Savory Beef and Sweet Potato Hash

Welcome to your new favorite go-to recipe for effortless, nutritious, and incredibly delicious weeknight dinners! This simple yet satisfying **one-pan ground beef and sweet potato skillet** is an absolute game-changer. It’s brimming with lean ground beef (or ground turkey if you prefer!), vibrant Brussels sprouts, sweet carrots, and hearty sweet potatoes, all seasoned to perfection. This is not just a meal; it’s a complete, veggie-packed solution designed for busy evenings or efficient meal prepping, proving that wholesome eating doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.

(Original recipe published in 2020, revitalized with fresh photography and enhanced details for an even better culinary experience.)

I wholeheartedly believe that a balanced combination of protein, starchy vegetables, and green veggies forms the foundation of a truly fulfilling meal, no matter the time of day. This particular skillet recipe perfectly encapsulates that philosophy, delivering a quick, healthy, and incredibly flavorful dinner that the entire family will adore. If you’re familiar with my recipes, you know my mission is to demystify cooking and demonstrate how easily you can transform basic, readily available ingredients into something extraordinary. This ground beef skillet exemplifies that principle, making it an ideal choice for home cooks of all skill levels.

The best part about this fantastic dish? It comes together in just about 30 minutes! The most involved step is simply chopping your fresh vegetables, and that’s a task we can definitely conquer together. From prep to plate, you’re looking at a minimal effort for maximum flavor, making it a perfect contender for your regular dinner rotation.

Beyond its speed, this uncomplicated yet robustly flavored skillet dinner is also an outstanding option for meal prep. Whether you’re cooking it for tonight’s dinner or preparing it ahead to enjoy throughout a busy week, its flavors hold up beautifully, making your future self incredibly happy. Imagine having a wholesome, homemade meal ready to heat and eat, saving you precious time and decision-making during hectic days.

Eager to explore more effortlessly delicious dinner recipes? Dive into some of my other popular skillet and stir-fry creations: check out my Easy Ground Turkey and Zucchini Skillet, a refreshing Healthy Ground Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry, the straightforward Easy Ground Chicken and Green Bean Stir Fry, a comforting Ground Turkey and Potato Skillet, or another versatile option, the Easy Ground Chicken and Zucchini Skillet. Each offers a unique twist on quick and healthy eating!

Key Ingredients for the Perfect Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet

Crafting this savory and slightly sweet skillet meal requires a handful of accessible ingredients that come together to create a symphony of flavors. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need and why each component is vital:

• Ground Beef: For this easy one-pan wonder, I highly recommend using lean ground beef. This choice minimizes excess grease, making for a cleaner, healthier dish and saving you the step of draining fat. However, feel free to substitute with other ground meats like ground chicken or ground turkey if those are your preference or what you have on hand. They all work beautifully with the given seasonings.
• Minced Garlic: Freshly minced garlic cloves offer an incomparable aromatic depth that elevates the entire dish. If time is tight, a jarred minced garlic can certainly step in, but for the best flavor, fresh is always superior.
• Sweet Potatoes: These are absolutely crucial for achieving the delightful balance of sweet and savory in this skillet. Their natural sweetness caramelizes beautifully, complementing the rich beef and earthy vegetables. If you’re not a fan of sweet potatoes, or simply prefer a different profile, traditional potatoes like yellow, gold, or russet potatoes make excellent alternatives.
• Carrots: Diced into small, uniform pieces, carrots add another layer of sweetness, a pop of color, and essential vitamins to every bite. Cutting them small ensures they cook quickly and tenderly alongside the other ingredients.
• Brussels Sprouts: Often misunderstood, Brussels sprouts offer a wonderful texture and slightly bitter note that balances the sweetness of the potatoes and carrots. Chopping them before cooking significantly reduces their cooking time and helps them integrate seamlessly with the other components, ensuring everything is roughly the same size for even cooking.
• Beef Stock or Broth: This liquid is key for deglazing the pan, building flavor, and helping to tenderize the vegetables as they simmer. Both beef stock and broth are suitable. Stock, typically made from simmering bones for a longer duration, offers a richer, deeper flavor profile, while broth, made from simmering meat, provides a lighter but still flavorful base.
• Olive or Avocado Oil: A high-quality oil is essential for sautéing the vegetables to tender perfection and achieving that desirable slight caramelization on the sweet potatoes and carrots. Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil are excellent choices due to their healthy fats and relatively high smoke points. Any other neutral-flavored, high-quality cooking oil can also be used.
• Seasonings: The carefully selected blend of chili powder, ground ginger, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt is what truly brings this dish to life. This combination imparts a warm, aromatic flavor with just the right amount of gentle heat, without being overly spicy. If you crave more of a kick, increase the crushed red pepper flakes to ½ teaspoon. For a milder version, feel free to omit the red pepper completely. The dried basil (from the recipe card) adds another layer of herby goodness, complementing the robust flavors of the beef and vegetables.

