If we can smash baby potatoes all over the place, why can’t we smash sweet potatoes? Are there other things we can smash? Are we not doing enough smashing? I’ll look into it.
For now let’s focus on these insanely delicious honey butter smashed and loaded sweet potatoes. Crispy, caramelized edges and tender inside, then piled high with a spiced ground turkey & black bean mixture and then! then we’re going to pour over a dreamy, drinkable cilantro jalapeño yogurt sauce.
Check out the video below for my ‘Recipe-ish‘ method.
If you want the deep-dive on all the insider details, keep scrolling!
Smashed and Loaded Sweet Potatoes with Creamy Green Sauce
Ingredients
For the sweet potatoes:
- 4 small-ish sweet potatoes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp honey
For the turkey & beans:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey**
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp hot sauce
- 1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
For the green sauce:
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp pickled jalapenos
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 garlic clove
- Zest and juice of one lime
For serving:
- Sliced green onion
- Chopped cilantro
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Rub the olive oil all over the sweet potatoes, sprinkle with a little salt and poke several holes in each potato with a sharp knife.
- Place on a foil lined baking sheet and place in the oven for 50-60 minutes, until tender.
- Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 425.
While the potatoes cook make the green sauce:
- Combine the cilantro, avocado, yogurt, jalapeños, honey, garlic, lime zest & juice and a big pinch of salt to a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
Make the turkey:
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add in the turkey.
- When almost cooked through, add in the smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano and garlic. Season well with S&P.
- Stir in the hot sauce and black beans.
- Cook, stirring often, until heated through.
Assemble:
- Use a potato masher to smash the sweet potatoes to about 1/2” thickness.
- Melt the butter and stir in the honey.
- Drizzle the sweet potatoes with the honey butter and return to the oven for about 15 minutes, until browned and crisp.
- Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven.
- Distribute the turkey mixture on top of the sweet potatoes.
- Drizzle with the green sauce.
- Sprinkle with sliced green onion and chopped cilantro, if desired.
Notes
my pro tips for making the best ever smashed and loaded sweet potatoes
Size Matters: Use “small-ish” sweet potatoes. They smash more evenly and get crispier than the giant ones. They also cook way more quickly and are perfect for serving one potato per person.
The “Double Bake” Secret: Don’t skip the second bake. Once you smash the sweet potatoes and pour on the drizzle, that 15 minutes at a higher temperature is what turns the honey butter into a delicious caramelized crust.
Blender Hack: If the green sauce is too thick (I kind of like it thick), add a teaspoon of water or more lime juice until it reaches a “drizzleable” consistency.
recipe substitutions and variations
- The Protein: While I love the ground turkey, you can easily sub in ground chicken, ground beef, or even crumbled tofu.
- The Spice: If you like heat, double the hot sauce in the turkey or add a fresh jalapeño to the green sauce… seeds and all.
- The Baby Potato Version: This same spiced turkey and bean combo works amazingly well over a big platter of crispy smashed baby potatoes too and is perfect for a party or game day.
serving suggestions
The Purist: Just the potato, the turkey, and a heavy-handed drizzle of sauce. This is how I usually eat it… in a bowl, in front of something trashy on the tv.
The Indulgent: Add a sprinkle of crumbled feta or goat cheese on top while the potatoes are hot. Or even better… pile up the turkey mixture and then top it with a huge pile of shredded cheese and throw it under the broiler for a few minutes to get all melty and insanely indulgent.
The Fresh: Serve it alongside a simple, crunchy green salad with plenty of lime juice and a little cumin. This is lovely for a special lunch.
storing leftovers and make ahead details for these smashed and loaded sweet potatoes
In the Fridge: Store the roasted sweet potatoes, the spiced turkey mixture, and the green sauce in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days.
The Best Way to Reheat: To get those honey-butter edges back to their former glory, pop the smashed potatoes into the air fryer or a 400°F oven for about 5 minutes until they sizzle and regain their crunch.
Warming the Turkey: Heat the turkey and bean mixture in a small skillet or the microwave until steaming, then pile it onto your crispy potato.
Pro Make-Ahead Tip: You can roast and smash the potatoes a day in advance. When you’re ready for dinner, just do the final 15-minute “honey butter bake” to crisp them up while you quickly brown the turkey. It makes a weeknight meal feel like zero effort.
If you make these Smashed and Loaded Sweet Potatoes, I know you’ll love ’em. And if you’re looking for more easy meal dinner inspiration, try this Caesar Salad with Steak and Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potato Croutons, this Sheet Pan Chimichurri Chicken and Potatoes or this Cornflake Chicken Strips with Sweet Chili Honey (and Broccoli!)
Don’t forget to drop a comment and rate the recipe below – it helps me out so much! And if you post this recipe, tag me over on Instagram @thepyperskitchen so I can see your amazing eats.
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