These Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes are a favorite dinner recipe! Stuffed with tender chicken and topped with a quick guacamole, they’re so healthy and insanely full of flavor. Whole30 and paleo, these stuffed sweet potatoes are filling, full of protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
These Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes have become an all-time reader favorite since they’ve been published, for every reason imaginable. Filling, super healthy sweet potatoes are stuffed with an easy Mexican shredded chicken made easily in the Instant Pot, and the whole thing is topped with a really exceptional guacamole. Here’s how it goes:
Blend up an avocado with some cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, and a couple of other simple ingredients to make a positively delicious, potentially life-changing green sauce. Easy, right? Then, instead of chopping red onions, squeezing just the right amount of lime juice, dicing tomatoes, and all the other hands-on tasks for a traditional guacamole, you simply stir that green sauce into more avocados to make my favorite guac of all time. Spoon it generously over these Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes and ding. dong.
Why These Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Are So Good
- They come together easily, using the Instant Pot to quickly and perfectly cook the chicken. You can use the Instant Pot for the sweet potatoes, too! Or just bake them in the oven.
- The combination of flavors is just right: sweet and spicy and creamy and rich and bright, thanks to the stuffed sweet potatoes, salsa-cooked chicken, easy guacamole, and extra salsa.
- These stuffed sweet potatoes are super healthy, full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Macros √
- They’re totally Whole30 and will become a staple on any Whole30 you do. Pinky promise!
My relationship with the Instant Pot didn’t get off to a running start, not exactly.
I started slowly, making terrible, watery curries and hating it. But then, all of a sudden, it kind of clicked. The weather was getting warmer, and I stopped obsessing over how long it took to get to manual pressure. I improvised a garlic-rosemary pork tenderloin in the IP, and what resulted was better than any filet I’d ever had. The kitchen didn’t heat up, there was one dish to clean, and best of all… I could quite literally set it and forget it.
Consider me fully converted, join the cult, sign me up, where’s the Kool-Aid, DONE.
But, of course, you all already know this, right? Because I’m always late to the party, always showing up in 2001 wearing jelly sandals asking, “What? Just me?” Always “discovering” sweet potato toast like 300,000 pins late. That’s just my style, and I’m trying to embrace it.
Chicken + taco seasoning + a can of tomatoes and green chiles + Instant Pot = perfection.
Variations
- Stir together some mayonnaise and adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers and drizzle your chipotle mayo on top of the stuffed sweet potatoes. If you’re on a Whole30, you might have to use chipotle pepper powder instead; it can be hard to find Whole30 compliant chipotle peppers.
- Swap sweet potatoes for Russet potatoes for a stuffed potato taco!
- Make the Mexican shredded chicken in the slow cooker: combine all ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Proceed with the recipe as written.
- Use pico de gallo from the prepared foods section (Or make it yourself!) for a super fresh topping on these stuffed sweet potatoes.
How to make stuffed sweet potatoes
Of course, stuffed sweet potatoes always start with super tender sweet potatoes. Make sure they’re really soft and totally cooked through.
Combine chicken breasts with a can of tomatoes and green chiles plus a bit of taco seasoning. Seal your Instant Pot and cook Manual High Pressure 20 minutes. Quick Release, then remove chicken breasts from Instant Pot and shred. Return shredded chicken to Instant Pot and cook on Sauté mode, stirring, until sauce is absorbed, a few minutes.
Make the avocado-jalapeño green sauce: blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Make your quick guacamole: mash together a bit of the green sauce with a couple of avocados and salt.
Assemble everything: slice the sweet potatoes down the middle and press ends in to open. Top with shredded chicken, lots of guacamole, a little extra green sauce (It’s spicy!), and more garnishes, like more tomatoes with green chiles or other salsa, freshly chopped cilantro, and jalapeños.
Other Whole30 recipes you’ll love:
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup
- Chilaquiles with Sweet Potatoes
- Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
- Chipotle Beef and Avocado Bowls
Whole30 Instant Pot Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Food processor
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potatoes
- 4 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed
- 1 ½ cups water
For the Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts 1-1 ½ pounds depending on size
- 1 10-ounce can tomatoes with green chiles undrained, any variety
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
For the Avocado-Jalapeño Sauce
- 1 avocado peeled and seeded
- 1 jalapeño stemmed
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ cup water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Guacamole
- 2 avocados halved, pitted
- ¼ cup avocado-jalapeño sauce
- salt
For Garnish
- jalapeños sliced thin
- fresh cilantro
- salsa or more tomatoes with green chiles drained
- red onion chopped
Instructions
- See Notes for sweet potato and chicken cooking instructions if you do not have an Instant Pot. You can also bake your sweet potatoes in the oven while you cook the chicken in the Instant Pot to save time if you like.
