Sweet Potato Fries with Black Beans & Guacamole
The sweet potato fries come out of a 220°C oven crispy on the outside, with roasted bell pepper and red onion from the same tray. Spiced beef and black beans go next to them, warm from the pan. Fresh guacamole from half a mashed avocado and a squeeze of lime finishes the plate.
32g of protein and 22g of fiber, and the whole thing takes twenty minutes.
The sweet potato fries come out of a 220°C oven crispy on the outside, with roasted bell pepper and red onion from the same tray. Spiced beef and black beans go next to them, warm from the pan. Fresh guacamole from half a mashed avocado and a squeeze of lime finishes the plate.
32g of protein and 22g of fiber, and the whole thing takes twenty minutes.
Ingredients
- black beans 3 ounces
- sweet potato 0.5 pound
- olive oil 1.5 tablespoon
- chili powder 1 pinch
- red onion 0.5
- bell pepper 1
- avocado 0.5
- lime juice 1 squeeze
- 96% lean ground beef 3 ounces
- paprika (ground spice) 1 teaspoon
- ground cumin 0.5 teaspoon
- salsa 2 tablespoons
Method
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Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C).
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Rinse the black beans and let them drain.
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Peel the sweet potato and cut it into thin fries.
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Place the fries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with half of the oil and season with chili powder, salt and pepper. Toss well. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until they are crispy. Stir halfway through the baking time.
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Meanwhile, cut the onion into rings and the bell pepper into small strips. Add the vegetables to the baking sheet after 10 minutes.
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Mash the avocado flesh in a bowl with a fork. Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Mix everything well together.
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Heat the remaining oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the ground beef, paprika and cumin for about 5 minutes. Add the black beans and heat briefly.
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Serve the sweet potato fries with the black bean ground beef, salsa and guacamole on the side.
The oil you drizzle on the sweet potato fries before baking does more than crisp them. Cooking sweet potato with a small amount of oil increases the amount of beta-carotene your body can absorb by 10 to 20 times compared to baking without it.
Why This Works
Behind this recipe
Is 32g of protein enough for a single meal?
Research from a systematic review covering more than 49 studies found that your body can use well beyond 20–30g of protein per meal. The outdated ceiling that circulated for years was based on muscle protein synthesis rates alone, ignoring the full picture of how protein is metabolized. 32g from a combination of ground beef and black beans sits comfortably within the range the research tested.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I swap the ground beef for turkey or chicken?
Yes. The recipe uses 96% lean ground beef for its protein density, but lean ground turkey or chicken works the same way. The macros will shift slightly depending on the exact lean percentage, but the cooking method in step 7 stays identical.
Where does the 22g of fiber come from?
Sweet potato and black beans carry the bulk. Both are among the highest-fiber whole foods in a standard kitchen. The bell pepper, avocado, and salsa add smaller amounts. Research has linked higher fiber intake to accelerated fat loss through multiple mechanisms including increased satiety and improved gut health.
Read the full evidence review
