Simple Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Bowls

Here are my ground beef and sweet potato bowls, with roasted seasoned sweet potatoes, taco-spiced beef, a creamy cottage cheese mixture, and your choice of toppings like avocado, jalapeños, and hot honey.

These bowls have become a weeknight staple in our house because they’re filling, easy to throw together, and everyone can customize their own bowl with whatever toppings they want. Plus, leftovers taste great the next day for lunch!

What Kind of Ground Beef Should I Use?

For these bowls, you can use whatever ground beef fat percentage you prefer, though I usually go with 85/15 or 90/10 for a good balance of flavor and not too much grease. If you opt for leaner beef like 93/7, just know it might be a bit drier, so you may want to add a splash more water when mixing in the taco seasoning. On the flip side, if you use 80/20, you’ll get more flavor but you might want to drain off some of the excess fat after browning. Ground beef is pretty forgiving in this recipe, so just use what fits your preference or what’s on sale at the store.

Options for Substitutions

This recipe is easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Sweet potatoes: Regular russet potatoes or butternut squash work well here. Keep the same cooking time for russets, but squash might cook a bit faster, so check it around 20 minutes.
• Ground beef: Ground turkey, chicken, or pork are all great swaps. You can also use plant-based ground meat if you prefer. The cooking time stays the same for any of these options.
• Taco seasoning: If you don’t have a packet on hand, mix together 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon each of cumin and paprika, 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder, and a pinch of cayenne.
• Cottage cheese: Greek yogurt or sour cream make good substitutes if you’re not a cottage cheese fan. Use the same amount and mix in the seasonings just like you would with the cottage cheese.
• Toppings: The avocado, jalapenos, hot honey, and red pepper flakes are all optional. Feel free to add your own favorites like shredded cheese, salsa, cilantro, or lime wedges.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when roasting sweet potatoes is cutting them into uneven pieces, which means some will be mushy while others stay hard – aim for uniform 1-inch cubes so everything cooks at the same rate.

Don’t skip draining the fat from your ground beef, even if it looks minimal, because excess grease will pool at the bottom of your bowl and make everything oily instead of letting the taco seasoning properly coat the meat.

When adding the taco seasoning and water, make sure to let it simmer the full 5 minutes until the sauce actually thickens and clings to the beef – pulling it off the heat too early leaves you with watery meat that won’t hold its flavor.

Finally, wait until your sweet potatoes and beef have cooled for a few minutes before assembling the bowls, as adding cold cottage cheese to piping hot ingredients can cause it to separate and become watery.

What to Serve With Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Bowls?

These bowls are pretty filling on their own, but I love adding some fresh toppings to make them even better. A simple side of tortilla chips with salsa or guacamole is perfect for scooping up extra bites, and it adds a nice crunch to the meal. If you want to bulk things up, try serving them with some cilantro-lime rice or black beans on the side. You could also add some shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice right on top of the bowl for extra freshness.

Storage Instructions

Store: These bowls are perfect for meal prep! Keep the cooked sweet potatoes and seasoned ground beef in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like to store the cottage cheese mixture separately too, so everything stays fresh and you can mix and match portions throughout the week.

Freeze: The sweet potatoes and ground beef both freeze really well for up to 3 months. Just let them cool completely first, then portion them out into freezer-safe containers. I’d skip freezing the cottage cheese mixture and fresh toppings though, since those are best made fresh.

Reheat: Warm up your sweet potatoes and beef in the microwave for about 2 minutes, or heat them in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. If reheating from frozen, let them thaw in the fridge overnight first for best results.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1680-1920
• Protein: 100-115 g
• Fat: 75-90 g
• Carbohydrates: 120-145 g

Ingredients

For the sweet potatoes:

• 2 lb sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 tsp chili powder
• 1.5 tsp cumin
• 1.25 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper

For the ground beef:

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20 lean for best flavor)
• 1 oz taco seasoning (I use Old El Paso)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

For the cottage cheese mixture:

• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1.25 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2.5 tbsp parsley (freshly chopped for best aroma)

For garnish (optional):

• avocado (sliced or diced)
• jalapenos (thinly sliced)
• hot honey
• red pepper flakes

Step 1: Prepare and Roast Sweet Potatoes

• 2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 tsp chili powder
• 1.5 tsp cumin
• 1.25 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat your oven to 425°F.

