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Keeping things comforting, but healthy with my Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins. Kind of like cheesy nachos, but instead of chips, we’re substituting crisp sweet potatoes skins…so better! Made simply with sweet potatoes, chicken, chipotle chilies, spices, a touch of lime, spinach, and a generous amount of sharp cheddar cheese. Each homemade, oven-baked, sweet potato skin is delicious…and pretty healthy too. Think crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. Stuffed with sweet and spicy chicken that’s full of protein and perfectly balanced. Each sweet potato skin makes for the perfect weeknight dinner that easily doubles as lunch the next day.
What I love so much about fall food is that it’s comforting, cozy, warming, and typically on the heartier side. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good salad (though I do prefer warm, roasted salads over cold salads). But I think it’s obvious that I really shine when it comes to cozy, comfort food. In fact, I want one of my upcoming cookbook titles to be Half Baked Harvest Cozy. What do you think…cookbook #3…before cookbook #2 even rolls out? Yeah, I have issues.
Point is, I love cozy recipes. I even love the word cozy. And I really just love fall food.
BUT, sometimes fall recipes can get to be a bit on the heavy side. I prefer to lighten them up a little and get back to a more balanced, healthy dinner. To me, that still includes cheese, but also includes plenty of vegetables, lean chicken, and flavorful spices to keep us warm and our metabolism running quickly.
These are SO GOOD.
I’ve been making a version of these for years and years, but this year I added a few things. Things like crunchy chickpeas (because I’m obsessed with them), a touch of onion, and I also kicked up the spices.
I could not love these skins more. And? They are so simple and easy to make. They do take some time, because baking sweet potatoes just takes patience. But all the prep and hands-on time is under 20 minutes. Easy.
Start with the sweet potatoes themselves. I like to bake the sweet potato whole, directly on the oven grates. Cooking the potatoes this way allows them to soften in the center, but also keeps the skins from getting soggy.
While the skins are baking, also bake the chicken and the chickpeas together in the same baking dish. As the chicken cooks, the chickpeas crisp. I do want to note two things here…
First, if you don’t like chickpeas, you can very easily omit these from the recipe entirely. Most of my family really dislikes any kind of bean, so I never even add the chickpeas when they’re around.
Second, if you are vegetarian, you can leave out the chicken and use double the amount of chickpeas. The cooking times will be the same. Also? Black beans would be equally delicious, but they will not crisp like chickpeas.
Now, and this is key, the chicken is where all the flavor is at. It’s seasoned with chipotle chiles, garlic, and spices like oregano, cumin, and chili powder. I also threw in some lime zest for a little citrus zing.
It’s that sweet and spicy combo that I love so much.
During the last few minutes of cooking, toss some baby spinach in with the chicken. I love the added greens and the spinach pairs well with the flavors happening in these sweet potato skins.
Next, scoop some of the sweet potato flesh out of the skin. Bake another 10 minutes until the skins become crisp, and then stuff the chicken into the sweet potatoes. Then add as little or as much sharp cheddar cheese as you’d like and bake. About 10 or so minutes later your kitchen will smell heavenly and your skins will be ready for eating. The smell of sweet potatoes baking is truly the most comforting smell and so very “fall”.
These are best enjoyed warm. Preferably with cilantro and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. Super simple, but so delicious. Between the sweet potatoes and the cheese, this is one of the coziest fall dinners. And it just so happens to be healthy, score!
Kind of like cheesy nachos, but instead of chips, we’re substituting crisp sweet potatoes skins…so better!
These skins are great any night of the week. But they feel especially great for Thursday, Sunday…or Monday night football.
And the biggest bonus…the leftovers. They make for such a delicious lunch the following day.
Love a two for one recipe!
If you make these healthy chipotle chicken sweet potatoes skins be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Hi I think you had a version of this before this one and I loved it – could you possibly send it to me? I usually reference this page for it and I noticed it’s different a little bit (the original had no chickpeas) but not sure what else is different. Thank you so much!
Hey Michelle! This is the same recipe, just with added chickpeas, which you can easily omit from the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Now that the weather is cooling, I’m gathering fall recipes. This looks fabulous!
Love that! Thank you Janet! xTieghan
I vote for COZY for your third cookbook especially if it comes out in the fall.
More cozy sweet potato recipe also.
Ooo yes! Thank you Nancy! xTieghan
This looks so good and I can’t wait to try it! What do you do with the sweet potato flesh? Any suggestions??
Hi Abby! I recommend my sweet potato tater tots. Linked below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/sweet-potato-parmesan-tater-tots/
Looks like a great treat plus the leftovers, too. Perfect!
Thank you Joyce! xTieghan
Half Baked Harvest…Cozy would be a winner! Can’t wait for your second cookbook to be released.
Thank you so much Karen! I am so pumped for you guys to receive it! xTieghan
These are amazing!! You could totally use the leftover sweet potato flesh for the baked sweet potato parmesan tots recipe that you posted last week!
Thank you Steph! I am so glad you loved this! xTieghan
This looks AMAZING! Would like to try tonight. Question about the sweet potatoes. You said put them directly on the rack after pricking the skins – do you put parchment underneath? Don’t they ooze all over the oven?
Hi Rose! You can place the sweet potatoes on a pan if you are worried about them oozing. I don’t normally have issues, but a pan works just as well! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Looks so good. But what do you do with the sweet potato flesh? Are you mixing it back it with the chicken?
HI there! The sweet potato flesh should be reserved for another recipe. It’s not needed for the filling. I would recommend using the sweet potato flesh for my sweet potato tater tots. Linked below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/sweet-potato-parmesan-tater-tots/
This is something AMAZINNGGG!!!!!!
I love sweet potato and this combination in a form of chipotle is something that is mouth-watering!!!
Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
Keep sharing:)
Will do! Thank you so much! xTieghan
These were DELICIOUS! Lots of flavor! Will definitely make again. I used ground turkey like suggested in the actual cookbook, and made half of the skins with combining the turkey mixture with some of the removed sweet potato filling. My husband can’t handle a ton of spice, so this was a bit on the spicy side for him. He just added some some extra guac/yogurt to cut the heat 🙂
I am so glad these turned out amazing for you both Leanna! Thank you so much for trying this! xTieghan
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I’ve made them so many times and am reminded every time of just how delicious they are! I usually end up doubling the amount of garlic and adding about a 1/2 a tbsp of cayenne powder just because I enjoy a good amount of heat. The only other thing I change up is that I mash the scraped flesh of the sweet potato and add about half of it back to the mixture to get sort of a “deviled sweet potato” kind of thing going. It provides a touch more sweetness and makes each one a whole meal on its own.
Your site and recipes are completely amazing and I’m so glad you’re kind enough to share them with us 🙂
Thank you so much Regina! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
A friend made this for me and we loved it. After making it a few times I decided to start making it into a casserole because it’s easier. Great topped with avocado!
Thank you Brittany! xTieghan
IS it ok to have diary when you have thyroids issues?
Hi Sharon! I am not too sure on that. I would definitely ask your doctor or dietician because I do not want to give you the wrong information! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks amazing!! I can’t wait to try jt!!
Thank you Nadia! xTieghan