Easy Twice-Baked Potatoes With BBQ Turkey

This recipe for twice-baked potatoes is easy to make and tastes fantastic! I used sweet potatoes instead of regular white potatoes, which makes them paleo and gluten-free. They also taste great with any type of filling, but I prefer homemade paleo BBQ and ground turkey stuffing. Yum!

Homemade BBQ Turkey Twice-Baked Potatoes

The best thing about twice-baked potatoes is how fluffy they are. Every bite just melts in your mouth. I took this classic recipe and not only made it healthy but added protein and the best homemade BBQ sauce.

What you have here is a complete meal that tastes like you have a personal chef!

One of my favorite ways to make twice-baked potatoes is by swapping out the white potatoes for sweet potatoes. Not only does it taste sweeter, but it just looks more appetizing, too! All that fluffy sweet potato goodness is mixed with fiber-rich vegetables and lean ground turkey.

Just one of these will fill you up. It tastes so good – and good for you too!

Ingredients In This Twice Baked Potato Recipe

The ingredients list might look long, but every single ingredient will nourish your body and fortify you with the vitamins you need. Here’s what I used:

• Sweet Potatoes: You will need 3 sweet potatoes and cut them in half long ways.
• Ground Turkey: It takes about a pound of ground turkey to fill in each potato half.
• Olive Oil: You only need about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Use just enough to saute the vegetables.
• Onion: Dice up 1 small yellow onion.
• Carrots: Use as many carrots as you want. I found that dicing 2 large carrots was plenty.
• Garlic: Use 3 cloves of minced garlic. This adds the right amount of powerful flavor.
• Spices: My favorite spices to season sweet potatoes are a teaspoon of chili powder, a teaspoon of paprika, a teaspoon of onion powder, a teaspoon of salt, and a teaspoon of pepper.
• BBQ Sauce: Use 1/2 cup of your favorite paleo BBQ Sauce. Either buy some from the store or follow my healthy BBQ recipe.
• Green Onion: I garnished the potatoes with some green onions for a pop of color and nice crunchy bite. Use as much as you want.

Kitchen Tools Required

You probably have all the kitchen tools you need to make these sweet potatoes. Here’s what I used.

• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Large Skillet
• Cutting Board
• Knife

For measuring, you will need 1/2 cup, 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon.

How To Make Loaded Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

Before you do anything else, preheat your oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

After the oven reaches 400F, place the sweet potato halves face-side down and bake for 40-45 minutes or until they are soft to the touch.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat some olive oil. Add in the onions and carrots and cook until the onions are translucent. This takes about 5 minutes.

Next, add in ground turkey and cook until it is no longer pink. Then, add in garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, onion, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.

Stir in barbecue sauce.

Once potatoes are cool, scoop out centers with a fork and add all the insides to the turkey mixture. Stir it together until it is well combined.

Add the turkey sweet potato mixture back into the sweet potatoes and make sure to pile it up high! Once all the turkey mixture is evenly distributed, bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Finally, top with green onions and serve.

Below are some commonly asked questions about twice-baked potatoes. Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post!

Can you make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this ahead of time and save yourself time in the kitchen. The easiest way to do this is to bake the sweet potatoes and scoop out the soft middle. Then, cook and prepare the rest of the ingredients and mix them with the sweet potato filling.

Store the ground turkey and sweet potato mixture in a separate container from the empty sweet potato skins. Keep everything in airtight containers. When you are ready to reheat them, place the filling in the sweet potato skins and bake them until they are piping hot!

Are baked sweet potatoes good for you?

Yes, these twice-baked sweet potatoes are really good for you. They are high in fiber and full of vitamins. Plus, sweet potatoes have more beta carotene than white or red potatoes.

How do you reheat twice-baked potatoes?

The best way to reheat twice-baked potatoes is in the oven. If you try to reheat them in the microwave, the skins will become really soft. The oven keeps them nice and crispy.

Can you freeze twice-baked potatoes?

Yes, you can freeze twice-baked potatoes!

Here’s how to do it:

• First, follow the entire recipe in the printable recipe card.
• Then, let the loaded twice-baked potatoes cool off completely.
• Place them on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper.
• Then, place the baking sheet in the freezer.
• Keep it in the freezer just long enough for the sweet potatoes to freeze solid.
• When they are frozen, wrap them up individually in food-grade plastic wrap.

Store them in a freezer-safe resealable plastic food storage bag. Then you can grab one at a time, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat it in the oven.

Wondering if you can use different ingredients? There are a few ways you can.

I used ground turkey because it is very lean meat, but you can use shredded rotisserie chicken instead.

If you aren’t a fan of BBQ sauce with sweet potatoes, try different sauces instead. This creamy vegan buffalo sauce will give it a nice kick! Or add a bit of paleo honey mustard dressing. You can even leave out the sauces completely.

I used a yellow onion, but you can use either white or red onion. Red onions have the boldest flavor out of all of them, so you might only need to use half an onion in these potatoes.

These BBQ turkey twice-baked sweet potatoes taste the best when they are hot out of the oven. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will retain the best texture for up to 3 days. After 3 days, the skins will start to soften.

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

Here are some more of my favorite quick-baked dishes. Enjoy!

• Easy Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe
• Mediterranean Salmon Foil Packs
• Buffalo Turkey Stuffed Zucchini Boats
• Healthy BBQ Chicken Thighs
• Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potato Casserole

Photos by Moriah Sawtelle and recipe by Erin Antoniak.