When a weeknight dinner needs to be fast, colorful, and genuinely satisfying, this BBQ chicken and sweet potato skillet covers all three. Smoky, BBQ-coated chicken and crispy roasted sweet potatoes come together in a single pan, finished with melted cheese and a handful of fresh green onions in just 35 minutes.
The sweet and smoky combination here isn’t accidental. Sweet potatoes bring a natural caramelized sweetness that plays directly against the tangy, smoky barbecue sauce, and the result is a dish that tastes more layered and considered than the effort involved would suggest. Cooking the potatoes separately in the air fryer or oven while the chicken sautés in the skillet keeps both components at their best texture before they come together at the end.
This is the kind of dinner that works for a Tuesday night with no planning and a Sunday meal prep session with equal success.
Why You’ll Love This BBQ Chicken and Roasted Sweet Potato Skillet
The cooking method is what makes this recipe work so efficiently. Running the sweet potatoes through the air fryer or oven while the chicken cooks in the skillet means both elements finish at roughly the same time without either one waiting around and losing quality. The sweet potatoes come out crispy at the edges and tender through the center. The chicken stays juicy inside the BBQ sauce.
Ranch seasoning in the chicken spice blend is an optional detail worth including. It adds a background herby, savory note that complements the BBQ sauce without drawing attention to itself. If you’ve never added it to a skillet chicken, this recipe is a good place to try it.
The melted cheese finish is the element that brings the whole pan together visually and in terms of flavor. Two minutes under a lid or three minutes under the broiler turns this from a good skillet dinner into something that looks genuinely impressive served straight from the pan.
Ingredients for BBQ Chicken and Roasted Sweet Potato Skillet
I always recommend choosing a BBQ sauce with a flavor profile you genuinely enjoy on its own, since it carries the entire dish. A smoky, slightly sweet sauce with some depth works better here than a thin, vinegar-forward variety. The sauce needs enough body to coat the chicken and potatoes without becoming watery when it hits the heat of the skillet.
The Sweet Potatoes:
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon each: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika
The Chicken:
- 2 large chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon each: paprika, onion powder, and ranch seasoning (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon each: salt and black pepper
The Sauce & Finish:
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
- Sliced green onions and fresh cilantro for garnish
The sweet potato dice size matters more in this recipe than most. I keep them at a half-inch cube or smaller so they cook through and crisp properly in the time it takes the chicken to finish in the skillet. Larger cubes need more time in the air fryer and won’t be ready when the chicken is. Chicken thighs are a reliable substitute for breasts here and stay notably juicier through the sauté, which is worth considering if the skillet tends to run hot on your stovetop.
How to Make BBQ Chicken and Roasted Sweet Potato Skillet
The key to this recipe is the parallel cooking approach. The potatoes go into the air fryer or oven first, and the chicken sautés in the skillet during that same window of time. Both components finish at approximately the same point, which means the assembly step is fast and the cheese melts over everything while it’s all still hot.
- Toss the diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika until evenly coated. For the air fryer: cook at 400°F for 20 minutes, shaking the basket at the halfway point until the edges are crispy and the centers are tender. For the oven: spread on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- While the potatoes cook, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken and season with paprika, onion powder, ranch seasoning if using, salt, and pepper.
- Sauté the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden on the outside and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Add the minced garlic during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Adding it earlier risks burning, which turns garlic bitter in a way that carries through the finished dish.
- Pour the BBQ sauce into the skillet with the cooked chicken and stir to coat every piece. Fold in the roasted sweet potatoes and stir gently to combine without breaking up the potato cubes.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook on low heat for 2 minutes until the cheese has fully melted. Alternatively, slide the skillet under a preheated broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden at the edges.
- Scatter sliced green onions and fresh cilantro over the top and serve directly from the skillet.
Pro tip: If the BBQ sauce starts to caramelize too quickly on the bottom of the skillet after adding the potatoes, reduce the heat to medium and add a tablespoon of water or broth to loosen it. The sauce should coat rather than char.
What to Serve with BBQ Chicken and Roasted Sweet Potato Skillet
This is a complete meal in a single pan, but a few sides extend it naturally into a fuller dinner spread when you’re feeding a crowd or want something alongside.
Creamy coleslaw: A vinegar or creamy coleslaw alongside this skillet fits the BBQ theme and provides cool, crunchy contrast to the warm, saucy pan. The acidity cuts through the sweetness of both the potatoes and the BBQ sauce in a way that genuinely refreshes the palate.