- Cook your sweet potatoes: Prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Place steaming trivet in the bottom of Instant Pot pot then pour 1 1/2 cups water in the pot. Place sweet potatoes on trivet then secure the lid and cook on Manual, high pressure for 16 minutes. Quick release pressure and remove sweet potatoes from trivet. Set aside. Discard steaming water and rinse the cooking pot, making sure outside is very dry.
- Make your shredded chicken: combine chicken breasts, taco seasoning, and can of tomatoes with green chiles (undrained) in the pot of an Instant Pot. Do not add water. Secure lid and cook on Manual, high pressure for 20 minutes. Quick release pressure and remove chicken breasts from the pot. Shred with two forks then return to pot. Stir on Sauté mode a few minutes until sauce is absorbed.
- Meanwhile, make your sauce: combine all avocado-jalapeño sauce ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
- Make the guacamole: mash avocados and stir in avocado-jalapeño sauce.
- To serve: with a knife, make a slit down the top of each sweet potato and press sweet potatoes end's toward the center to push open. Top with shredded chicken, guacamole, avocado-jalapeño sauce, salsa or more tomatoes with green chiles, and garnishes. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have an Instant Pot, follow these instructions to bake your sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 400º F. Prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork then place directly on the oven rack in the middle position. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Remove sweet potatoes from oven and set aside.
- To make chicken in a slow cooker instead of an Instant Pot: In the pot of a slow-cooker, combine all ingredients. Do not add water. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or cook on high for 4 to 6 hours. After about 3/4 of the time, shred the chicken breasts with two forks and leave in the slow-cooker for the rest of the time.
Nutrition
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Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
Whitney says
Out of curiosity, when following this on your Whole30 plan, you say to double it, but I’m not sure why🤔
Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
Hi, Whitney! Where in the Whole30 plan did you see that wording? We’ll get it updated to be more clear!
If we indicate in a meal plan that a recipe should be doubled or halved, though, it’s typically to make the intended number of servings written in the meal plan. For example, this recipe makes 4 servings, so for 2 people, that covers 2 meals. If the meal plan is written for this recipe to cover 4 meals, you’d need to double the recipe in order to make 8 servings (4 meals x 2 people). Hope that helps! Please let us know if you have other questions!
Whitney says
Yes! I’m on Day2 and for dinner it said to double it, but there isn’t a day later on this week where we use it! Thank you for getting back so quickly!
Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
Ohhh, I see what you mean! SO sorry for that confusion! That’s an error – originally that recipe was intended to have leftovers for lunch later in the week, but that was changed and the notes weren’t updated. Thank you for bringing it to our attention!
Ashley Jones says
Meals like this have been saving my hide this summer with baseball every night! Love the addition of the beans! Pinned.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
We are so glad to hear that, Ashley!
Ashley Jones says
This sounds wonderful and I’m making it tomorrow night! The question I have is: I don’t have Sherry (or any alcohol) is there something else I can use? I don’t want to buy a bottle use a little then have it go bad. I love your recipes and have tried quite a few of them.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Hi Ashley, this recipe for Mexican Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes doesn’t call for cooking sherry, but in most recipes that do use it you can substitute an equal amount of chicken broth or whatever broth the recipe calls for. Hope this helps!
Sydney Ardiel says
Great recipe for when your trying to eat healthier. The avo-gauc sauce is incredible actually. Thanks again 🙂
Beth says
This is a staple in our house. We are obsessed. It’s very dynamic with so many flavors.
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Thanks for the awesome review!
Sarah says
How long would the sauce last in the fridge? I would love to use it as a dressing in salads and other things!
Amelia Camurati says
Kept in an airtight container, it could last up to a week or so. Always check to be sure no discoloration or change in smell has happened to be safe!
Manish Gupta says
Thanks for sharing this interesting article.
Heidi D says
I made this tonight and it was AMAZING. I was a little nervous because we dont usually eat sweet potatoes but it was SO good. The only change I made was I used lime juice for the avocado/jalapeno sauce in place of vinegar. I followed the Instant Pot directions. It was really good. Thank you for the great recipe.
Cheryl Malik says
Yay!! Lime juice would be delicious in that sauce. I’m so glad you liked it!
Hannah Flack says
I’m excited to try new recipes in my slow cooker this Fall. I love how the sweet potatoes collapse a bit into the stew in this recipe. I’m bookmarking.
Cheryl Malik says
Right? So tasty!