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Loaded sweet potato skins are crispy, cheesy, and gooey, with chili-spiced pinto beans and corn. It’s the perfect party appetizer!
Any recipe that starts with “loaded sweet potato” is a favorite in our house. I make these loaded sweet potato rounds as an appetizer for friends and they always disappear quickly.
So I couldn’t resist creating another loaded sweet potato something, especially with football playoffs in swing and the Super Bowl approaching!
5 Star Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”These were so simple and sooo delicious!! I was blown away by the flavor. Served it along side some Mexican millet and broccoli. Yum!” -Jessica
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sweet potatoes: Look for small to medium sweet potatoes here, for the best look.
- Pinto beans: I use canned beans to keep it quick and easy.
- Chili powder: This brings big savory flavor.
- Olive oil: This is the heart-healthy oil I use most for cooking.
- Shredded Mexican-blend cheese: This goes into the filling and on top to get them nice and gooey.
- Corn, green onion, and cilantro: These add delicious fresh flavor to the filling!
How To Make Loaded Sweet Potato Skins
These potatoes take about 1 ½ to 2 hours to prepare, depending on the size of your potatoes, but it’s time well spent when you taste them! The outer skins are a bit crispy, with the insides creamy and bursting with flavor.
Keep in mind that nearly 1 hour of the preparation time is hands off while the potatoes are baking, so you can use this time to prepare the other meal components and clean up after yourself. *Update: We also found they reheat perfectly, so making them in advance works well too (see below).
I like to make this recipe as a dinner main dish instead of a party appetizer, though it works well either way. Tonight we served the potatoes with cilantro lime quinoa and a salad for a delicious dinner with friends. It’s also a great option for a vegetarian and gluten-free meal, which was exactly what we needed tonight since one friend is gluten intolerant.
How To Make Sweet Potato Skins Ahead Of Time
To make ahead, bake and scoop the potatoes, mix the filling, and stuff the skins. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days in advance. When ready to serve, bake at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes straight from the fridge.
Leftovers keep 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven or an air fryer!
Dietary Notes
This recipe is this loaded sweet potato skins recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Loaded Sweet Potato Skins
Imagine: crispy sweet potato skins topped with a cheesy, gooey filling, chili-spiced pinto beans, and crunchy green onions. The perfect party appetizer!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 as a main, 8 as an appetizer 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup pinto beans (from a 15-ounce can)
- 2 ½ pounds small to medium sweet potatoes
- Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon chili powder, divided
- 1 ⅓ cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
- ⅔ cup fresh or frozen corn
- 1 green onion
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Fresh ground pepper
- Sour cream (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook the beans using this method or this method (in advance for easy prep).
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Wash the sweet potatoes, and prick them all over with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the sweet potatoes, until tender.
- Drain and rinse the beans. Mix 1 cup beans with a drizzle of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ tablespoon chili powder.
- When the potatoes have finished baking, remove them from the oven. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly until able to handle. Cut each potato in half with a serrated knife, then scoop out the insides into a bowl, making sure to keep a layer of sweet potato within the skin so that it can stand on its own. Return the skins to the baking sheet face up and drizzle with olive oil. Reduce the heat to 400°F and bake while you mix up the stuffing (about 5 minutes).
- In the bowl, mash the sweet potato insides with a masher, then stir in the shredded cheese, ½ tablespoon chili powder, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper.
- Fill each potato skin with the filling. Top with beans, a sprinkle of corn, and a sprinkle of extra cheese. Bake until heated through and the cheese melts, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the green onion and chop the cilantro. Remove the potatoes from the oven and garnish with green onions and cilantro. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream if desired.
These were so simple and sooo delicious!! I was blown away by the flavor. Served it along side some Mexican millet and broccoli. Yum!
One of my fave recipes of yours… absolutely love it! Must have made it 10 times by now… I make it with canned chili beans :)
So glad you enjoy it! Thanks for letting us know :)
This is absolutely delicious! As a college student, I couldn’t be more grateful for a simple, quick recipe to go along with some rice and beans.
can i substitute canned beans for the dried, rinsed and drained
Yes, this would work fine.
I so love cheesy potato skins. Thanks for the recipe.
I have a question about the pinto beans. Are there any other beans that would be good with the recipes or does it only work with pinto?
I’d probably go with black beans if you’re going to substitute. Hope you enjoy!
Made these the other day and they were delicious! Might add some corn to the mix next time, we’ll see… :)
Wow! You guys also made a recipe with Stuffed Sweet potato looks delicious, we got to try this :D Ours is not filled with beans but with Chickpeas and Chevré! http://happyhealthyhunters.com/2015/01/08/healthy-sweet-potato-recipe/