Southwest Sweet Potato Black Bean and Rice

Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Rice Skillet is a vibrant, hearty, and absolutely delicious one-pan meal that comes together in just 30 minutes! With tender sweet potatoes, protein-packed black beans, fluffy brown rice, and warm southwest spices all melted together with gooey cheese, this is comfort food that actually loves you back.

Love More Recipes? Try My Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry or this Cranberry Apple Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A vibrant and hearty dish packed with flavor, Southwest Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Rice combines tender sweet potatoes, protein-rich black beans, and fluffy rice with zesty spices. It’s a wholesome, colorful meal that’s perfect for a cozy dinner or healthy meal prep option.

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Ingredient List

Main Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 4 ounces diced green chiles
• 1/2 cup salsa or salsa verde
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 15 ounces can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, Colby Jack, or Monterey Jack cheese

Spices:

• 1½ teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime

Substitution Notes:

• Rice: I use whatever’s in my fridge. Last time it was leftover Chinese takeout rice
• Beans: Pinto beans work if that’s what you grabbed at the store
• Cheese: Any shredded cheese you have melts fine
• Salsa: Pick your spice level. I buy mild because my kids exist

Why These Ingredients Work

Sweet potatoes get soft and slightly crispy if you leave them alone long enough. My kids think they’re regular potatoes covered in “special sauce” and I’m not correcting them.

Black beans make this filling enough that nobody’s raiding the pantry an hour later. Without them it’s just rice and vegetables and that’s not dinner.

Rice is cheap and I always have leftover rice sitting around. Sometimes it’s from Chinese takeout, sometimes I made too much for burritos, doesn’t matter.

Smoked paprika makes everything smell like you’ve been cooking all day. My mother-in-law came over once and asked how long I’d been working on dinner. Twenty minutes, Linda.

Salsa adds moisture and flavor. The green chiles give it that restaurant taste without being spicy enough to make anyone cry.

Lime juice at the end is the difference between okay dinner and actually good dinner. Sounds dumb but it works.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You’ll need:

• Large skillet with a lid (mine’s 12 inches and kinda beat up)
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Can opener

How To Make Southwest Sweet Potato Black Bean and Rice

Step 1: Prepare the Sweet Potatoes

Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them up small. Like thumbnail size. If you cut them different sizes some will be crunchy and some will be mush and your family will complain.

Step 2: Heat the Oil

Put the skillet on medium-high and pour in your olive oil. Wait a minute until it’s actually hot. You’ll know because the oil gets all thin and moves around easy.

Step 3: Cook the Sweet Potatoes

Dump in your sweet potato chunks. Should make a sizzling noise. If it doesn’t your pan wasn’t hot enough and you jumped the gun. Cook them for 5-7 minutes and stir them around every minute or so. They’ll stick to the bottom a little bit – that’s fine, those stuck bits taste good.

Step 4: Add Spices

Dump in all the spices – chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, garlic powder, plus some salt and pepper. Stir everything around. My kids always show up in the kitchen right now asking what’s for dinner because suddenly the house smells amazing.

Step 5: Add Remaining Ingredients

Add the green chiles, salsa, cooked rice, and black beans. Mix it all up. I really dig in there with my spoon to make sure it’s combined because otherwise you get bites that are all rice and bites that are all beans.

Step 6: Simmer

Keep cooking for another 5-10 minutes. Stir it every couple minutes and poke the sweet potatoes with a fork to see if they’re soft. If it looks dry just add some water. I never measure, just pour a little in.

Step 7: Add Cheese

Throw cheese all over the top. Turn the heat to low and stick a lid on it. Takes about 2-3 minutes for the cheese to melt. Sometimes I get impatient and just turn the heat off and let the residual heat do it.

Step 8: Finish with Lime and Cilantro

Squeeze lime juice over everything and throw the cilantro on top. This is the step that makes it taste like actual food instead of random ingredients you heated up.

Step 9: Serve

I bring the whole skillet to the table because why dirty another dish.

You Must Know

Cut your sweet potatoes the same size or some will be hard and some will be falling apart. I learned this after making it wrong like four times and wondering why it was always inconsistent.

Rinse those black beans. The liquid they sit in is gross and makes everything taste canned. Just dump them in a strainer and run water over them for like thirty seconds.

Personal Secret: I cook the sweet potatoes on higher heat than recipes say to. They get browner and crispier that way. You just have to actually pay attention and not wander off to fold laundry.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Make a ton of rice on Sunday and freeze it in ziplock bags. When you need rice just microwave a bag. Saves so much time on weeknights when everyone’s hungry and impatient.

