Sweet Potato Ground Beef Bowl (Viral Recipe!)
Taking the internet by storm, this hot honey sweet potato ground beef bowl is an easy and high protein dinner recipe. Savory grilled onions add a delicious twist to the classic recipe of creamy avocado, cottage cheese, sweet potatoes, seasoned ground beef, and a drizzle of hot honey for a balanced and delicious bowl that your entire family will love.
Many recipes have been made in the constant pursuit of protein that we see on the internet. While some recipes have been a flop, there are a few that have withstood the test of time and ACTUALLY taste good, earning them a internet space as a viral recipe.
I try many of these recipes so you don’t have to… and I share the viral recipes if I think they are worth sharing. While cottage cheese cookie dough recipes have been some that I found worth recreating, another share worthy recipe are these high protein ground beef and sweet potato bowls.
At first I rolled my eyes at yet another cottage cheese recipe idea until I found myself with the short list of necessary ingredients for these bowls and no other dinner inspiration. This bowl got my husbands stamp of approval and I quickly found out why this recipe has been viral for a while.
Creamy avocado, cottage cheese, savory ground beef, the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes, and a drizzle of hot honey gives this bowl a balanced bite. Take my twist on it by adding some “grilled” onions and I think you’ll understand the hype around this bowl as well… and love its 40+ grams of protein too!
Let’s get to the recipe!
Why you’ll love this sweet potato ground beef bowl:
You’ll love this ground beef and sweet potato bowl because it is:
Packed with protein:. The cooked ground beef and creamy cottage cheese add over 45 grams of protein to this bowl. Plus, it’s roughly 600 calories which makes it a perfect, protein packed recipe to meal prep for lunch or dinner.
Easy to make: Simple combined cooked sweet potato and ground beef in a bowl then add a scoop of cottage cheese, some diced avocado, and drizzle your bowl with hot honey and you are ready to enjoy this viral recipe!
Minimal ingredients: The base of this recipe is simply cottage cheese, roasted sweet potatoes, cooked ground beef, and diced avocados that is then topped with hot honey. You can choose whatever seasonings you enjoy (don’t skip the cinnamon) to your ingredients!
Full of flavor: While the ingredients list is short, this bowl is loaded with a delicious balance of savory, sweet, and spicy flavors.
Customizable: Switch up your seasonings, add roasted vegetables, skip the hot honey, or make other swaps or substitutions to make this bowl your own!
You’re going to love this cottage cheese sweet potato and ground beef bowl! Now let’s get into the flavorful ingredients you will need to make it:
Ingredients you’ll need:
One of the reasons why this recipe has been a viral meal prep recipe example for so long is because it’s nutritious, protein rich, and really easy to make. Here are the ingredients you will need:
Lean ground beef: Seasoned how you like and browned until cooked through. You will likely end up with extra ground beef after you have assembled you bowls.
Sweet potato: I used two large sweet potatoes that I peeled and finely diced then air fried until cooked through. You can season them however you like but do not skip the cinnamon! You will likely end up with extra cooked sweet potato after you have assembled your bowls.
Avocado: Avocado adds healthy fits and fiber to this protein rich bowl.
Cottage cheese: I recommend using low fat cottage cheese for this recipe but you can use any brand you prefer.
Seasonings: Many recipe creators season their beef with taco seasoning but you can really use any seasonings that you like. I do recommend keeping the cinnamon on your sweet potatoes but other than that, classic seasonings like onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper work just fine!
Hot honey: You can buy hot honey, make your own in a sauce pan, or simply drizzle honey and some red pepper flakes over your bowl for a sweet and spicy flavor addition.
“Grilled” onions: 1/2 of a yellow onion that is thinly sliced, butter, worcesterschire, and honey or brown sugar that are cooked together until soft. While the viral recipe doesn’t call for this, I highly recommend adding these savory onions for a fun twist.
That’s all you’ll need!
Serve it with my easy hot honey sauce!
Step by Step Instructions:
Now let’s walk through how to make this sweet potato ground beef bowl:
1) Wash, peel, and dice your sweet potatoes into small squares. Add them to a bowl, coat with avocado oil, and add your selected seasonings and cinnamon. Air fry or bake at 400 degrees for roughly 20 minutes or until fork tender.
2) While your sweet potatoes cook, add your ground beef to a medium sauce pan and season with your selected seasonings (taco seasoning is very popular!). Cook on medium heat until fully cooked through (about 12-15 minutes).
