Dinner
Hot-Honey Beef & Sweet-Potato Bowls
Smoky beef, golden sweet potato and cool, creamy cottage cheese with a sweet-spicy hot-honey drizzle. A generous dinner bowl with plenty of flavor in every bite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Sweet, spicy, smoky and creamy all in one bowl. The beef brings the savory flavor, the sweet potato gets those lovely browned edges, and the cottage cheese keeps everything cool and creamy underneath. Then comes the hot honey. That little drizzle brings the whole thing together.
The lime-soaked onion adds just enough crunch and tang to keep you going back for another bite. And while the potatoes roast, you can get the beef and toppings ready, so dinner comes together without juggling everything at once.
Simple Ingredients
This is all about getting a little of everything in each spoonful. Smoked paprika and cumin give the beef plenty of flavor, while honey and sweet potato balance the heat from the hot sauce. The cottage cheese makes a creamy base without another dressing to mix.
Keep the cottage cheese cold until you build the bowls. Warm beef and golden potato against that cool, creamy base is such a good combination, and the lime and fresh cilantro finish it off beautifully.
Best Ways to Enjoy It
Serve while the beef and sweet potato are warm, with the onion, hot honey and cilantro shared between both bowls. Get your fork right down to the cottage cheese so you get all those flavors together.
Making it ahead? Keep the beef and potato separate from the cottage cheese and fresh toppings, then build your bowl after reheating. The storage notes below have the timing and reheating details.
Before you begin
Weigh the beef and vegetables raw, after trimming. Divide the finished recipe evenly into two bowls.
A Few Helpful Tips
- Cut the sweet potato into even ½–⅝-inch (1.5 cm) cubes so it cooks evenly. Give it room on the tray for browned edges.
- Leave the onion in the lime juice while the potatoes roast, and keep that tangy liquid for the bowls.
- Keep the cottage cheese chilled until serving for a cool contrast to the beef and potato.
Tools That Make This Easy
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A roomy tray for those golden edges
The Nordic Ware half-sheet pans make it easy to spread the sweet potato into one layer, giving the cubes room to roast rather than steam. You only need one pan for this recipe; the two-pack is useful if you roast vegetables or bake regularly. Add the parchment called for below, and there’s less scrubbing after dinner too.
Check the beef without guessing
The TempPro TP19H instant-read thermometer makes it easier to check the beef’s 160°F / 71°C endpoint. The backlit, rotating display helps when checking a pan on the stove. Use it for a spot check, then remove it; a food thermometer you already own works here too.
Hot-Honey Beef & Sweet-Potato Bowls
Active Time
20 mins
Total Time
35–40 mins
Servings
2
Approximate times. Prepare the beef and toppings while the sweet potato roasts.
Estimated nutrition per bowl, including all sauce, toppings and oil. Ingredient brands and label rounding affect these estimates.
Calories
565
Protein
48g
Carbs
63g
Fat
14g
Allergens: Contains milk. Check hot sauce and other ingredient labels for additional allergens.
Ingredients
Both systems are shown; the toggle changes their order. US equivalents are approximate. Metric amounts are the recipe reference. Ounces (oz) measure weight; fl oz measures volume. Use level US measuring spoons.
