Cheesy Salsa Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes… because we are not about to eat a boring sweet potato around here!
This sassy stuffed spud is great as part of your meal prep routine and is a great use for leftover salsa chicken or rotisserie chicken!
Those of you that are no stranger to this blog may recall that I have a slight addiction to savory stuffed sweet potatoes. It’s really just a minor crush of sorts. In no way did I eat one nearly every day for a year straight…
Ok so maybe I did.
If you’ve jumped on this fabulous foodie bandwagon at some point within the last few years then it’s safe to say that you totally understand my obsession.
I recently had some leftover chicken from my meal prep and tortilla soup-a-thon and it suffered the fate that nearly all my leftovers succumb to.
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes for the Win!
I originally wasn’t planning on blogging this hunk of a sweet potato, since it’s more or less a meal idea versus a recipe, but then I realized that hello! meal ideas are worth their weight in gold!
Sometimes something as simple as a glance through a food magazine or a drool-worthy Instagram photo can inspire an entire meal.
I’m a huge fan of stuffing just about anything and everything into sweet potatoes from last night’s leftovers to whatever veggies sound good that particular day!
Vegan or Vegetarian Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Brontosaurus + vegansaurus chefs whip these up without chicken or try any of the topping combinations from my stuffed sweet potato post!
Here are some other veggie-friendly options I’ve made:
- Cheesy Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (vegetarian)
- Easy Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (veg or vegan)
- Sweet Potato Samosa Stuffed Potatoes (vegan)
- Buffalo Chickpea Sweet Potatoes (veg or vegan)
I’m also a huge fan of taking leftover vegan chili and stuffing it into a sweet potato. It’s absolutely delicious!
For my t-rex chefs; here’s how to make the shredded salsa chicken:
Shredded Salsa Chicken Recipe
Start with a chicken breast sans bone and skin (or grab a few if you’d like leftovers for soup, tacos, and salads!) and set a pot of water on the stove to boil. Boil the chicken until tender (this goes surprisingly quickly!) and remove water from the pot. Pour in your favorite homemade or store-bought red or green salsa and shred the chicken in the salsa using two forks (giving it a few chops with a knife can help this go even quicker!) Reduce heat to low and simmer the chicken in the salsa for 15 minutes or so to intensify the flavor.
I also add in a few taco-esque seasonings such as chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and a little bit of garlic powder too! If you plan ahead you can even toss the chicken, seasoning, and salsa in your crock pot (kind of like I did with this soup) and let the slow cooker do the work for you! Simply set it, forget it (ok maybe not forget entirely!) and then shred it when you’re ready to dig in!
The result is a tender, juicy, flavorful chicken that can be used for nearly anything!
Cheesy Salsa Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
No actual measurements needed; just grab the ingredients and have at it!
You can make this as a tasty solo lunch for one or make it a meal for two! It’s also one of those recipes you can make a whole tray of to feed hungry friends and family members.
It’s as versatile as it is tasty!
Cheesy Salsa Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1/4 cup leftover shredded salsa chicken
- 2-4 TBSP black beans
- 2 oz grated cheese
- 1 TBSP greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/4 tsp sriracha chili sauce or favorite hot sauce
- 1-2 tsp chopped green onion (optional)
- 1 tsp fresh cilantro (optional)
- salsa to taste
Instructions
- Simply bake or microwave your sweet potato to fluffy perfection. Once cooled, pinch the sides to create a boat for your yummy toppings to float in and stuff away!
- I add the black beans and cheese first, re-heat to melt, and then add all additional toppings afterwards. Customize toppings to suit your tastes. It’s quick, easy, and beyond tasty!
Notes
Nutrition
Love me some stuffed spuds. Plus all that color? It’s like a painting on a plate!
Though I’m fairly certain Jackson Pollock didn’t lick his canvas afterwards.
If you get a chance to try these Cheesy Salsa Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
This looks sooooo good. Seriously painting on a plate.
I’ve eaten savory stuffed potatoes the past two days and then I come here and lo and behold, it’s a savory stuffed sweet potato. Great minds think alike. I’m pretty sure I need to go eat another potato.
Awesome! I want to lick my screen! Haha. BTW, salsa chicken also works super well in the crock pot. A little water, salt and pepper the chicken. And I add the salsa before cooking. It shreds super easy and tastes great! Great over rice or quinoa. Now I have to do it Peas&Crayons style over a sweet potato! Yum!
everyone is jumping on this stuffed sweet potato thing – i must try it!!
Sweet potatoes are my favorite food right now. I can’t get enough of them!! My favorite way to eat them right now is topped with chili and all the toppings. Your version looks fantastic as well!
Thanks you to I’m convinced that all leftovers need to be stuffed into a sweet potato. Soooo good.
I love your stuff it all in a potato philosophy! and with fabulous toppings like that who could resist licking the plate 😉
I need this in my belly yesterday. Promise not to think less of me when I admit that I’ve never eaten a savoury sweet potato?
Yum this looks like a great one!! I am drooling at my screen and it is breakfast time here 😉
haha yes! mission accomplished!
They’re DIVINE savory-style! Absolutely try it out sometime!
No need to shell out the money for soy meat even — grab some straight up tofu and season it with taco seasoning and crumble it or grab extra veggies — the mushrooms would be brilliant!
Yessss! Do it! =)
mmmm yyum! we have gotten into the habit of making potatoes in the oven but i think next week we’re going to try sweet potatoes!! xo jillian
Yuuummmayyyy. I am a big fan of the stuffed sweet potato and it may or may not make an appearance at least once a week for my work lunches during the week. Ahem. I could totally see changing up the fillings and adding some soy-meaty products to make it more robust. Or adding mushrooms. Om nom nom.
Hey Jenn! Thanks!!! Love the tip and sort of wish I had money for a stand mixer! Someday! I keep learning all sorts of fun tricks for them!
I pretty much have to make myself eat sweet potatoes when baked {diced, or cubed and I am good}, but sadly even after drooling over all your yummy sweet potato pics, I have never made a savory one. I must try this!
I have to try this!