Made with baked sweet potato fries, seasoned ground beef, and creamy guacamole, these loaded sweet potato fries come together in 35 minutes. A real-food taco-bowl dinner the whole family will love.

A plate piled with sweet potato fries, leafy greens, guacamole, and ground beef.

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
See All Reviews »

Mexican Loaded Sweet Potato Fries

This recipe came out of a love for taco night annnnnd a need to make it feel a little more weeknight-friendly. Crispy baked sweet potato fries hold up to seasoned ground beef and a pile of fresh toppings: chopped romaine, juicy tomato, scallions, and a generous spoonful of guacamole makes this one the kind of dinner that disappears in one round and leaves the everyone in the fam asking for it again the next week.

The single biggest texture win I can give you for this one is slicing the sweet potatoes into thin, even matchsticks, as thick wedges turn out tender in the middle but never caramelize, while uneven slices guarantee that half the pan will be soft while the other half is over-baked. And don’t crowd them, as crowding all the fries onto one baking sheet causes them to steam instead of roast, which kills any chance of crispy edges.

Serve these loaded sweet potato fries piled high on a plate or family-style on a sheet pan, with extra optional toppings like sour cream, hot sauce, sliced jalapenos, or a squeeze of lime. Leftovers keep best when components are stored separately: refrigerate the cooked beef and chopped veggies in sealed containers for up to 3 days, and re-crisp leftover fries in a 400-degree oven or air fryer for 5 minutes. And for a similar sweet potato and ground beef weeknight dinner with the same Tex-Mex flavor profile, my 20-minute southwest beef sweet potato skillet needs to be on your next try list. Or when you want a one-pan chicken situation with sweet potatoes, check out my skillet chicken and sweet potatoes.

Guacamole, ground beef, tomatoes, leafy greens, and sweet potato fries on a plate.

Tips for Sweet Potato Fry Taco Bowls

  • Lean ground beef (90/10 or 93/7) keeps the recipe weeknight-friendly with minimal draining. When I tested with 80/20, the extra fat definitely adds more flavor but required a quick drain after browning. Both work depending on what you have.
  • The seasoning blend is intentionally mild for kid-friendly weeknights in this one, but for more heat, I stir in a pinch of cayenne, chipotle powder, or smoked paprika while the beef browns. Hot sauce or pickled jalapenos on the side is also a great idea!
  • Frozen sweet potato fries are a legitimate shortcut on busy weeknights if that’s all you have time for. Bake them according to the package directions, then proceed with the recipe as written. The caramelized-edge texture isn’t quite as good as homemade matchsticks, but the loaded toppings cover most of the difference!
Sweet potato fries on a plate with ground beef, guacamole, and veggies.
No ratings yet

Loaded Sweet Potato Fries (Ground Beef)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Loaded sweet potato fries topped with seasoned ground beef, romaine, tomato, and guacamole. An easy weeknight taco-night dinner in 35 minutes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe

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
  • 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 two large sliced avocados, and scallions.
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 4), Calories: 498kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 70mg, Sodium: 735mg, Potassium: 1423mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 17238IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 76mg, Iron: 5mg
Nutrition disclaimer
Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

Share + Save this Recipe