Don’t double this in the same pan. The sweet potatoes won’t brown right – they’ll just steam. Use a bigger skillet or honestly just make it twice.

Buy those microwave rice pouches. The ones that take ninety seconds. I don’t care if it’s “not as good” – it’s good enough and I’m busy.

Take your cheese out of the fridge when you start cooking. Room temperature cheese melts way better than cold cheese straight from the fridge.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Spicy Southwest: Chop up jalapeños and throw them in. Use hot salsa. Put sour cream and avocado on top so it doesn’t murder your mouth.

Tex-Mex Style: Add a can of corn and whatever Mexican cheese blend is on sale. Crush tortilla chips on top.

Protein Boost: Add leftover rotisserie chicken or ground turkey. Once I put leftover taco meat in and it was really good.

Fresh Veggie Addition: Dice a bell pepper and cook it with the sweet potatoes. Any color works.

Vegan Version: Skip the cheese and pile avocado on instead. Or use that vegan cheese if you’re into that.

Breakfast Skillet: Fry some eggs and put them on top. My teenage daughter requests this on Saturday mornings.

Make-Ahead Options

Chop your sweet potatoes the night before and stick them in a bowl of water in the fridge. They won’t go brown and you save like ten minutes the next day. Just drain them good and dry them off.

Make the whole thing ahead (don’t add cheese yet) and keep it in the fridge for a few days. Heat it up when you need it, add cheese, then do the lime and cilantro.

Freezes great. I make extra on purpose and freeze half. Don’t freeze the cheese or lime or cilantro though – add that stuff fresh when you reheat. Lasts three months in there.

I put leftovers in those meal prep containers for lunch. Saves money on not buying lunch and also I actually eat something instead of just coffee.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

You need cooked rice already. If you’re cooking rice from scratch you need 3/4 cup dry to get 2 cups cooked. Takes longer though.

Pick sweet potatoes that are hard and not squishy anywhere. The really bright orange ones taste better.

Twelve inch skillet works best. My ten inch one is too small and everything gets crowded.

This recipe isn’t that spicy. If your family’s weird about spice use less chili powder first. You can always add more at the table.

If your cheese just sits there and won’t melt, add a tiny bit of water and put the lid back on. Steam melts cheese.

Serving Suggestions

This is already a complete meal but sometimes I get fancy:

Put out sour cream, avocado, salsa, pickled jalapeños, and hot sauce. Everyone customizes their own bowl and stops complaining.

Heat up tortillas and people can make tacos with it. My kids love this version.

Make a quick salad if you’re feeling guilty about vegetables. I use bagged salad mix because I’m not chopping lettuce.

Put out tortilla chips. People eat it like nachos.

Make fried eggs on top for weekend brunch. Looks impressive and tastes really good.

How to Store Your Southwest Sweet Potato Skillet

Refrigerator Storage: Stick leftovers in whatever container you have and keep in the fridge for four or five days. Actually tastes better the next day somehow.

Freezer Storage: Freeze it in containers for up to three months. Don’t add cheese until you’re reheating or it gets weird.

Reheating Instructions:

• Microwave: Two or three minutes. Stir halfway through. Add a splash of water if it’s dry.
• Stovetop: Put it in a pan and heat it up over medium, stirring sometimes.
• From Frozen: Let it sit in the fridge overnight first.

Pro Tip: Always add fresh lime and cilantro when you reheat. Makes old leftovers taste fresh.

Allergy Information

Contains:

• Dairy (cheese)

Common Allergens:

• Dairy-Free Option: Leave out cheese or use fake cheese. Add more avocado.
• Gluten-Free: Already is. Check your salsa bottle to be sure.
• Nut-Free: No nuts.
• Soy-Free: Unless you use fake cheese with soy.

Vegan Adaptation: No cheese. Load up on avocado or that cashew cream stuff.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My sweet potatoes aren’t getting tender. What am I doing wrong?

Cut them smaller or turn down your heat. They’re getting brown outside before they cook inside. Cut them like half inch pieces and if they’re burning turn down the heat and add water. Put a lid on.

The dish seems dry. How do I fix it?

Add more salsa or water. Depends how wet your salsa is. I just add liquid as I go if it needs it.

I don’t like cilantro. What can I use instead?

Parsley. Or green onions. Or nothing. My husband says cilantro tastes like soap so I leave it off his portion and he’s fine with it.

💬 Made this? Tell me in the comments! Did you change anything? What’d your family think?