Southwest Sweet Potato Skillet With Black Beans And Brown Rice
This Southwest Sweet Potato Skillet is perfect for busy weeknights and makes a simple recipe to feed a crowd. Made with cooked sweet potatoes, black beans, and brown rice with loads of in-season spices to enhance the flavor, it’s the easiest one-pan meal.
I’m all about the southwest flavors of this delicious vegan and vegetarian meal (and this Vegan Southwest Salad). The whole thing complements one another perfectly, making it truly the best simple dish. It’s easy to add extra flavor, as well, for your taste buds if you’re craving something spicier and such, but keep in mind that when you’re making one-pan meals, when you add spice or heat, it adds that flavor to the entire dish.
For more vegan comfort food and to figure out what to help make for dinner tonight, check out my Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Bake, Vegan Pot Pie, Vegan Lentil Loaf, Vegan Mushroom Wellington, and my Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff. And if you’re looking for sides to go with this Vegan Shepherd’s Pie, allow me to suggest my Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts or my Gochujang Carrots.
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Skillet
- Sweet potato – the star of this sweet potato recipe. Cut the potatoes into cubes that are the same size so that they cook evenly.
- Olive oil – used to cook the potatoes in the skillet.
- Red pepper chili flakes – adds some spice to these skillet sweet potatoes. This can be optional, or you can use cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes as well.
- Seasonings – use ground cumin, smoked paprika, fresh garlic, and oregano for flavor.
- Salsa verde – this is the best way to add a subtle hint of spice to this delicious recipe. Don’t like salsa verde? Try topping this sweet potato skillet with my Mexican Salsa Fresca Recipe, Mango Sweet Corn Salsa or my Cilantro Lime Avocado Sauce.
- Brown rice – cook according to manufacturer’s instructions before adding. You could also use white rice or my Cilantro Lime Rice made in a rice cooker.
- Black beans – be sure to rinse and drain before adding. These add a good source of fiber and protein to the dish.
- Cilantro – chop into small pieces before adding.
- Lime juice – this adds a pop of citrus flavor to this easy weeknight dinner recipe.
- Green bell peppers – adds color and flavor.
- Green chilies – this is a great option for flavor, and you can buy and add mild or spicy.
- Vegan cheddar cheese – you can add any type of vegan cheese that you like.
For complete Ingredient measurements see the recipe card at the bottom of the post
How To Make This Sweet Potato Skillet
Step 1:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the sweet potato cubes for about 8-10 minutes or until fork-tender. Add chiles, cooked brown rice, black beans, spices, chopped cilantro, salsa, lime juice, sea salt, and pepper.
Step 2:
Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Let everything simmer for about 5 minutes.
Step 3:
Take the skillet off the heat, and top with vegan cheese (optional). Cover with the lid and let the cheese melt.
Dish onto plates and serve with a side salad and a slice of crusty Vegan Garlic Bread.
If you love cooking with sweet potatoes, be sure to try this Vegan Sweet Potato Oatmeal Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries and Vegan Mushroom Wellington.
Helpful Cooking Tips
- You can use fresh black beans or canned black beans for this recipe. Just be sure to rinse and drain before adding if using canned.
- Don’t forget the toppings! Adding cilantro, diced red bell pepper, vegan sour cream, diced green onions, or even some vegan cooked ground meat are all easy ways to add fresh, delicious flavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can absolutely cook sweet potatoes in a skillet, and it’s a quick and flavorful method when done properly. Start by washing, peeling (optional), and cutting the sweet potatoes into small, evenly sized cubes or slices—about ½ to 1 inch thick. Keeping the pieces uniform ensures they cook at the same rate and prevents some pieces from being over- or underdone.
Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat and add a few tablespoons of oil (such as olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil) or vegan butter. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the sweet potatoes in a single layer. It’s important not to overcrowd the pan—doing so traps moisture and causes the potatoes to steam instead of brown. If you have a large batch, cook them in batches for the best texture.
Let the sweet potatoes cook undisturbed for a few minutes to develop a golden-brown crust, then stir or flip them occasionally to ensure even browning on all sides. To help them cook through more quickly and evenly, you can cover the pan with a lid for part of the cooking time. This traps steam, softening the interior while the outside continues to brown.
After about 10 to 15 minutes of total cooking time—depending on the size of the pieces and the heat level—test a piece with a fork. When they’re fork-tender and caramelized on the outside, they’re ready to eat.
The recipe card below lists the best spices to add so much flavor to this dish, but you could also add sea salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce, black pepper, and anything else that you want to this great recipe.
This really is an all-in-one meal, but you can’t go wrong with a simple side salad, a dish of cauliflower rice, or even a homemade roll or two. Keep it simple, as the flavors of this main entree speak for themselves!
Storage Suggestions
Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you are ready to reheat, you can reheat in the microwave, or low and slow in the oven, or in a skillet.
What To Serve With This Recipe
- Blueberry Lemonade Margarita
- Vegan Garlic Bread
- Vegan Focaccia Bread
- Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits
- Vegan Southwest Salad
- Mesquite Grilled Corn on the Cob
More Inspiring Skillet Recipes
Have you tried this? Why not leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter!
Sweet Potato Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½ cups sweet potato chopped and cubed – about 1 large sweet potato
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp red pepper chili flakes
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp fresh garlic minced
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ cup salsa verde
- 1½ cups brown rice cooked – about 1 cup raw
- 1 can of black beans rinsed and drained – about 15 ounces
- 2 Tbsp cilantro chopped plus more for topping
- ½ whole lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 cup green bell pepper diced
- 2 Tbsp green chilies canned – about half of the can
- ½ cup vegan cheddar cheese optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the sweet potato cubes for about 8-10 minutes or until fork-tender. Add chiles, cooked brown rice, black beans, spices, chopped cilantro, salsa, lime juice, salt, and pepper. .
- Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Let everything simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Take the skillet off the heat, and top with cheese. Cover with the lid and let the cheese melt. Dish onto plates and serve with a side salad and a slice of crusty bread.
Delicious! Perfect for busy weeknights too!
It’s also great for meal prep! Thanks Ashley!
Sweet potato skillet with black beans and brown rice is so good, easy dinner idea, My family enjoyed it.
Happy to hear that, Swathi. Thanks so much.
Such a nice and easy skillet recipe. Great to make it with brown rice and it’s so flavorful!
Thanks, Lora.
This looks like a cozy, all-in-one dinner waiting to happen. I love that it’s both vegan and ready in one pan.
Try it, you’ll love it! Thanks Jet.