Corn on the cob: Grilled or boiled corn with a little butter leans directly into the BBQ dinner theme without requiring any additional prep beyond what’s already happening in the kitchen.
Cilantro lime rice: A scoop of cilantro lime rice underneath the skillet contents or served alongside turns this into a bowl-style dinner that works particularly well for meal prep portions throughout the week.
Simple green salad: Mixed greens with a light lemon vinaigrette add brightness and freshness to a plate that runs warm and sweet. Keep the dressing clean and acidic to complement rather than echo the BBQ flavors.
Warm cornbread: A square of skillet cornbread serves as both a side and a vehicle for extra BBQ sauce at the bottom of the pan. The slight sweetness of cornbread pairs naturally with the smoky chicken and caramelized sweet potatoes.
Avocado slices: Sliced avocado fanned alongside the skillet brings a cool, fatty richness that works particularly well with the smoky BBQ sauce and fresh cilantro garnish. It takes thirty seconds to prepare and adds both color and substance.
Pro Tips & Variations
Chicken thigh swap: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay juicier than breasts in a high-heat skillet and are more forgiving if the cooking runs a minute or two long. Cut them into the same 1-inch cubes and follow the same timing.
Regular potato substitute: Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes work in place of sweet potatoes for a more traditional skillet dinner. You lose the sweet-savory contrast that makes this dish distinct, but the overall method and timing stay the same.
Sugar-free BBQ sauce: A sugar-free or reduced-sugar BBQ sauce brings the overall carbohydrate count down considerably and makes this a much cleaner eating option without changing the cooking technique or the flavor balance significantly.
Add a vegetable: Diced bell peppers or halved cherry tomatoes folded in with the sweet potatoes during the combine step add color and a fresh note. Bell peppers also complement the BBQ sauce and ranch seasoning particularly well.
Spice it up: Add a half teaspoon of cayenne to the chicken seasoning or drizzle a little hot sauce over the finished skillet before the cheese goes on. The heat plays well against the sweetness of the potatoes and the sauce.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, making this one of the better weeknight recipes for meal prep. The sweet potatoes soften slightly overnight as they absorb the BBQ sauce, which changes the texture but actually deepens the flavor. Reheat individual portions in the microwave in 90-second intervals or warm the full skillet over medium-low heat on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce. The cheese won’t have the same melted pull on day two, but the overall dish holds up well through reheating. This recipe does not freeze well since the sweet potatoes lose their texture entirely after thawing.
Common Questions
Can I cook the sweet potatoes directly in the skillet with the chicken instead of using the air fryer? You can, but the timing becomes tricky. Sweet potato cubes need more time to cook than chicken, and adding them raw to the skillet with the chicken typically results in either overcooked chicken or undercooked potatoes. If you want to keep everything in one pan, par-cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes before adding them to the skillet with the chicken at the start of cooking.
My BBQ sauce is burning on the bottom of the skillet. How do I prevent this? This usually happens when the heat stays too high after the sauce is added. Once the BBQ sauce goes in, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low. If the sauce is still catching, add a tablespoon of water or broth to the pan and stir it into the sauce to thin and loosen it.
Can I make this dairy-free? Yes. Replace the butter with olive oil for sautéing the chicken and skip the cheese topping or use a dairy-free cheese alternative. The rest of the recipe is dairy-free as written, and the dish is still complete and flavorful without the cheese layer.
This BBQ chicken and sweet potato skillet earns its place in a weeknight rotation for exactly the reasons that matter most on a busy evening. It’s fast, it’s genuinely flavorful, and everything finishes in the same pan you’ll serve it from. Give it a spot on the dinner table this week and see how quickly it becomes a regular request.
BBQ Chicken and Roasted Sweet Potato Skillet
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Toss the diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Air fryer method: cook at 400°F for 20 minutes, shaking halfway through. Oven method: roast on a baking sheet at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once halfway.
- While the potatoes cook, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken and season with paprika, onion powder, ranch seasoning if using, salt, and pepper.
- Sauté the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes until golden and cooked through to 165°F. Add the minced garlic during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
- Pour the BBQ sauce into the skillet and stir to coat the chicken. Fold in the roasted sweet potatoes gently.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 2 minutes until melted, or broil for 2 to 3 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Top with sliced green onions and fresh cilantro. Serve directly from the skillet.