Mastering the One-Pan Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating this satisfying skillet meal is wonderfully straightforward. Follow these simple steps to bring a flavorful and healthy dinner to your table in no time:

1. Brown the Ground Beef: Begin by placing your lean ground beef (or chosen ground meat alternative) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a spatula to break up the meat as it cooks. Stir occasionally until the beef is thoroughly browned and cooked through. This initial browning builds a fantastic flavor base for the entire dish.
2. Season and Sauté Garlic: Once the beef is browned, stir in the chili powder, dried basil, salt, black pepper, and onion powder directly into the skillet with the meat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for just one more minute, allowing the garlic to become fragrant and slightly golden. Be careful not to burn the garlic, as it can turn bitter quickly. Remove the seasoned ground beef and garlic from the skillet and set it aside in a bowl. We’ll reuse this same skillet to minimize cleanup.
3. Tenderize the Root Vegetables: Add the olive or avocado oil to the now-empty skillet. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add your diced sweet potatoes and carrots. Season these vegetables separately with salt, chili powder, ground ginger, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Maintain medium-high heat, as we want to achieve some beautiful browning and caramelization on the vegetables. Sauté, stirring frequently, for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sides of the potatoes begin to brown and they start to soften.
4. Combine and Simmer to Perfection: Reduce the heat to medium. Return the seasoned ground beef mixture to the pan, along with the beef stock or broth and the diced Brussels sprouts. Stir everything together well, ensuring all ingredients are evenly distributed and coated in the flavorful liquid. Cover the skillet and let it simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. This simmering period allows the flavors to meld beautifully and softens the Brussels sprouts to your desired tenderness.

And just like that, your incredibly flavorful and nutritious one-pan meal is ready to be enjoyed! Wasn’t that surprisingly easy? The result is a delightful interplay of savory and sweet notes, thanks to the caramelized carrots and sweet potatoes, perfectly complemented by a subtle warmth from the crushed red pepper flakes. To elevate the presentation and add an extra burst of freshness, consider garnishing your skillet with some of my favorite toppings: chopped green onions, fresh cilantro, or creamy avocado slices.

Adapt and Customize: Vegetable and Potato Swaps for Your Skillet

One of the beauties of a skillet meal is its incredible adaptability! Don’t hesitate to customize this recipe to suit your taste preferences or whatever ingredients you have on hand.

• Potato Power: While sweet potatoes offer a unique sweetness, you can effortlessly swap them for other varieties of potatoes. Yellow, gold, or russet potatoes work wonderfully, offering a more classic savory profile. Ensure they are diced to a similar size for consistent cooking.
• Brussels Sprouts Alternatives: If Brussels sprouts aren’t quite your favorite (though I highly encourage giving them another try, as they’re truly fantastic when cooked this way!), there are excellent alternatives. Fresh green beans, halved, can be added to the skillet alongside the sweet potatoes and carrots. They’ll benefit from that extra cooking time to become tender with a slight char. Alternatively, if you opt for broccoli florets, add them towards the end of the cooking process, cover the skillet, and let them steam for just a few minutes until they reach your desired crisp-tender texture.
• Other Veggie Ideas: Feel free to experiment with other quick-cooking vegetables. Diced bell peppers, zucchini, or even chopped kale (added at the very end to wilt) would be delicious additions, adding more color, texture, and nutrients to your one-pan creation.

