Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Smoky Black Beans

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These smoky black bean stuffed sweet potatoes are the hearty, cozy vegetarian meal you didn't know you needed! Simple baked sweet potatoes piled high with saucy, smoky black beans and all the fresh, flavor-packed toppings.

Three smoky black bean stuffed sweet potatoes with toppings on a plate.

All I want these days are warm, cozy carbs that make me feel good. And while my sweet potato and bean enchilada skillet has gotten me through many a cold evening, I've been itching to get a new sweet potato main on our menu.

Enter these smoky black bean stuffed sweet potatoes! You'd think I'd be sick of them after making them five or six times in the last few weeks... but nope. Still here, craving these sweet potatoes.

We're talking a humble baked sweet potato stuffed with gently simmered smoky black beans (made with pantry staples), then leveled up with whatever toppings your heart desires. For me? That includes some pickled red onions, feta, cilantro, pepitas, Greek yogurt, and avocado slices.

This stuffed sweet potato recipe is the one to reach for when you want a cozy, hearty meal that's light, yet nourishing. They're seasonal, affordable, and simple: the kind of recipes that reflect my seasonal cooking approach, rooted in everyday, accessible ingredients.

Stuffed sweet potatoes are a classic baked sweet potato stuffed with a smoky, saucy black bean filling! Perfect for meal prep or easy weeknight meals.

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Key Ingredients & Notes
Making the Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Step-by-Step)
Sustainability Tips
FAQs: Storage, Freezing & Meal Prep
More Cozy Sweet Potato Recipes
📖 Recipe

Key Ingredients & Notes

Ingredients needed for stuffed sweet potatoes with smoky black bean filling.

Sweet potatoes - Medium-sized sweet potatoes are great for stuffed sweet potatoes (big enough to fill without being stringy or taking forever to bake). Look for ones that are pretty close in size so they bake at similar rates. I've used both orange and Japanese sweet potatoes (purple outside, white flesh) here, and love both!
Black beans - This recipe calls for canned, though you can certainly use cooked from dried. Ancho chili powder and chipotle powder are what provide the smokiness, but you don't have chipotle, the ancho chili powder alone is great!
Toppings - Pickled red onions, crumbled feta or cotija, shredded cheddar, Greek yogurt, avocado, cilantro, and pepitas are some of my favorites! Honestly, anything you like for a taco topping or sweet potato taco bowl translates perfectly here.

If you're looking for a protein to serve alongside, pop these air fryer taco chicken thighs into your air fryer. They only take 15 minutes!

Making the Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Step-by-Step)

Prepped sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat, before baking.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and poke sweet potatoes a few times on all sides with a fork. Bake on a sheet pan at 400 for 50-60 minutes. When done, they'll look puffy and be easy to pierce through with a fork.

Sautéing onions with spices to make smoky black bean filling.

Step 2: When the potatoes have 15-20 minutes left, make the smoky black beans. Start with aromatics: preheat a pan with some olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion with tomato paste and spices.

Smoky, saucy black bean filling with kale in a sauté pan.

Step 3: Add in black beans, tomato sauce, broth, and greens. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes.

Step 4: Take the potatoes out of the oven and give them a couple minutes to cool. Cut down the center but not all the way through - you want to create a little pocket for the beans. Stuff with beans, and cover in toppings!

The Best Toppings: For this recipe, I just can't get enough of the pickled red onion, feta, and cilantro combo (at a minimum). When I also have avocado, pepitas, and Greek yogurt... those are going on, too.

The Perfect Sweet Potato Cut

While you could technically cut the baked sweet potatoes directly in half and top them, I like to "stuff" them, which means keeping them intact.

To do this, I'll cut a slit in the center of the potato lengthwise, leaving a bit of space on either end and below. Then I'll take each end of the potato and gently push towards the center to "open" the slit. This creates a a pocket for all your filling!

A baked sweet potato split open to be stuffed with black beans, on a plate.

Sustainability Tips

Batch bake - While the oven's on, bake up a bunch! Enjoy throughout the week as sides, snacks, or even breakfasts (they'd be great with a chili pepper soft scramble).
Buy local - In southern Wisconsin, I can buy sweet potatoes locally year round, which is pretty cool considering it's hard to grow most things in winter here. See if you can find something local where you're at, too!
Batch cook black beans - Batch cook a bunch of dried black beans and freeze them in 1.5-2 cup batches (about 1 can's worth). Look for black beans you can buy in a bulk foods section to reduce packaging waste.

FAQs: Storage, Freezing & Meal Prep

Can this recipe be meal prepped?

YES and it's amazing, especially for work lunches. They reheat beautifully when assembled with the black bean filling, all together in the microwave, air fryer, or oven. If you reheat the black beans separately on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth helps loosen them.

How do I store stuffed sweet potatoes?

Store leftovers or meal prepped sweet potatoes and filling in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can be stored separately or assembled with the black bean filling, but I recommend storing toppings separately. Top after reheating!

Can I freeze stuffed sweet potatoes?

Yes! For best texture, freeze the sweet potatoes and filling separately. Let the baked sweet potatoes cool, wrap tightly in parchment or beeswax wrap, and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Cool the smoky black bean filling and freeze in its own airtight container for up to 3 months.

More Cozy Sweet Potato Recipes

Did you make these stuffed sweet potatoes with black bean filling? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave a ⭐️ rating and comment below, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and my newsletter for more everyday seasonal recipes.