This Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet is a flavourful and healthy meal that comes together in about 30 minutes! Made with ground turkey, sweet potato, black beans and a delicious spice blend, you’ll love this easy dinner.

You may also like our vegan Southwest Sweet Potato, Kale & Black Bean Skillet!

Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet viewed from overhead in a light blue dutch oven, garnished with cilantro and avocado slices.

Why we love this recipe

It’s a healthy, balanced meal: Ground turkey is packed with protein and low on fat, making it a nutritious choice. Sweet potatoes are fibre-rich and loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. Whip up this skillet meal, and you’ll be fuelling your body with goodness!
Delicious flavours: the sweetness of the sweet potato combines beautifully with the savoury turkey and southwest spices. It’s a crowd-pleasing combination!
It’s easy and versatile: this ground turkey sweet potato skillet recipe is quick to make on busy weeknights and can be customized with whatever veggies you have on hand.

Ingredients needed

Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

Sweet potato – the quickest option is to microwave, but you can also use leftover roasted diced sweet potato
Ground turkey – can sub ground chicken or extra lean ground beef
Olive or avocado oil – for sautéing
Onion and garlic – for savoury depth of flavour
Red bell pepper – for colour, texture and added nutrition
Spice blend – chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper
Canned black beans
Shredded cheese – a Mexican blend or regular cheddar; omit the cheese to make this a dairy-free meal
Cilantro – totally fine to leave this out if you’re not on team cilantro!

Ingredients needed to make Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato skillet, viewed from overhead on a white hexagon tile background.

How to make it

First, get the sweet potatoes cooking while you prepare the rest of the dish. Poke several holes in each sweet potato using a fork. For medium-sized sweet potatoes (about 8-ounces each) microwave for 5 minutes, then in 30 second intervals until fork tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Microwaved sweet potatoes being chopped on a wooden block cutting board.

Next, sauté the veggies. Heat oil in the skillet over medium heat, then add the diced onion and cook until translucent. Add the bell pepper and continue to sauté for 3 minutes, then add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the ground turkey and continue to sauté until almost fully cooked through, breaking it into smaller pieces with the spatula.

While the turkey is cooking, remove the peel from the sweet potato and dice into ¾-inch pieces.

Add the seasoning and water to the skillet with the turkey and mix until well combined. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes.

A 5-photo collage showing the steps to make Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet.

Finally, add in the sweet potato, black beans, cheese and cilantro. Stir well to combine and continue cooking until cheese is melted. Turn heat down to low, if needed.

Tips for Success

Start the sweet potato first. The sweet potato can cook in the microwave while you’re cooking the other ingredients in the skillet. This helps the recipe come together quickly.
Choose thinly shaped sweet potatoes. If you can find slimmer sweet potatoes, they’ll cook faster and more evenly.
Adjust the cook time if you use a large sweet potato. I’ve also used one long, large sweet potato that was about a pound in weight. To microwave, I cooked it for 5 minutes, flipped it carefully (it’ll be hot!), then continued cooking another 3 minutes.
Prep your ingredients before you start cooking. This recipe comes together quickly, so you’ll want to drain and rinse the black beans, measure the spices into a small bowl, and dice the veggies ahead of time.

Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet served over rice in a white bowl, garnished with sour cream, cilantro and sliced avocado.

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