Looking for an easy vegetarian dinner idea? Try Tempeh Loaded Sweet Potatoes (with just 7 ingredients!), a satisfying recipe the whole family will love.
I've been having a little love affair with sweet potatoes lately. Everything from breakfast to dinner and snacks. There's no bad time of day to eat them, especially during the fall and winter months.
My all-time favorite is loaded sweet potatoes.
They're super easy to make, are great for leftovers and prepping in advance, and only require a few simple ingredients. Most importantly, they also just taste really, really good.
You can load a sweet potato millions of different ways. Stuff with taco filling, crispy chickpeas, or coconut curry.
My personal choice when I'm looking for something really easy and comforting is this BBQ tempeh and vegetable mix. It's a tasty and convenient weeknight dinner.
How to Make BBQ Tempeh Loaded Sweet Potatoes
There only seven ingredients, so it's probably no big surprise this recipe is simple. The basic steps are:
- Roast the sweet potatoes
- Sauté the BBQ tempeh filling
- Load them up and serve
Start by roasting whole sweet potatoes in the oven until they're tender. Then use a knife to split them open—slice about three-quarters of the way through so the bottom stays intact.
While the sweet potatoes are baking, prepare then BBQ tempeh filling in a skillet on the stovetop. Start by sautéeing the vegetables—onion, corn, and broccoli.
Once the veggies are cooked, stir in the crumbled tempeh and BBQ sauce. Cook for a few minutes so the flavors have a chance to meld together, and then remove the skillet from the heat.
The final step is assembling the loaded sweet potatoes.
To assemble, take the roasted sweet potatoes out of the oven. Use a fork to mash them up slightly and create more space for the filling to go inside.
Spoon the BBQ tempeh mixture into the center of each sweet potato and that's it.
See? Isn't this meal so easy?
Will this recipe work with other types of potatoes?
Feel free to swap in russet potatoes if you're not a fan of the sweet variety. Smaller varieties (like red or Yukon gold) also work, but you may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the size. Look for potatoes that are large enough to be opened up and stuffed.
What is tempeh? Can I use something else instead?
Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans. It's a great source of plant-based protein and I'm also personally a big fan of the taste and texture. You can usually find tempeh near the tofu in the refrigerated section.
If you don't want to use tempeh (or can't find it in your area), try substituting black beans, tofu, or red lentils.
What type of BBQ sauce do you recommend?
Any type of BBQ sauce works for this recipe, so feel free to use up whatever is in your fridge right now. I like hot BBQ sauces since they add a little spice. You could always stir in a little cayenne pepper if yours is mild.
If you want to make your own, try this recipe for Homemade BBQ Sauce.
Can you make this recipe ahead of time? What's the best way to store loaded sweet potatoes?
In addition to being a simple recipe to cook, you can also make these loaded sweet potatoes in advance. Just store them in an airtight container in the fridge and they'll be good for up to one week.
You might also like these sweet potato recipes:
- Sweet Potato Energy Bars
- Southeast Asian-inspired Herb Rice
- Carrot Ginger Sweet Potato Soup
- Sweet Potato Toast with Olive and Caper Tapenade
- Spiralized Sweet Potato Spring Rolls
- Favorite Sweet Potato Hummus Sandwich
- 4 small sweet potatoes, cleaned
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 2 cups finely chopped broccoli
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 (8-ounce) block tempeh
- ¾ cup hot BBQ sauce (homemade or store-bought, see note)
- Chopped green onion
- Chopped chives
- Plain yogurt (dairy or dairy-free, see note)
-
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread sweet potatoes in a baking dish and place on the center rack of the oven. Bake 40 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork.
-
Remove baking dish from the oven. Slice each sweet potato lengthwise about three-quarters of the way down, so that the bottom remains intact. Use a fork to loosen and mash some of the orange sweet potato flesh. Spread sliced sweet potatoes in the baking dish and return to the oven to bake 20 additional minutes, or until soft.
-
Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in red onion and cook 3 minutes, or until translucent.
-
Stir in broccoli and corn and cook 3 minutes, or until corn is warm and broccoli turns bright green.
-
Use your hands to crumble the tempeh into small pieces and add it to the vegetable mixture in the skillet. Stir in BBQ sauce and cook on low 3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside until the sweet potatoes are cooked.
-
Remove baked sweet potatoes from the oven and use a fork to mash the sweet potatoes as needed to create space for the filling. Divide the filling between sweet potatoes by spooning a portion into the center of each.
-
Serve with green onions, chives, and plain yogurt if desired.
For a vegan variation, use vegan BBQ sauce and dairy-free yogurt alternative.
For a gluten-free variation, use gluten-free BBQ sauce.
Click here for a Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Save these Loaded Sweet Potatoes on Pinterest
Did you try this recipe?
Rate and leave a comment below, or tag me (@GratefulGrazer) if you share on Instagram.
All That I'm Eating says
I really like this recipe, it's full of so many different veggies and I bet loads of flavour too. I'll have to give this a try!
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks so much! Let me know if you try it. 🙂
Ann says
It's simple but extremely delicious, I'm sure. Broccoli goes nice with corn and potato. I really adore this combination. And a very nice choice of the sauce! Thank you for this recipe, Stephanie! 🙂
Stephanie McKercher, RDN says
Thanks, Ann! I agree—broccoli is so good here!