BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes make a healthy, satisfying, and easy meal. Super flavorful, packed with protein and complex carbs, and are perfect for meal prep! Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, and Whole30.

Last updated on January 14, 2022. This post was originally posted in January 2018 and sponsored in partnership with Whole Foods Market. All opinions expressed (as always) are my own. I only partner with brands I trust and personally recommend – thank you for your support in helping make Eat the Gains possible!

BBQ chicken twice-baked sweet potatoes! A little sweet, a little savory, and flavor-packed! And you only need 6 simple ingredients to make them.

While this recipe is super easy to make, it does take a bit longer since you have to twice bake the sweet potatoes. Making a couple of components in advance (I suggest the sweet potatoes and shredded chicken) will make assembly much faster.

These BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes are perfect for a weeknight dinner, appetizers for a dinner party or game day party, or meal prep for the week. They are packed with protein, complex carbs, and a little healthy fat – pair them with some veggies and you have a healthy balanced meal.

BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes ingredients

•  sweet potatoes
• oil
• red onion
• shredded chicken
• barbecue sauce
• mayo
• salt and pepper
• optional toppings – green onions, cilantro or parsley, sour cream/greek yogurt…

How to make BBQ chicken sweet potatoes

1. Prep the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rinse sweet potatoes and poke with a fork. Place on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 50 minutes until soft.
2. When sweet potatoes have about 5 minutes left, make the chicken mixture. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add avocado oil and let it get hot, about 30 seconds. Add onion and salt and pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
3. When sweet potatoes are cooked, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the inside flesh, except leaving a thin layer so they can maintain their shape. Add the insides into the bowl with the onions. In the bowl, add shredded chicken, 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, and 1/3 cup mayo. Mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Evenly distribute mixture back into sweet potato skins. Turn down the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 more minutes until hot. While they cook, mix the remaining 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce and 1/2 tablespoon mayo into a small bowl. Evenly drizzle over twice-baked sweet potatoes once they are done.
5. Top with additional toppings if using and enjoy!

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How to cook sweet potatoes

There are a few different ways you can prep your sweet potatoes for this recipe:

• oven – rise/scrub sweet potatoes and poke some holes in them with a fork or a knife. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 50-55 minutes until soft to the touch.
• Instant Pot – rise/scrub sweet potatoes and poke some holes in them with a fork or a knife. Pour water into Instant Pot and add the trivet/steamer basket (the one that comes with the Instant Pot) to the bottom of the pot. Place sweet potatoes on top of the trivet. Close lid, set value to ‘sealing’, and set Instant Pot on high pressure (can do under manual mode) for 15-20 minutes. Let pressure naturally release (about 10 minutes). Time will depend on the thickness of the potatoes.
• microwave – rise/scrub sweet potatoes and poke some holes in them with a fork or a knife. Microwave for 5 minutes until soft. Time will depend on the thickness of the potatoes. Check out this tutorial.

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Best size potatoes for stuffed sweet potatoes

The best size potatoes for stuffed sweet potatoes are medium ones, averaging about 8-10 ounces each. This size provides enough surface area to stuff them while also making a hearty dish.

What to serve with stuffed sweet potatoes

• coleslaw
• baked beans
• sauteed veggies
• simple salad

Meal prep

The thing I love most about these stuffed sweet potatoes is they are relatively easy to throw together. Depending on how much prep you want to do, you can either meal prep it all or just a few components. Here are a few suggestions for prepping and storage:

• partial prep – the shredded chicken and sweet potatoes can be made ahead of time. Store in the fridge until you are ready to prep. When you are ready, slice the potatoes and scoop out the insides, make the chicken mixture, mix everything together, stuff the potatoes, and bake. The cooking time will increase since the potatoes are cold.
• full prep – just follow the directions as written and store stuffed sweet potatoes in a tightly sealed glass dish. You can either bake all the way through or prepapre them and not bake the second time. When ready to bake, preheat the oven and bake until warmed through. Again, it will probably take longer than 20 minutes since the potatoes are cold. You can also heat them up on a grill (like at a tailgate), in the microwave, or just eat them cold.

Fully prepped potatoes will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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Substitutions

While I find this recipe pretty straightforward and not too much you can change, here are a few suggestions:

• chicken – use chicken breasts or chicken thighs for the shredded chicken. You can also buy a rotisserie chicken from the store and shred it for convenience. Ground chicken will also work.
• potatoes – you could try to use white potatoes, but the flavor won’t be the same as they lack the sweetness that sweet potatoes have.
• onion – yellow or sweet onion will work instead of red.
• mayo – use homemade or store-bought.
• BBQ sauce – any flavor of BBQ sauce will work.
• make it vegetarian – swap out the chicken for chickpeas or white beans.

More healthy chicken recipes

• Buffalo Chicken Casserole
• Greek Chicken Meatballs
• Pistachio Crusted Chicken Tenders
• Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Chicken Fajita Casserole

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