While it heats, peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes—keeping them uniform ensures even cooking.

Toss the cubed potatoes with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.

Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they’re tender and slightly caramelized at the edges.

I like to flip them around the 12-minute mark rather than just stirring once—this helps them brown more evenly on all sides.

Step 2: Cook Seasoned Ground Beef

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 oz taco seasoning
• 1/4 cup water

While the sweet potatoes roast, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef.

Break it apart with a spoon as it cooks, allowing it to brown evenly for about 5 minutes.

Once the beef is cooked through, drain off any excess fat if needed.

Add the taco seasoning and water, stirring well to combine, then simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the meat.

The timing works perfectly—your beef will finish just as the sweet potatoes come out of the oven.

Step 3: Season Cottage Cheese Mixture

• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1.25 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2.5 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped

While the beef simmers, prepare the cottage cheese topping.

In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and freshly chopped parsley.

Stir until well blended and the herbs are evenly distributed.

I find that using freshly chopped parsley instead of dried makes a noticeable difference in both flavor and appearance—the fresh herbs give the cottage cheese a vibrant, homemade quality.

Step 4: Assemble Bowls and Add Toppings

• roasted sweet potatoes from Step 1
• seasoned ground beef from Step 2
• cottage cheese mixture from Step 3
• avocado, sliced or diced
• jalapenos, thinly sliced
• hot honey
• red pepper flakes

Divide the roasted sweet potatoes from Step 1 between four bowls, then top each with the seasoned ground beef from Step 2.

Spoon a generous portion of the seasoned cottage cheese mixture from Step 3 into each bowl.

Top with sliced or diced avocado and thinly sliced jalapeños.

Drizzle with hot honey and sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste—the heat and sweetness create a perfect contrast to the savory bowl components.

Simple Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Bowls

Delicious Simple Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Bowls recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1800 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the sweet potatoes::

• 2 lb sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 tsp chili powder
• 1.5 tsp cumin
• 1.25 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper

For the ground beef::

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20 lean for best flavor)
• 1 oz taco seasoning (I use Old El Paso)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

For the cottage cheese mixture::

• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1.25 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2.5 tbsp parsley (freshly chopped for best aroma)

For garnish (optional):

• avocado (sliced or diced)
• jalapenos (thinly sliced)
• hot honey
• red pepper flakes

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 425°F. While it heats, peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes—keeping them uniform ensures even cooking. Toss the cubed potatoes with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they're tender and slightly caramelized at the edges. I like to flip them around the 12-minute mark rather than just stirring once—this helps them brown more evenly on all sides.
• While the sweet potatoes roast, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef. Break it apart with a spoon as it cooks, allowing it to brown evenly for about 5 minutes. Once the beef is cooked through, drain off any excess fat if needed. Add the taco seasoning and water, stirring well to combine, then simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the meat. The timing works perfectly—your beef will finish just as the sweet potatoes come out of the oven.
• While the beef simmers, prepare the cottage cheese topping. In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and freshly chopped parsley. Stir until well blended and the herbs are evenly distributed. I find that using freshly chopped parsley instead of dried makes a noticeable difference in both flavor and appearance—the fresh herbs give the cottage cheese a vibrant, homemade quality.
• Divide the roasted sweet potatoes from Step 1 between four bowls, then top each with the seasoned ground beef from Step 2. Spoon a generous portion of the seasoned cottage cheese mixture from Step 3 into each bowl. Top with sliced or diced avocado and thinly sliced jalapeños. Drizzle with hot honey and sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste—the heat and sweetness create a perfect contrast to the savory bowl components.