BBQ Stuffed Chicken Sweet Potatoes
BBQ Stuffed Chicken Sweet Potatoes are made with sweet barbecue sauce, shredded chicken, and crisp coleslaw stuffed in a baked sweet potato. Sweet, savory, and tangy, they’re a warm, filling comfort food full of protein and nutrients, making for an easy weeknight dinner we feel good about serving!
Looking for more chicken recipes? Try our zesty crockpot shredded chicken and chicken quesadillas.
If you’ve never had chicken stuffed sweet potatoes before, prepare to be amazed! Admittedly, we were a little skeptical at first. But it turns out the combination is truly a match made in heaven.
Plus, made with simple ingredients, this recipe is the perfect way to use up leftovers from your weekend barbecue! However, it’s so good that you’ll probably find yourself frequently buying all the items to make it fresh.
It’s gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy-free-friendly, too! Once the potatoes are prepared, everything comes together in less than 20 minutes. Dinner doesn’t get better than that!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Baked Sweet Potatoes – The best-sized sweet potatoes are medium-sized, which are about 5-6 inches long. If preferred, Russet potatoes will also work. Medium potatoes are best. You want them to be large enough to hold the toppings without breaking. However, a single potato is meant to be a serving. So, you don’t want them to be so massive that you’re full halfway through!
- Shredded Chicken – Use cooked, shredded chicken breast. Or, opt for rotisserie chicken to make things super easy!
- BBQ Sauce – We love Primal Kitchen BBQ sauce, but your favorite BBQ sauce will taste great.
- Coleslaw – Use any store-bought or homemade coleslaw you prefer to add tangy flavor and a satisfying crunch.
- Garnishes – Sliced green onion (scallions) and parsley are optional but highly recommended for a refreshing taste. Feel free to add a sprinkle of red onions for a bit of extra bite.
How to Prepare Sweet Potatoes
Before you can stuff your sweet potatoes, you need to cook them! For this recipe, we prefer to “bake” our potatoes in the Instant Pot or the oven. We often do so at the beginning of the week for meal prep so that all we have to do is stuff and heat the potatoes when we’re ready to eat. We’ll walk you through both options below!
Instant Pot “Baked” Sweet Potatoes
- Scrub the potatoes clean, and pierce them a few times with a knife.
- Pour one cup of water into the Instant Pot.
- Place the stainless steel trivet on top of the water, and arrange the potatoes on top.
- Close the lid to seal the Instant Pot. Cook on HIGH (manual pressure) for about 15 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for ten minutes. Then, carefully vent to release any additional pressure.
Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Use a knife to poke holes around the potatoes, and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake on the center oven rack for 40 to 50 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Create the BBQ chicken. Add the shredded chicken to a bowl, and pour barbecue sauce on top. Toss to combine, adding more sauce as desired.
2. Slice the potatoes. Make a slit across the top of each potato, and fluff the interior with a fork.
3. Layer. Top each potato with ½ cup of barbecue chicken.
4. Garnish. Then add coleslaw and garnish with sliced green onions and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Possible Variations
- Add Veggies – Replace the coleslaw with sautéed red onion, peppers, zucchini, or mushrooms, folding them into the chicken mixture.
- Add Cheese – Omit the coleslaw, and add cheddar chees, provolone cheese, or mozzarella cheese for a rich, melty texture.
- Mexican-Inspired – Toss your shredded chicken with spices like cumin, paprika, and salt or taco seasoning in a mixing bowl. Then, add corn, black beans, shredded cheese, or fajita veggies. Finish with a drizzle of crema, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, pico de gallo, or fresh cilantro before serving.
- Sweet Potato Skins – Transform these BBQ-stuffed chicken sweet potatoes from a main course to an appetizer by scooping out the insides of the potatoes, being careful to leave the skin intact. Then, bake again until they’re crisp, and spoon the fillings on top.
BBQ Stuffed Chicken Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot or oven
- 1 knife
- 2 bowls
Ingredients
Instructions
- Scrub the sweet potatoes and pierce a few times with a knife.4 medium sweet potatoes
- Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot. Place the stainless steel trivet that came with the Instant Pot into the Instant Pot. Arrange the sweet potatoes on top of the trivet.
- Close the lid and seal the Instant Pot. Cook on HIGH (manual) pressure for 15 minutes for medium-sized sweet potatoes (see notes).
- Once the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, carefully vent to release any remaining pressure, then open the lid.
- Carefully remove the sweet potatoes and place on a plate.
- In a large bowl mix together the shredded chicken and ½ cup BBQ sauce. Add more sauce, if needed. Set aside.2 cups shredded chicken, 8.5 ounce BBQ sauce
- Make a slit across the top of each sweet potato to open (fluff up the inside of the sweet potato with a fork) or cut in half.
- Top each sweet potato with ½ cup shredded BBQ chicken and ½ cup coleslaw. Garnish with sliced green onion and chopped parsley, if desired.2 cups coleslaw, sliced green onion and chopped parsley
- Serve immediately. Store ingredients separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
How to Store and Reheat
For the best results, store the potatoes, chicken, and coleslaw in separate airtight containers. Otherwise, they’re likely to become soggy! Leftovers will stay fresh in the fridge for three to four days.
Common Questions
The chicken will stay a little saucy, but if you mix well, plenty of the sauce will cling to the chicken! Or, if you plan this recipe ahead of time, you can bake the chicken with the sauce spread on!
No! The skin holds them intact and is a great source of nutrients and fiber.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
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Trust me, this recipe is sooo good! Awesome flavors and textures in this one.