poke a lot of holes in them, and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Flip the sweet potatoes and microwave on high for another 5 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Depending on how large your sweet potatoes are you may have to heat them up in batches, I did 2 at a time. From there you will follow the remaining instructions as normal and heat the potatoes stuffed with the chicken filling in the oven. Although, I found this method to be a HUGE time saver, I do recommend the oven method if you have the time, better flavor that way.
Leftovers: Leftovers reheat really nicely. Depending on how large your sweet potato is you may find that you will get 2 to 3 servings from one sweet potato.
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