Loaded Sweet Potato Skins (Printable)
Crispy potato skins with black beans, cheese, and fresh toppings for a hearty vegetarian option.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Sweet Potatoes
01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes
→ Filling
02 - 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
03 - 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned and drained)
04 - 1 small red onion, finely diced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Toppings
12 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
13 - 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt (optional)
14 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
15 - 1 avocado, diced
16 - 1 jalapeño, sliced (optional)
17 - Lime wedges, for serving
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce each several times with a fork. Place on baking sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until tender when pierced.
03 - Combine black beans, corn, red onion, bell pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
04 - Remove sweet potatoes from oven and cool 5 to 10 minutes. Cut each in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out most flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch border intact to maintain shape. Reserve flesh for another use.
05 - Brush both sides of skins with remaining olive oil. Place cut side up on baking sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes until edges are crispy.
06 - Fill each skin with black bean mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
07 - Return filled skins to oven for 5 to 7 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
08 - Remove from oven. Top with sour cream or yogurt (if using), cilantro, diced avocado, jalapeño slices, and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- They come together in under an hour and require zero fancy techniques, just honest flavors and crispy edges.
- You'll love how the scooped-out flesh isn't wasted—it becomes tomorrow's side dish or goes into a soup.
- The toppings are completely customizable, so everyone at the table can build their own perfect bite.
02 -
- Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—it truly makes a difference in how watery or dry your filling turns out.
- The scooped-out sweet potato flesh is too good to waste; save it for mashing or throwing into a soup the next day.
- Brush those skins with oil before the second bake; it's what gives you that restaurant-quality crispy edge.
03 -
- Choose sweet potatoes that are all roughly the same size so they bake evenly—no undercooked or overcooked ones in the bunch.
- If your cheese isn't melting fast enough, cover the tray loosely with foil during those final minutes to trap the heat and speed things up.