Southwest Sweet Potato Salad

Living in Arkansas where the rivers partially flow with ranch dressing, extra creamy potato salad is a de facto side dish with chicken, barbecue, and burgers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly about that life. But I wanted to mix things up and make a sweet potato salad for my recent honey chipotle crockpot pulled chicken recipe. 

This southwest spin uses sweet potatoes over white potatoes and adds a bit more texture with buttery corn and black beans. As the name implies, it packs some spice in the creamy mixture that holds it all together. And thanks to a few lower fat ingredients, you can load up your plate without adding tons of calories. 

Ingredients for Southwest Sweet Potato Salad

Here’s a quick rundown of everything you’ll need. 

The Core Ingredients:

• sweet potatoes
• canned corn
• black beans
• picked jalapeño slices (optional) 
• fat free Greek yogurt 
• light mayo

Aside from the core ingredients, all you’ll need is a handful of spices. If you’re cooking with a minimal spice cabinet, I bet you’d be fine using taco seasoning instead. 

The Spices You’ll Need:

• paprika 
• chili, garlic, and onion powder
• black pepper
• cumin
• dried or freshly chopped cilantro (optional) 

Final Recipe Notes

If you’d like to skip a step, you can buy frozen sweet potatoes that you can either steam or roast straight from frozen. Pictsweet has a line of frozen roasting vegetables that are around one pound each. Feel free to get creative with your sweet potato salad and add other ingredients like diced red onion, fresh jalapeño, or more spice if you’re a real heat fanatic. 

And if you need some more protein ideas for pairing, check out my Mexican shredded chicken thighs or BBQ pulled chicken.

As always, don’t forget to let me know what you think about the recipe. Take a photo of your creation and tag me on Instagram @mason_woodruff. Or you can join my free Facebook group and share it with the Proton Party.

Continue to Content

Southwest Sweet Potato Salad

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Spicy, creamy sweet potatoes with corn, black beans, and diced jalapeño. 

Print

Ingredients

• 1 lb Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 15 oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz can Whole Kernel Corn, drained and rinsed
• 3 Tbsp Pickled Jalapeño Slices, diced (optional)
• 1 C (227g) Fat Free Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 C (120g) Light Mayo
• 1 Tbsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Dried Cilantro, or freshly chopped

Instructions

1. Wash and peel (optional) the sweet potatoes before cutting into 1" cubes. Roast in an oven or air fry at 400F for 10-15 minutes to soften. You can also boil to soften. (Don't sweat precision. The potatoes just need to be soft all the way through.) 
2. Drain and rinse the black beans and corn in a strainer. Set aside. 
3. Mix the Greek yogurt, mayo, spices, and diced jalapeños together in a large bowl.
4. Stir well before adding the sweet potatoes, corn, and black beans. 
5. Fold everything together and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors develop and thicken. Serve chilled. 

Notes

• Each serving has 2 Smart Points.
• You can use frozen sweet potatoes and corn if you'd rather. Just aim for similar proportions. (Nutrition facts may vary with ingredient changes.) 
• 1 serving = 1/10th of the recipe. Sorry, I forgot to weigh the entire recipe before I helped myself to a serving or two or three. For accurate serving sizes, weigh your entire sweet potato salad after mixing and divide that weight by 10. If you need some extra guidance, check out my video guide on using a food scale for tracking macros. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Servings Serving Size: 1 Serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 4gCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 6g

Want more kinda healthy recipes?

Follow me on Pinterest to see all of my recipes organized in one place with photos!

More Healthy Side Dish Recipes You Might Like

• air fryer Mexican potatoes
• pan fried honey mustard brussels sprouts
• Wingstop Fries
• copycat Domino’s bread twists
• Nacho Fries