Description
These BBQ Chicken Sweet Potato Bowls are a healthy, flavorful meal featuring tender, smoky BBQ chicken served over baked sweet potatoes and topped with fresh, vibrant ingredients like avocado, black beans, corn, and cilantro. Perfect for a nutritious weeknight dinner that combines protein, veggies, and wholesome carbohydrates in one delicious bowl.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potatoes
- 2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and pierced several times with a fork
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
BBQ Chicken
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (your favorite brand)
Toppings
- 1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt (optional)
- Jalapeños, sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to get ready for baking the sweet potatoes.
- Prepare sweet potatoes: Scrub the sweet potatoes thoroughly and pierce them several times with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Season sweet potatoes: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Rub this mixture all over the sweet potatoes for added flavor.
- Bake sweet potatoes: Place the sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet. Bake for 45-60 minutes until they are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Cool slightly: Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and let them cool slightly so they are easier to handle.
- Prepare chicken: Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes to ensure even cooking.
- Season chicken: In a bowl, combine the cubed chicken with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Toss everything together to coat the chicken evenly.
- Cook chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer (cooking in batches if necessary) and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add BBQ sauce: Reduce the heat to low and pour in the BBQ sauce. Stir well to coat the chicken, then simmer for a few minutes to thicken the sauce.
- Keep warm: Remove the pan from heat and keep the BBQ chicken warm until ready to assemble the bowls.
- Prepare toppings: Dice the red onion and avocado. Rinse and drain the black beans and corn kernels. Chop the cilantro finely.
- Cut open sweet potatoes: Slice the baked sweet potatoes lengthwise and fluff the insides gently with a fork to create a soft bed.
- Assemble bowls: Spoon the warm BBQ chicken generously into each sweet potato.
- Add toppings: Top each bowl with corn, black beans, red onion, avocado, cilantro, and your choice of optional toppings like shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and sliced jalapeños.
- Serve immediately: Serve the bowls right away with fresh lime wedges for squeezing over the top, enhancing the flavors.
Notes
- You can bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time and reheat before assembling for a quicker meal.
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce brand or homemade sauce to customize flavor.
- Adding optional toppings like cheese, sour cream, or jalapeños offers extra creaminess and spice.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute the chicken with grilled tofu or tempeh and use a vegetarian BBQ sauce.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated the next day for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: BBQ chicken sweet potato bowls, healthy chicken bowls, baked sweet potato recipe, dinner bowl recipe, BBQ chicken recipe
