These chicken-loaded sweet potato skins are double-baked, then piled high with a creamy leftover chicken mayo filling. They’re delicious hot or cold and make a perfect lunch or packed meal.
I’ve eaten this for days straight and it never gets boring. The sweet, crisp skins combined with a creamy, moist chicken filling create a satisfying balance of textures and flavours. Leftovers are great for lunchboxes or a quick snack the next day.
This recipe began after a bargain trip to the supermarket rotisserie counter—four hot chickens later I had the perfect base for this dish. A bag of sweet potatoes and a little creativity turned it into a favourite.
Use leftover roast chicken or cook and cool some chicken breasts specifically for this—either way the result is fantastic and very forgiving. You can keep the scooped sweet potato flesh for another use—mixed with eggs for breakfast is one of my favourite options—but you can also fold some of it into the chicken filling if you prefer a creamier, more cohesive filling.
If you have fresh herbs, chopped coriander is lovely stirred into the mayo, but basil or sage would work well too to deepen the flavour. Spring onions add a bright, crunchy finish when sprinkled on top before serving.
One practical tip: always pierce sweet potatoes several times before baking. If you don’t, they can burst in the oven and make a big mess—learned that the hard way!
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1–2
sweet potatoes per person
depending on size - Oil
- Salt
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Cooked chicken
cut into bite-size pieces - Mayonnaise
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Fresh herbs such as coriander
optional: basil or sage -
Spring onions
chopped
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Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas mark 4.
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Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and bake for about 1 hour, or until soft in the centre.
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Slice each potato in half lengthways and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving approximately 1/2–1 cm of flesh on the skin to keep the shells sturdy.
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Return the skins to the baking tray, drizzle with a little oil, sprinkle with salt and bake for another 10–15 minutes. They won’t crisp like regular potato skins, but the edges will char and become pleasantly crisp.
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While the skins finish baking, combine the cooked chicken, mayonnaise, pepper and chopped herbs (if using) in a bowl. Adjust seasoning to taste.
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Fill the baked skins with the chicken mixture, scatter with spring onions and serve warm or chilled.