3) Using a mandolin slicer or sharp knife, carefully slice half of your onion into thin strips. Place them in a small sauce pan and add your butter, Worcestershire sauce, and sweetener like honey or brown sugar. Cook on medium heat until the liquid is absorbed and your onions have cooked down.
4) Finally, pit and dice your avocado. Then you can assemble your bowl by adding avocado, cottage cheese, cooked sweet potato, ground beef, grilled onions, and a drizzle of hot honey over the top. Some ingredients may have leftovers for you to use in other recipes or to make another bowl. Enjoy!
Swaps, substitutions, and serving suggestions:
I love simple recipes like this ground beef and sweet potato bowl because they have a lot of opportunity for customization. I already added grilled onions to the viral recipe but you could make other changes like:
Use a different meat: Seasoned and cooked ground turkey or chicken would also work in this recipe if you didn’t want to use lean ground beef.
Add vegetables: While this bowl is definitely high in protein, it is missing a few things that I like to see in a balanced meal such as vegetables. You could easily add roasted veggies to this bowl or serve it alongside some cooked vegetables to really balance out this meal.
Switch out your seasonings: I kept my seasonings really simple and stuck to flavors like paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder that were already in my pantry. The viral recipe often uses taco seasoning which would be delicious or you could also opt for something spicy like cayenne pepper.
Skip the onions: If grilled onions aren’t your thing then you can leave them off and make this bowl exactly how the viral recipe has it!
Add a grain: I like the nutritious carbohydrates coming from the sweet potato but you could also add some brown rice or cooked quinoa if you would like another carbohydrate source.
And more! Make this recipe your own and tag me on instagram with any fun ideas you come up with!
Recipe FAQ:
How should I make this recipe for meal prep?
Depends on how you would like to eat it!
While you CAN warm everything up in the microwave, cottage cheese and avocado do best when they are added cold and fresh. If you don’t mind eating the ground beef and sweet potato cold, then I would recommend assembling the bowl exactly how its called for here
If you prefer to warm it up, add the cooked ground beef, hot honey, sweet potatoes, and grilled onions to your meal prep containers. When you are ready to eat, warm up the sweet potato and ground beef mix in the microwave then add your cottage cheese and avocado.
How long can I store this ground beef and sweet potato bowl?
This bowl will be good in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days which makes it a great recipe to meal prep.
What are the macronutrients of this recipe?
Macronutrients and nutrition information will change slightly depending on the brands that you select. Here is a general breakdown of what your bowl could look like:
Other high protein recipes you will love:
Looking for other high protein recipes? I have a few on my blog that I think you will love:
3 ingredient high protein biscuits
Biscoff Protein Balls
Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
High Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
Blended Cottage Cheese Egg Bites (High Protein!)
Sweet Potato Ground Beef Bowl (Viral Recipe!)
Taking the internet by storm, this hot honey sweet potato ground beef bowl is an easy and high protein dinner recipe. Savory grilled onions add a delicious twist to the classic recipe of creamy avocado, cottage cheese, sweet potatoes, savory ground beef, and a drizzle of hot honey for a balanced and delicious bowl that your entire family will love.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and finely dice your sweet potato. Add to a large bowl then add 1 tbsp avocado oil, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1/2 tsp paprika, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Air fry or bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until fork tender.
- While your potatoes cook, add your beef to a large pan and season with 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper. Brown on medium heat until fully cooked through (about 12-14 minutes).
- While your potatoes and beef cook, use a mandolin slicer or sharp knife to carefully slice your onion into very thin slices. Place in a small pan and add 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp worcesterschire sauce, and 1/2 tbsp honey. Sauté over medium heat until all the liquid is absorbed and your onions are fully cooked down and tender.
- Cut your avocado in half length wise, remove the pit, and dice into squares.
- Get two dinner bowls and to each bowl add about: 1/2 cup sweet potato, 1/2 cup ground beef, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, half of your avocado squares, half of your sautéed onions, then drizzle with honey and red pepper flakes (or a purchased hot honey to taste). Enjoy!
*All nutrition information has been approximated. Results may vary depending on brands used and serving size.
*These blogs may contain affiliate links. Any purchase made through my links gives me a small commission and supports Lauren Twigge Nutrition
Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a Registered Dietitian and busy toddler mom committed to bringing you delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make recipes!