Maximizing Flavor and Convenience: How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

This quick and easy one-pan meal isn’t just for dinner tonight; it’s also a fantastic candidate for meal preparation, ensuring you have delicious and healthy options ready for the days ahead!

• Refrigerating Leftovers: Any leftover ground beef and sweet potato skillet can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This makes it perfect for packing healthy lunches or having a speedy dinner option during the week.
• Reheating for Freshness: To reheat, simply transfer your desired portion to a large skillet on the stovetop. Reheat over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s thoroughly warmed through. Adding a tiny splash of beef broth or water can help prevent drying out and bring back some moisture.
• Freezing for Future Meals: This recipe also freezes exceptionally well! Once cooled completely, transfer the skillet mixture to a freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw the meal overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in a pot on the stove over low to medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat thawed portions in the microwave, stirring halfway through, until piping hot.

Elevate Your Meal: Creative Serving Suggestions

The beauty of this flavorful ground beef and sweet potato skillet lies in its versatility. It’s utterly delicious and perfectly balanced all on its own – healthy, hearty, and incredibly satiating thanks to those wonderful potatoes. But if you’re looking to stretch this easy meal further or simply add more variety to your plate, here are some fantastic serving ideas:

• As Is: Enjoy it straight from the pan! The combination of protein, complex carbohydrates, and various vegetables makes it a complete meal on its own.
• With Extra Greens: I’m a firm believer in adding more green to our plates! Pair this skillet with a simple side salad dressed with a light vinaigrette for extra freshness.
• Roasted Vegetable Companions: Complement the rich flavors of the skillet with other roasted vegetables. Consider serving it alongside Easy Roasted Broccoli, a kickier Spicy Roasted Broccoli, flavorful Garlic Green Beans, simple yet satisfying Simple Sautéed Cabbage, or elegant Roasted Green Beans with Almonds.
• Grain Bowls: For a more substantial meal, serve the skillet mixture over a bed of quinoa, brown rice, or cauliflower rice for a nutritious grain bowl.
• Wraps or Tacos: Scoop the mixture into warm tortillas or lettuce cups for a fun, deconstructed taco or wrap experience. Add your favorite toppings like salsa, sour cream, or extra avocado.
• Breakfast Hash: Repurpose leftovers as a delicious breakfast hash! Top with a fried or poached egg for a hearty start to your day.

Rated 4.80 from 35 votes

Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet

By Christina

This simple one-pan meal is loaded with ground beef (you’re welcome to use turkey), Brussels sprouts, carrots, and sweet potato. A veggie-packed recipe that’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner fix!

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Total: 30 mins

Servings: 4 people

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Ingredients

Beef

• 1 pound lean ground beef, (Can use ground turkey if preferred)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Veggies

• 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 large or 2 medium potatoes. You’re welcome to leave unpeeled if you like)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (Use ½ tsp for more heat, or omit for mild)
• 1 cup beef stock or broth
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, diced

Instructions

1. Add your ground beef (or turkey) to a large skillet on the stovetop. Use a spatula to crumble the meat. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned.
2. Stir in salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder, basil, and minced garlic. Sauté for one more minute so garlic is golden in color and fragrant. Remove beef and garlic from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the oil to the skillet. Once hot, add diced sweet potatoes and carrots. Season with salt, chili powder, ground ginger, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Make sure you’re still at medium-high heat to encourage browning on the veggies. Sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sides of potatoes have browned and they start to soften.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add the ground beef back to the pan along with the beef stock and diced Brussels sprouts. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Cover the skillet and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are tender to your liking and the flavors have melded.

Notes

This recipe generously serves 4 people as a stand-alone meal or with one side dish. If you add two side dishes, you can easily stretch this skillet to yield 6 servings. The provided nutrition information is calculated for 4 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 367kcal,
Carbohydrates: 32g,
Protein: 31g,
Fat: 14g,
Saturated Fat: 4g,
Cholesterol: 70mg,
Sodium: 1347mg,
Potassium: 1400mg,
Fiber: 9g,
Sugar: 9g,
Vitamin A: 21456IU,
Vitamin C: 102mg,
Calcium: 108mg,
Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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