Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet

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

Update: This recipe was originally published in 2020 and has been republished with all new photos.

I’m a firm believer that protein + potatoes + veggies make for a satiating meal any time of day! This combo is especially perfect for a quick healthy dinner. If you’ve made my recipes before then you know I’m a big believer in showing people how easy it can be to transform even the most basic ingredients into a meal the whole family will love.

The best part? This ground beef skillet is ready in only 30 minutes! The most challenging step is getting the veggies chopped. We can handle that!

This uncomplicated but flavorful skillet dinner is a great option for meal prep too. So make it for dinner tonight or make it ahead of time to enjoy later.

Craving more easy dinner recipes? Try my Easy Ground Turkey and Zucchini Skillet, Healthy Ground Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry, Easy Ground Chicken and Green Bean Stir Fry, Ground Turkey and Potato Skillet, or Easy Ground Chicken and Zucchini Skillet.

Ingredients for Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet

• Ground beef: I recommend lean ground beef for this easy recipe to avoid having to deal with any excess grease. You can also use another ground meat like ground chicken or ground turkey if you prefer.
• Minced garlic: You can mince your own fresh garlic cloves or use a jarred variety.
• Sweet potatoes: I personally enjoy the mix of sweet and savory in this dish so the sweet potatoes are key to achieving that. You can of course opt to use regular potatoes like yellow, gold, or russet potatoes instead.
• Carrots: We’re dicing the carrots so you get some in every bite.
• Brussels sprouts: These will be chopped to decrease your cooking time (always a win!) and help them better blend in with the other ingredients. We want everything to be about the same size.
• Beef stock or broth: Both beef stock and beef broth can be used here. Stock is typically made by simmering the bones for hours. Broth is made by simmering the meat instead of only the bones.
• Olive or avocado oil: Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil helps us get the sweet potato and carrots deliciously tender. You can also use any high quality neutral oil.
• Seasonings: Chili powder, ground ginger, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt are the simple seasonings you need to give this dish the best flavor. This dish has a little heat but isn’t overwhelmingly spicy. To increase the spiciness, use 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes instead of 1/4 tsp. You can also simply omit the red pepper completely if you want to keep it mild.

How to Make Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet

The first thing we’ll do to create this quick dish is sauté and season the ground beef in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the garlic at the last minute to get it golden brown. Season. Then set the meat and garlic aside because we want to use to this same skillet to get our veggies cooked to tender perfection.

The sweet potatoes and carrots sauté in a bit of oil next. They’ll get seasoned separately in this step because we’re building our flavors here.

Then it’s time for the ground beef mixture to go back to the pan along with the beef stock and chopped brussels sprouts. Reduce to medium heat and simmer to marry your flavors and soften the sprouts.

Aaaand we’re done. That wasn’t hard at all, was it?

It’s a little bit savory and sweet (thanks to the carrots and sweet potatoes) plus it has a nice kick from the crushed red pepper flakes. If you want to make it pretty feel free to add some of my favorite toppings. I recommend trying green onions, fresh cilantro, or avocado slices.

Vegetable and Potato Swaps

Let’s chat swaps.

You can easily use yellow, gold, or russet potatoes in place of sweet potatoes.

If brussels sprouts aren’t your thing I’d (a) suggest giving them a try because they’re amazing and (b) recommend using fresh green beans (halved) or broccoli if you’re adamant about avoiding those sprouts. The green beans can be added to the skillet with the sweet potato and carrots. They’ll need that extra time to get tender with some charing. If using broccoli add it at the end, cover, and steam for just a few minutes.

How to Store Leftovers

Want to enjoy this easy one-pan meal the next day or later in the week? This quick recipe is great for meal prep! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a large skillet on the stovetop on low to medium-low heat until warmed through.

This is also a great recipe to freeze! Store in a freezer-safe container like a freezer bag. After thawing add it to a pot on the stove over low to medium-low heat, stirring frequently, or reheat in the microwave.

How to Serve

Oh there are so many ways to serve up this delicious recipe. You can clearly enjoy it as is and it’s just perfect. Flavorful. Healthy. Satiating thanks to those potatoes.

But perhaps you want to add something to stretch this easy meal a bit further? I know I always like extra green on our plates!

Other veggies that work beautifully beside this skillet meal are Easy Roasted Broccoli, Spicy Roasted Broccoli, Garlic Green Beans, Simple Sautéed Cabbage, or Roasted Green Beans with Almonds.

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