Mexican Beef & Sweet Potato Bowl

This Mexican Beef & Sweet Potato Bowl is a high-flavour, high-colour dish that ticks every box—protein-packed beef, crispy spiced sweet potato, fresh veggies and a creamy Mexican-style sauce to tie it all together. It’s quick, satisfying and perfect for meal prep or an easy weeknight dinner. Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 500g beef mince
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ onion, diced
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tsp cumin
• Salt + pepper

Sweet potatoes

• 1 medium sweet potato, diced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp cummin
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Salt + pepper

Mex sauce

• 3 tbsp cottage cheese
• 30g parmesan cheese
• 3-4 tbsp water
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• ½ tsp paprika, cummin, garlic powder

Sides

• 1.5 cups spinach
• 120g tomato, diced
• 120g, cucumber, diced
• ½ small avocado, mashed

 Method:

1. Preheat the air fryer: Set to 200°C so it’s hot and ready for the sweet potato.
2. Cook the sweet potato: In a bowl, toss the diced sweet potato with olive oil, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper until well coated. Spread in the air fryer basket and cook for 15–20 minutes, shaking halfway through, until golden on the edges and soft in the centre.
3. Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic. Cook for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
4. Cook the beef: Add the beef mince to the pan. Break it up with a spoon as it browns. Sprinkle over paprika, chilli flakes, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is evenly browned and cooked through.
5. Make the Mex sauce: Add the cottage cheese, parmesan, water, garlic, hot sauce, paprika, cumin and garlic powder to a blender or small food processor. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Add extra water as needed to create a pourable sauce.
6. Assemble the bowls: Divide the spinach, diced tomato, diced cucumber and mashed avocado between four bowls. Top each with a generous scoop of spiced beef and a portion of air-fried sweet potato. Drizzle the bowls with the Mex sauce. Serve immediately or store for meal prep.

Cooking Tip: For extra flavour, let the cooked beef simmer for 1–2 minutes after seasoning—this helps toast the spices and infuse the mince with deeper, richer Mexican-style flavour.