Loaded Sweet Potato Skins (Printable)
Crispy sweet potato skins filled with black beans, melted cheese, and fresh toppings for a satisfying bite.
# What You'll Need:
→ Sweet Potatoes
01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes
→ Beans & Vegetables
02 - 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
03 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
→ Spices
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
08 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - ½ teaspoon chili powder
10 - ½ teaspoon salt
11 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
→ Cheese
12 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (100 g)
13 - ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (50 g)
→ Toppings
14 - ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
15 - 1 avocado, diced
16 - 2 green onions, sliced
17 - Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
18 - Lime wedges
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Wash and prick each sweet potato several times with a fork. Bake directly on the oven rack or the prepared baking sheet for 40 to 50 minutes until tender. Allow to cool slightly.
03 - Slice each sweet potato lengthwise and carefully scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a ¼-inch border intact.
04 - Brush the inside of each potato skin with olive oil and place skin-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes to crisp the skins.
05 - Combine black beans, red onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir thoroughly.
06 - Spoon the black bean mixture evenly into each potato skin and top with shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.
07 - Return the filled potato skins to the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
08 - Remove from the oven. Garnish with sour cream or Greek yogurt, diced avocado, sliced green onions, fresh cilantro leaves, and serve with lime wedges.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The skins get genuinely crispy while the insides stay soft, creating a textural contrast that makes every bite interesting.
- It comes together faster than you'd think, and somehow tastes like you spent way more effort than you did.
- You can load them however you want, which means no two batches have to be identical.
02 -
- Don't rush the initial potato bake—undercooked potatoes mean mushy skins that tear when you try to scoop, which I learned the painful way.
- The crispy step for the skins is what separates these from just being baked potato halves, so don't skip it thinking it's redundant.
- Add your avocado and cilantro right before eating because they wilt and brown if they sit too long on the warm potatoes.
03 -
- If you prefer extra spice, use pepper jack cheese or drizzle the finished skins with your favorite hot sauce before adding the cold toppings.
- For a vegan version, plant-based cheddar melts surprisingly well, and cashew cream works beautifully in place of sour cream.