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Burger night is even better with these Sweet Potato Burger Bowls. Savory seasoned meat, caramelized roasted sweet potatoes, melty cheddar, crisp pickles, and plenty of creamy burger sauce give you a complete meal in one bowl. They’re easy to customize and work just as well for meal prep as they do for a weeknight dinner.
Table of Contents
I make a lot of easy dinners with ground meat, but sometimes I want something besides tacos or pasta. That’s when I make these sweet potato burger bowls. Getting out all my favorite burger toppings makes dinner a little more fun, even on a regular weeknight. I started making them for the burger flavors, but now the sweet potatoes are the part I’d never leave out.
Why I Add Sweet Potatoes to My Burger Bowls
When you order a burger, you usually get a bun and maybe fries on the side. A lot of burger bowls leave both out, which can leave me looking for something else to round out dinner. I love adding sweet potatoes to this version because they bring carbs and fiber to go with the meat and veggies. This makes the bowl feel more balanced and filling.
They’re also just delicious! The sweet potatoes get tender in the middle with browned edges, so you get a little of that burger-and-fries experience in one bowl. Their sweetness goes so well with the savory meat, too. Add your favorite toppings and a drizzle of my homemade burger sauce, and you’ve got all the burger flavors you love in one bowl.
Here are a few more reasons I love making these bowls:
- There’s plenty of protein. Between the ground meat, cheddar, and Greek yogurt in the burger sauce, each bowl has 37 grams of protein.
- They’re easy to prep for lunch. I make the meat and sweet potatoes ahead of time, then keep the toppings and sauce separate so I can put together a fresh bowl at lunchtime.
- You have two ways to cook the sweet potatoes. I use the oven if I’m making all four bowls at once, or the air fryer if I want them done a little faster.
Ingredient Notes
You can make these sweet potato burger bowls your own, but a few ingredients give this version the flavor I love.
For full recipe instructions and complete list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Ground meat: Lean ground beef gives these the most classic burger flavor. Ground turkey or chicken works too if that’s what you have.
- Sweet potatoes: I use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes here, but other sweet potato varieties work with the same oven or air fryer method. Just check that they’re fork-tender before taking them out.
- Olive oil: You’ll use it to roast the sweet potatoes and cook the ground meat. Avocado oil or another neutral cooking oil works too.
- Spices: I love how the onion and garlic powder give the meat that savory burger flavor and balance the sweetness of the potatoes. I add regular paprika to the potatoes for a little warmth, but smoked paprika works if you want a smoky kick.
- Greek yogurt: Use plain, unsweetened yogurt. It gives the sauce a creamy base and adds a little more protein to the burger bowls.
- Mayonnaise, ketchup, and Dijon mustard: I still keep a little mayonnaise in the sauce because it gives it the richness I want from a burger sauce. Ketchup adds sweetness, while Dijon brings the tang. Yellow mustard works too, though the sauce will have a slightly different flavor.
- Honey: I use regular honey most of the time, but Mike’s Hot Honey is fun when I want a little heat in the sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar: Just a teaspoon balances the sweetness of the ketchup and honey and makes the sauce a little easier to drizzle. White wine vinegar works too, or use a squeeze of lemon juice if that’s what you have.
More Sweet Potato Burger Bowl Toppings
I set out shredded greens, cherry tomatoes, cheddar, sweet onion, and plenty of dill pickles so everyone can build their own sweet potato burger bowl. If you want a few more options, try these:
- Add some crunch. Try shredded cabbage or thinly sliced red onion.
- Turn up the heat. Set out sliced jalapeños and hot sauce, or use pepper jack instead of cheddar.
- Make it creamy. Sliced avocado is so good with the pickles and burger sauce.
- Switch up the sauce. My Big Mac sauce works here too.
- Add bacon. A little crumbled bacon gives the bowls that bacon cheeseburger flavor.
How to Make Burger Bowls with Sweet Potatoes
I cook the sweet potatoes first, then make the meat and sauce while they’re cooking so everything is ready around the same time. Here’s how I do it:
- Cook the sweet potatoes: Cut the sweet potatoes into roughly ½-inch pieces. Preheat the oven to 425°F or the air fryer to 400°F. Toss the diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Spread them on a prepared baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 25 to 35 minutes, or air fry for 12 to 15 minutes, until fork-tender.
- Cook the meat: While the sweet potatoes cook, heat the rest of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground meat and seasonings, breaking it up as it cooks. It should be cooked through in about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Make the burger sauce: Stir the sauce ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.
- Assemble the sweet potato burger bowls: Divide the greens, meat, sweet potatoes, and cheddar among four bowls. Set out the tomatoes, onion, pickles, and burger sauce so everyone can finish their own.
jamie’s tips
Tips for the Best Sweet Potato Burger Bowls
Here are a few things I’ve learned that make these bowls easier to cook and serve:
- Cut the sweet potatoes about the same size. I aim for roughly ½-inch pieces so they cook evenly and fit on a fork with the other toppings.
- Give the sweet potatoes room. Whether you roast or air fry them, spread them in a single layer so they brown instead of steam. My air fryer usually fits both sweet potatoes, but you may need two batches if yours is smaller.
- Drain the meat if needed. If there’s grease left in the skillet after the meat cooks, drain it before adding the meat to your bowls so the greens don’t get soggy.
- Keep the greens crisp. I like the meat and sweet potatoes warm, but not steaming hot. Let them cool for a few minutes before adding them to the lettuce so the greens don’t wilt too much.
Make Ahead and Storage
When I make a batch of sweet potato burger bowls ahead, lunch is mostly done for the next few days. Here’s how I store and reheat everything:
- Refrigerate: Store the cooked meat, sweet potatoes, and burger sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the greens and chopped toppings separate so you can assemble a fresh bowl when you’re ready to eat.
- Freeze: Freeze the cooked meat and sweet potatoes separately for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the fridge before reheating, and add fresh toppings when you make your bowl.
- Reheat: Warm the meat and sweet potatoes in the microwave, then add them to the greens with your toppings and sauce.
More Easy Bowl Recipes
If you’ve made and loved these Sweet Potato Burger Bowls or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and comments below!
Sweet Potato Burger Bowls with Easy Burger Sauce
Ingredients
Ground meat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef, or ground turkey/chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Sweet potatoes
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Burger sauce
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Salt to taste
Burger toppings
- 4 cups shredded greens
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup diced dill pickles
- 1/2 cup diced sweet onion
Instructions
- Cook the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potatoes in the olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the sweet potatoes to a parchment-lined or oiled baking sheet and roast for 25 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. To air fry, preheat the air fryer to 400°F and transfer to an air fryer basked. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes.
- While sweet potatoes are cooking, cook the ground meat: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Break the meat apart as it cooks and continue cooking on medium heat for about 7 to 10 minutes or until completely cooked through.
- Make the burger sauce: Whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayo, dijon mustard, ketchup, honey, apple cider vinegar, paprika, and salt until smooth.
- Assemble the bowls: Divide the lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, cooked meat, cheese, and roasted sweet potatoes evenly into four bowls. Drizzle with the burger sauce and enjoy.
Notes
- Cut the sweet potatoes evenly. Aim for roughly ½-inch pieces so they cook at the same rate and fit easily into each bite.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan or air fryer. Keep the sweet potatoes in a single layer so they brown instead of steaming. You may need to air fry them in batches.
- Keep the greens crisp. Let the cooked meat and sweet potatoes cool for a few minutes before assembling if you don’t want the lettuce to wilt.
- For meal prep, store components separately. Keep the sauce and cold toppings separate from the meat and sweet potatoes, then reheat the warm components before assembling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
