Loaded Sweet Potato Fries (w/ Ground Beef!)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Aug 24, 2015 (last updated Jun 23, 2025) 
Loaded sweet potato fries meet taco night in this weeknight-friendly dinner with spiced ground beef, crisp lettuce, and creamy avocado guacamole.
5 star review
“I just made this!!! Two thumbs up from the entire table of 4! Including a 2 year old and a very hard to please 13 year old! I did add extra of all the prescribed seasonings to the meat, but that’s just because in Louisiana we like extra flavor 😉 Another awesome and EASY recipe, thank you!!!!”
– Christina
This One Solves Taco Night Dinner Fast
This is the dinner I pull out when I want something fun and comforting but still real-life friendly. I created it to solve that ever-present “everyone’s hungry, I don’t want to cook three things, and I need it to feel satisfying” problem and boy, does it deliver. The sweet potatoes roast up tender with caramelized edges, the cumin-spiced ground beef brings that savory taco vibe, and everything gets piled high with chopped romaine, juicy tomato, scallions, and big dollop of homemade guacamole. It’s colorful, hearty, and hits that salty-creamy-crunchy sweet spot. I’ve made this for everything from a random Tuesday tor casual weekend hangs and somehow it always disappears. You’ve gotta try it!
A Few Notes Before You Make These Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
- I found that slicing the sweet potatoes into thin, even matchsticks made a huge difference. Too thick and they take forever, too uneven and they cook at different speeds.
- I recommend chopping the lettuce and tomatoes while the sweet potatoes roast, which makes the final build feel almost effortless.
- I found that spreading the sweet potatoes out on two pans (if needed) helped them roast instead of steam. It’s a small move but makes the texture way better!
- When I made this with homemade guacamole, it really everything together. However, I’ve tried it with sliced avocado and it works too. Just don’t forget the hot sauce!
Loaded Sweet Potato Fries (w/ Ground Beef!)
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean with skins on
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon mild chili powder
- 1 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- Easy Guacamole (or 2 medium ripe avocados, sliced)
- 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into matchsticks, being careful to cut into evenly sized pieces. The thinner you slice the potatoes the faster they will cook.
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt, tossing to coat. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. If the potatoes are overlapping use a second pan.
- Bake the sweet potatoes for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove from the oven when the potatoes are lightly browned and tender all the way through. They may not be super crispy, but as long as they’re tender and browned they’ll be perfect in this recipe.
- While the potatoes cook, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the onion, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft.
- Turn the heat to medium-high, add the beef, ¼ teaspoon of salt, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned and cooked through.
- To serve, place sweet potatoes on a plate. Top with lettuce, the cooked beef mixture, tomato, guacamole or avocado, and scallions.
Notes
- Kid-Friendly: Serve all the parts separately on his or her plate. Think fries, some cooked turkey, sliced potatoes, and guac. If he needs something to dip the fries in guacamole is a great option. If all else fails organic catsup or sour cream might make dipping more enticing.
I think even my husband will love this! Can’t wait to try it!
Cristina, This one definitely falls into my husband’s favorites category. I hope yours likes it to! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Delicious. No modifications needed at all! It’s going to take some time for my boys to like sweet potatoes though, so I used corn tortillas instead. More sweet potato fries for me!
Cristina, Love that modification for your boys! Keep trying on the sweet potatoes, they may change their minds eventually. 🙂
I just made this!!! Two thumbs up from the entire table of 4! Including a 2 year old and a very hard to please 13 year old! I did add extra of all the prescribed seasonings to the meat, but that’s just because in Louisiana we like extra flavor 😉 Another awesome and EASY recipe, thank you!!!!
Christina
Christina, yay, thrilled the whole family loved it. And love that you made it your Louisiana own!! 🙂