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If you just can’t get over the combination of slightly sweet and a little spicy, you’ll love these Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potatoes. Get all of your favorite hot wings flavor in healthy stuffed baked sweet potatoes that make a satisfying and delicious gluten free dinner!
Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potatoes – the Best Stuffed Sweet Potatoes!
Out of all of the recipes I’ve made and created over the years, one that shows up on our dinner table frequently is my Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes. They are so easy to make, and I love that it is saucy, spicy, and yes, even healthy!
While the rest of my family can have regular buns, I don’t always want to spend the extra money on so-so gluten free rolls or have the extra time to make my own Gluten Free Hamburger Buns. So I started spooning that delicious mixture into baked sweet potatoes. I was instantly hooked on that sweet, savory, spicy combination. Especially when you add plenty of gooey cheese!
Other recipes for Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potatoes require you to prepare ahead of time to have pre-cooked chicken or to cook the buffalo chicken in the crockpot all day. The best part of this recipe is that it uses ground chicken so you can cook up that filling in about 15 minutes.
Heck, you have enough time to chop the veggies and cook it all up while the sweet potatoes are baking – even if you use the fastest method in the microwave!
Ingredients
Let’s gather up what we need to make these Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes! Here is an overview of the ingredients and some details about preparing the recipe. But the full quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Sweet potatoes. I recommend using medium-sized potatoes. If yours are very large, you may only need two.
- Olive oil.
- Onion. Minced.
- Carrots. Peeled and diced into small cubes.
- Celery. Again, finely diced.
- Lean ground chicken. You can also use ground chicken breast.
- Salt and pepper.
- Tomato sauce. You’ll need a small can, not jarred marinara sauce which has more seasonings added.
- Hot sauce. I like to use Frank’s Red Hot, and you can adjust the amount based on how spicy you like it.
- Worcestershire sauce. Be sure your brand is gluten free, if needed. In the United States, Lea & Perrins is a good option. This can be omitted, but it adds a nice depth of flavor.
- Shredded cheese. You can use cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Colby Jack cheese, or a combination.
- Crumbled blue cheese. This is optional, depending on your preferences. Be sure yours is gluten free, if needed. Though this wasn’t always the case, many brands are now available that are gluten free. You can also use goat cheese or more of the cheese you stuffed inside.
- Toppings. Blue cheese or Ranch dressing is the classic pairing.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potatoes
Bake the Sweet Potatoes. I have an entire post on How to Make Baked Sweet Potatoes. The most common way is to pierce them with a form, rub the outside with olive oil, and place them in the oven at 400°F for 45-55 minutes. But you can also cook them in the microwave, slow cooker, Instant Pot, or air fryer. Instructions are in the recipe card or in that full article.
Make the Buffalo Chicken. While the sweet potatoes are baking, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt and pepper until the onions are becoming translucent and vegetables are starting to get soft. Add the ground chicken, and break up the meat as it cooks until it is fully cooked with no pink remaining. Stir in the tomato sauce, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer for several minutes, until heated through.
Stuff the Potatoes. Slice open the baked sweet potatoes and give them a bit of a squeeze to open them up, fluffing the inside a little with a fork, if you like. Sprinkle the shredded cheese inside and top with the buffalo chicken mixture. The heat of the potato and meat will melt the cheese.
Serve with Toppings. Give them a sprinkle of crumbled blue cheese, if you like, then a drizzle of Ranch, Blue Cheese, or your favorite dressing, sauce, or topping. You can even add an extra dash of hot sauce to really spice things up.
Tips for Success
Make it ahead
Both the buffalo chicken and the baked sweet potatoes can be prepared ahead and refrigerated or frozen until you are ready to assemble the loaded potatoes. It will be good in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days, or the freezer for up to two months.
Warm up the buffalo chicken in a skillet on the stove or in the microwave. Then heat up the baked sweet potatoes in the microwave or oven before stuffing with the cheese and chicken.
Storing and reheating leftovers
If you have any leftover stuffed sweet potatoes or just have extra or the buffalo chicken mixture, store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 2 or 3 days. You can heat it through in the microwave or pop it in the oven or air fryer at 350°F for about 10 minutes to reheat it.
Variations
- Replace the Chicken. You can certainly give this a try with ground turkey or even beef for a different flavor. Or make it with leftover cooked and shredded chicken if you’ve bought a grocery store chicken or made an Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken. Saute the veggies as directed, then stir in about 2 cups of shredded chicken.
- Use a Different Potato. While I love the pairing of sweet and spicy, regular baked potatoes work too. You can even turn it into Loaded Sweet Potato Fries. Or spoon it over Air Fryer French Fries or even Mashed Potatoes to turn it into a bowl meal.
- Dairy-free/Paleo-friendly. Skip the cheese and use dairy-free dressings and toppings.
Make it a Meal
This is a satisfying meal on its own, and you can always put some celery or carrot sticks on the plate to add some crunch and dunk into the Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing. You can buy a bottle or jar of your favorite, or try one of these ideas:
But it’s also nice to serve a salad or some veggies on the side. Or even bread to scoop up that saucy goodness that falls out of the sweet potato. Here are some ideas.
- Air Fryer Cauliflower
- Classic Coleslaw
- Gluten Free Breadsticks
- Bacon Green Beans
- Sauteed Summer Vegetables
More stuffed potatoes
- Philly Cheesesteak Loaded Potatoes
- Jambalaya Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Shepherd’s Pie Loaded Baked Potatoes
- Black Bean Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil, plus more for coating the sweet potatoes
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1 pound lean ground chicken
- salt and pepper
- 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup hot sauce (Recommended: Frank's Red Hot. Use more or less, depending on how spicy you like it.)
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Colby Jack cheese, or a combination
- 4-8 Tablespoons crumbled blue cheese, optional
- Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip or your favorite Ranch dressing
- Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing or your favorite blue cheese dressing
Instructions
- Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. Pierce the sin of the potatoes with a fork and rub a small amount of olive oil over the outside of the potatoes. Cook them using your preferred method (see Note).Oven: Bake at 400°F for 45-55 minutes, or until tender.Microwave: Place the sweet potato on a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 5 minutes. Turn the potato over and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Repeat until cooked through, up to a total of 15 minutes.Instant Pot: Add 1 cup of cold water to the inner pot and sert the potatoes on top of the wire trivet inside. Cook on Manual (or High Pressure) 15 minutes for small potatoes, 30 minutes for medium. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a Quick Release.Slow Cooker: Place the potatoes into the slow cooker. Cook on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-7 hours.Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Place the potatoes in the basket and cook at 400°F for 40-50 minutes, until tender.
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
- Add onions, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until onions are becoming translucent and vegetables are softening.
- Add the ground chicken, and cook until the chicken is browned and cooked through with no pink remaining, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, hot sauce, and Worcestershire, and simmer for several minutes, until heated through.
- Place the sweet potatoes on a plate and cut a slit in them. Gently squeeze the sides to open them up. Place 1/2 cup shredded cheese inside each sweet potato. Spoon about one-quarter of the chicken mixture into each and give it a couple of minutes for the cheese to melt.
- Sprinkle each one with 1-2 Tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese, if desired, and drizzle with Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing.
Notes
Did you make this?
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