Name: Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet Dinner
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 bell peppers, small diced ((I use red and green)); 1 onion; 1 lb ground turkey; 2-3 sweet potatoes about 4 cups; 1 c corn; can black beans (approx. 15 oz.); 1 can diced green chiles (4 oz.) (4 oz.); 1 can fire roasted tomatoes (14.5 oz.) (14.5 oz.); 1 T chili powder; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp oregano; 1 tsp garlic; 1/4 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1 - 1½ c shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey, etc.); ⅓ c chopped cilantro; 2-3 T olive oil

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This super simple, Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet Dinner recipe is an easy way to get a hearty, veggie packed dinner on the table. Inspired by everyone’s favorite: taco night! This meal is great straight from the pan, in tortillas or with tortilla chips. A perfect on-pan meal everyone will love!

Ground turkey and sweet potato skillet dinner in skillet topped with jalapeños, cilantro, onion and more.

Why You Will Love This Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet Dinner
Ingredient Notes
Step-By-Step Instructions
Recipe Tips
Storage Instructions:
Possible Toppings:
Other One Pot Meals:
Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet Dinner Recipe
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This ground turkey sweet potato skillet dinner was partly inspired by a fan favorite–these Sweet Potato, Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas. I like to consider this recipe sort of the lazy version. It’s a great meal for busy weeknights that the whole family will decour!

In making a one pot-meal recipe variation, the extra work that is needed for enchiladas is not necessary, but I still get all of my very favorite flavors of course! This is going to be a new family favorite for you!

Love sweet potatoes? This easy sweet potato chili as well as these stuffed sweet potatoes are other favorites! And if you are a ground turkey fan, this one-pot ground turkey stroganoff as well as this ground turkey teriyaki stir fry are two of my all time favorite meals!

Why You Will Love This Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet Dinner

One pot means less dishes. Who wants extra cleaning to do after dinner? Using one pot recipes allows you for way less mess to deal with after your meal. Enjoy the food and not all the clean up!
It’s super easy to adapt to your needs. This recipe is naturally gluten free. You can omit the cheese or use a dairy free cheese to make the recipe dairy free.
A great option when trying to add more veggies. Lots of veggies already in this ground turkey sweet potato skillet and easy to add more. Stir in some chopped spinach or kale, more of your favorite peppers and more to add even more!
Simple to vary. You can easily omit an ingredient like the beans or corn and still have a great dinner. You can use pinto beans instead of black beans, use pepper jack cheese or cheddar–lots of options to vary and never make it the same twice. This sweet potato skillet recipe is also gluten-free as is, so another great way to accommodate your family!
Great for meal prepping. If you like to do a big Sunday meal prep, this recipe is a good one. Re-heats nicely so you can eat off of it throughout the week.

Skillet with cooked meat and vegetables topped with melted cheese, cilantro, peppers, onions and more.

Ingredient Notes

See full list of ingredients with measurements below in recipe card.

Ground turkey, beans, tomatoes, bell pepper and other recipe ingredients on counter.

ground turkey: don’t go too lean when it comes to ground turkey if possible. I often opt for about 85% lean ground turkey for the most flavor and juiciness. You could use ground chicken or ground beef if desired. If using beef, you will want to drain excess grease after browning.
sweet potatoes: about 2 medium sweet potatoes should work, you will need 4 cups. Feel free to peel them if you prefer, but that is an added step I am usually too lazy to do.
fire roasted tomatoes: keep the juices, no need to strain the tomatoes
bell peppers: I use one green and one red bell pepper. You can use any combo of colors you like.
spices: a combo of chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. These give it a taco seasoning like flavor. The smoked paprika is a must in my opinion as it adds a level of flavor that is unmatched. If you only have regular paprika, you can use it but it will lack in a smokiness for sure. You can use 2-3 minced garlic cloves instead of the garlic powder as well.
cheese: freshly shredded cheddar cheese will melt best, but pre-packaged is fine if it’s what you have

Step-By-Step Instructions

Browned ground turkey and bell peppers in large skillet.

Step 1: In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the diced onions and peppers and sauté for several minutes until the onions start to become translucent. Shift the onions and peppers to the side and add the ground turkey, breaking it into pieces, stirring occasionally until browned and no pink is visible. When it’s ready, remove the cooked turkey from the pan and set aside. I typically just pour it into a mixing bowl.

Sweet potatoes cooked in an even layer in skillet.

Step 2: Shift to medium heat and add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add in the sweet potatoes. Sauté the sweet potatoes for about 10 minutes, shifting them around every couple of minutes to keep them from burning. If they start sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a touch more oil. If they are getting blackened and burnt, turn the heat down slightly.

Black beans, corn, tomatoes and seasoning added to skillet with cooked sweet potatoes.

Step 3: Once sweet potatoes are cooked, add in the tomatoes, beans, corn, green chiles and spices.

Skillet dinner ingredients in pan combined.

Step 4: Stir to combine.

Turkey and pepper mixture stirred into sweet potato, bean, corn mixture in skillet.

Step 5: Transfer the ground turkey mixture back into the skillet and stir to combine. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over top and allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes to melt the cheese. If your pan is oven safe, you can transfer the skillet to the oven and broil on high for about 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Add the chopped fresh cilantro over top.

Cheese melted over top of skillet dinner with chopped cilantro over top.

Step 6: Sprinkle the shredded cheese over top and allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes to melt the cheese. If your pan is oven safe, you can transfer the skillet to the oven and broil on high for about 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Add the chopped fresh cilantro over top. Serve as is or over rice, cauliflower rice, with tortilla chips or whatever your preference. Top with a dollop of sour cream, sliced avocado, jalapeños and more.

Recipe Tips

Make sure you have plenty of oil so that your sweet potatoes don’t burn. Many skillet dinners with sweet potatoes simmer the potatoes in broth or tomato juices. I don’t prefer my sweet potatoes that way and like them a bit more crispy and browned, so I sauté them instead in this recipe. Make sure you have plenty of oil coating your pan and don’t leave it unstirred for too long to keep from burning them. Olive oil or avocado oil are both great options for this turkey skillet.
To stretch this meal, serve with rice or another addition. You can easily get about 6 servings from this ground turkey sweet potato skillet. To stretch it even more, serve over rice or with tortilla chips. Another option is to serve in warm flour or corn tortillas and have more like a taco. A fried egg and sliced avocado on top is great as well!
Use an oven safe pan if you want to broil the cheese to melt. You can simply sprinkle the cheese on top a few minutes before serving and allow it to melt. However, I also like to pop the pan in the oven and broil it to get that slightly browned, melted cheese. Just make sure your pan or skillet is ok for the oven!
You could easily use ground beef in this recipe. If you do, you will want to drain any excess grease out of the pan after browning the beef with the onion and pepper. I have made this with ground sirloin and have loved it so much that way as well!

Storage Instructions:

If you have leftovers of this ground turkey sweet potato recipe, store in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. You can reheat in the microwave, oven or air fryer. Add an extra sprinkle of cheese over top if desired.

This dish freezes quite well. Allow to cool completely and then transfer to a freezer safe, airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.