- 10.6 oz (300 g) raw 96% lean ground beef 300 g (10.6 oz) raw 96% lean ground beef
- 14.1 oz (400 g) raw sweet potato, scrubbed, trimmed and cut into ½–⅝-inch (1.5 cm) cubes 400 g (14.1 oz) raw sweet potato, scrubbed, trimmed and cut into 1.5 cm (½–⅝-inch) cubes
- 8 oz (226 g) 2% cottage cheese, cold 226 g (8 oz) 2% cottage cheese, cold
- 0.35 oz (10 g) olive oil, divided: 0.25 oz (7 g) for the potato and 0.11 oz (3 g) for the beef 10 g (0.35 oz) olive oil, divided: 7 g (0.25 oz) for the potato and 3 g (0.11 oz) for the beef
- 0.99 oz (28 g) honey 28 g (0.99 oz) honey
- 1 US tbsp (15 mL) vinegar-based cayenne hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot Original; not wing sauce 15 mL (1 US tbsp) vinegar-based cayenne hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot Original; not wing sauce
- 2.1 oz (60 g) red onion, very thinly sliced 60 g (2.1 oz) red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1.06 oz (30 g) fresh lime juice, divided: 0.71 oz (20 g) for the onion and 0.35 oz (10 g) for the honey sauce 30 g (1.06 oz) fresh lime juice, divided: 20 g (0.71 oz) for the onion and 10 g (0.35 oz) for the honey sauce
- 0.21 oz (6 g) garlic, finely minced 6 g (0.21 oz) garlic, finely minced
- 0.11 oz (3 g) smoked paprika, divided: 0.035 oz (1 g) for the potato and 0.07 oz (2 g) for the beef 3 g (0.11 oz) smoked paprika, divided: 1 g (0.035 oz) for the potato and 2 g (0.07 oz) for the beef
- 0.035 oz (1 g) ground cumin 1 g (0.035 oz) ground cumin
- 0.21 oz (6 g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped 6 g (0.21 oz) cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
- 0.053 oz (1.5 g) fine salt, divided between the potato, onion and beef 1.5 g (0.053 oz) fine salt, divided between the potato, onion and beef
Instructions
- Heat a conventional oven to 425°F / 220°C. Line a large sheet pan. Toss the sweet potato with 0.25 oz (7 g) oil, 0.035 oz (1 g) paprika and about one-third of the salt. Spread in a single layer. Roast for an estimated 25–30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until browned at the edges and tender in the center. Heat a conventional oven to 425°F / 220°C. Line a large sheet pan. Toss the sweet potato with 7 g (0.25 oz) oil, 1 g (0.035 oz) paprika and about one-third of the salt. Spread in a single layer. Roast for an estimated 25–30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until browned at the edges and tender in the center.
- Meanwhile, toss the onion with 0.71 oz (20 g) lime juice and a small pinch from the measured salt. Leave for at least 10 minutes, stirring once. Keep the lime liquid; it goes into the bowls too. Meanwhile, toss the onion with 20 g (0.71 oz) lime juice and a small pinch from the measured salt. Leave for at least 10 minutes, stirring once. Keep the lime liquid; it goes into the bowls too.
- Stir the honey, hot sauce and remaining 0.35 oz (10 g) lime juice together. If the honey is too thick to mix, warm the sauce gently; do not boil it. Stir the honey, hot sauce and remaining 10 g (0.35 oz) lime juice together. If the honey is too thick to mix, warm the sauce gently; do not boil it.
- Heat the remaining 0.11 oz (3 g) oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and remaining salt. Cook, breaking it into small crumbles, for an estimated 6–9 minutes. Add the garlic, remaining 0.07 oz (2 g) paprika and cumin during the final minute. Continue cooking until the beef reaches 160°F / 71°C on a food thermometer. Color alone is not a doneness test. Keep the small amount of pan juices rather than draining them; the nutrition estimate includes all meat and oil. Heat the remaining 3 g (0.11 oz) oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and remaining salt. Cook, breaking it into small crumbles, for an estimated 6–9 minutes. Add the garlic, remaining 2 g (0.07 oz) paprika and cumin during the final minute. Continue cooking until the beef reaches 160°F / 71°C on a food thermometer. Color alone is not a doneness test. Keep the small amount of pan juices rather than draining them; the nutrition estimate includes all meat and oil.
- Divide the cottage cheese between two bowls. Add equal portions of sweet potato and beef. Finish with all the lime-onion mixture, hot-honey sauce and cilantro, divided evenly. Divide the cottage cheese between two bowls. Add equal portions of sweet potato and beef. Finish with all the lime-onion mixture, hot-honey sauce and cilantro, divided evenly.
Variations
- Use a vinegar-based cayenne hot sauce with a similar heat profile. Start with the recipe amounts; adjusting the honey or sauce to taste changes the nutrition.
Storage
- For meal prep, store the cottage cheese and fresh toppings separately from the beef and potato. Refrigerate promptly at 40°F / 4°C or colder; use the cooked components within 3–4 days. Reheat the meat and potato to 165°F / 74°C, then add the cold toppings.
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