These viral hot honey beef bowls are high protein, easy to make, and great for meal prep!
Not sure what you're in for? Think ground beef taco bowls with sweet potatoes and cottage cheese. It sounds weird, but trust – it's delicious!
When I first started spotting these sweet potato beef bowls all over social media, I knew they were my kind of meal. An easy recipe that's high in protein with a variety of textures and flavors? Sign me up!
So of course I had to give this viral cottage cheese recipe a try (and make my husband – the king of the cottage cheese haters – try it too).
The first time I tried the original viral recipe, I found it to be just okay, but after multiple rounds of testing and tweaking, we both fell in love with this version of the famous sweet potato beef bowl.
Perfectly cooked and seasoned taco meat, sweet and savory sweet potatoes, creamy cottage cheese, and a generous drizzle of hot honey made for an ultra-satisfying meal.
Why You'll Love It:
- High in protein. An estimated 42 grams of protein and 14 grams of fiber per bowl. Need I say more?
- Flavorful. Savory taco meat, roasted sweet potatoes, creamy cottage cheese, and spicy-sweet hot honey make for a next level flavor combo.
- Meap prep superstar. Great macros and big flavor make this ideal for meal prep. There's a good reason the recipe went viral – it works for all kinds of dietary needs.
You Will Need:
- Lean ground beef: Use the leanest beef within your budget, or use other lean ground meats such as turkey or chicken (see notes below).
- Sweet potatoes: Seasoned and roasted sweet potato cubes are a great source of carbs and add serious flavor. If you're short on time, you can always make sweet potato cubes in the air fryer instead!
- Cottage cheese: Packing 15 grams of protein per half cup, this creamy and cool component adds the perfect balance and pushes the protein count even higher.
- Hot honey: Either store-bought or homemade hot honey can be used. If you don't like spicy flavors, try using regular ol' sweet honey instead!
- Avocado (optional): This adds healthy fats and fiber. Avocado can be pricey, and the texture can be an issue for some, so we wanted to make sure you know it's completely optional.
- Seasonings: Your favorite taco seasoning, salt, pepper, paprika, dried parsley, garlic powder, and cinnamon.
Check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and the quantities needed.
How to Make Beef Bowls with Cottage Cheese
These easy beef bowls have two components that need to be prepared first: sweet potatoes and seasoned beef.
Roasting the Sweet Potato Cubes
- Step one: Add avocado oil (or olive oil), salt, black pepper, cinnamon, paprika, garlic powder, and dried parsley to a large bowl and whisk well.
- Add your cubed sweet potatoes, then stir until well coated.
- Spread the seasoned sweet potatoes onto a lined baking sheet.
- Step two: Roast the sweet potato cubes in a 425ºF (220ºC) oven for 25 minutes, or until the edges are crispy with tender centers.
- Remove from the oven and set aside while you prepare the ground beef.
- Step three: Add the ground beef and taco seasoning to a medium non-stick skillet.
- Heat over medium heat, crumbling the beef as it cooks, and stirring in the seasoning.
- Step four: Once the beef is browned, stir in ⅓ cup of water and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.
- Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste, then remove from the heat.
Assembling the Bowls
- Step five: To each bowl, add ¼ of the roasted sweet potatoes, ¼ of the cooked ground beef, ½ cup of cottage cheese, and ½ sliced avocado (optional)
- Drizzle with hot honey: Using a honey dipper or spoon, drizzle 2-3 teaspoons of hot honey over the entire bowl, lingering a little longer over the cottage cheese and sweet potatoes.
- Sprinkle with a pinch of red pepper flakes (if desired).
Variations and Substitutions
With ground turkey or ground chicken: This recipe can easily be made with ground turkey or other lean ground meats. When using ultra-lean meats, I recommend starting with 2-3 teaspoons of oil in the pan to prevent sticking and add some flavor. I also recommend adding taco sauce to the cooked meat, which adds moisture and flavor.
With regular potatoes: If you prefer, you can make this recipe with regular roasted potato cubes or baby potatoes. Just skip the cinnamon in the seasoning – it's a bit weird with regular ol' potatoes.
More High-Protein Meals:
If you loved this recipe for beef bowls with hot honey and cottage cheese, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.
Hot Honey Beef Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2-3 tablespoons taco seasoning approximately 1 package
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste optional
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 medium avocados sliced (or cubed) (toss with lime juice to reduce browning if desired)
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- Hot honey store-bought or homemade hot honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Roasted sweet potatoes:
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cubed (½ - ¾” cubes)
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the sweet potatoes. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper; set aside. Add the avocado oil and seasonings to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the cubed sweet potatoes and toss them in the seasoned oil until evenly coated.
- Roast the sweet potatoes. Spread the seasoned sweet potato cubes onto the prepared baking sheet and roast them in the oven for 25 minutes, or until they are tender with some crispy edges.
- Prepare the ground beef. While the sweet potatoes cook, prepare your meat. Add the ground beef and taco seasoning to a large skillet, crumbling it with a wooden spoon. Brown over medium heat. Once browned, deglaze the pan with ⅓ cup of water* and stir in 1 tablespoon of tomato paste (if desired). Set aside.
- Assemble the bowls. Once the sweet potatoes and beef are both ready, you can begin assembling your bowls. In each bowl, add ¼ of the beef mixture, ¼ of the sweet potatoes, ½ cup of cottage cheese, and ½ of an avocado (sliced).
- Drizzle a generous amount of hot honey over the entire bowl, season with salt and pepper (if desired), and add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper (optional). Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Dorothy Bigelow
This recipe has been on repeat! The combination of sweet potatoes, taco meal, and creamy cottage cheese is honestly so good even though it's weird. With plenty of seasoning the flavors are really yummy, especially with the added hot honey.