This side dish is the bold flavor combo you need on your plate! Street corn inspired stuffed sweetpotatoes are the perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and savory flavors. This is a perfect side dish for active women to add to their plates, as it features fitness-fueling carbohydrates, fiber for digestive health, and protein to support muscle repair and recovery.
Disclosure: This recipe was developed in a paid partnership with the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission Inc.
Inspired – Not Authentic
First, an important note: The filling for this recipe has many similar taste elements of elotes or esquites (“street corn” on the cob or off-the-cob, respectively) from Mexico, but I have not use fully authentic ingredients. Traditional elotes or esquites are usually made with white corn, butter, mayo (or crema), cotija cheese, chili powder, and salt. Some varieties add lime juice as well. There may be some regional differences in these ingredients, but these are often the core ingredients.
The street corn inspired filling for this recipe varies a bit. I used yellow corn, a mixture of light mayo and Greek yogurt (for a lighter sauce), added some smoked paprika, and also added green onion and jalapeno. Instead of cotija cheese, which can be a bit tricky to find where I usually grocery shop, I’ve used parmesan. I always have it on hand, and it has a similar salty element, so it works well as a substitute. However, definitely feel free to use cotija if you want more authenticity and you’ve got some on hand!
I think you’ll find that you’ll enjoy the flavor and inspiration behind this recipe!
Ingredients
Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need, along with selected ingredient notes:
- Sweetpotatoes: Look for medium sweetpotatoes that are relatively uniform in size so they cook evenly. Sweetpotatoes are one of my favorite recipe ingredients for athletes, thanks to the healthy carbs they provide!
- Corn: I like using fresh in the summer, but frozen or canned corn are great choices to use year-round.
- Light mayo: Personal preference because it’s lighter in calories and fat, but you can also use regular mayo instead.
Instructions
You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips.
Start by cooking your sweetpotatoes. You can either microwave them or bake them. If I’ve got the oven on to bake a protein for my main dish – for example, if I was roasting chicken drumsticks – I’d bake the sweetpotatoes on another baking dish at the same time. However, if I’m not turning on the oven, I almost always will just make the sweetpotatoes in the microwave. For four medium sweetpotatoes, just poke ‘em with a fork a few times and microwave for about 6-9 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Set them aside once cooked.
Next, mix together some of the filling ingredients. Start by mixing the Greek yogurt, light mayo, and lime juice.
Add in the cilantro, green onions, and parmesan, and set aside for now.
Now it’s time to cook the corn. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the jalapeno. Give everything a good stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and seasonings, stir, and cook for another 1-2 minutes. At this point, the sides of some of the corn kernals will start to brown or even lightly char a little. This is when the mixture is done, and you can remove it from heat.
Pour the corn mixture into the bowl with the yogurt/mayo mixture. Stir well until everything is combined.
Cut the sweetpotatoes in half and stuff the filling in the middle. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may come up as you’re preparing this recipe:
This recipe pairs well with a simple main protein like chicken drumsticks, steak, or baked tofu. Alternatively, you can mix leftover rotisserie chicken right into the street corn mixture to serve this as a main dish.
Yes. Use olive oil instead of butter to cook the corn, use extra light mayonnaise in place of the Greek yogurt, and use dairy-free parmesan instead of regular parmesan.
Yes. Use olive oil instead of butter to cook the corn, use vegan mayo in place of both the Greek yogurt and light mayo, and use dairy-free parmesan instead of regular parmesan.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
As a dietitian, I love this recipe for a lot of reasons – and I think you will too!
- Great side dish that’s easy to make
- Provides carbohydrates to supply energy for workouts
- So much flavor!
- Has 7 grams of fiber to support digestive health, thanks to the sweetpotatoes and corn. Pro tip: Don’t forget to eat the skin of the sweetpotatoes, since that’s where some of the fiber is and it actually tastes great with this mixture! (PS – did you know 95% of people don’t get enough fiber?!)
- Provides 9.5 grams of protein, key for muscle repair and recovery
- Excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C
- Good source of magnesium, potassium, and calcium
- Great for meal prep
More Summer Sweetpotato Recipes
If you’re looking for more delicious ways to use sweetpotatoes this summer, be sure to give one of these a try:
- Sweetpototo strawberry nice cream
- Strawberry shortcake with sweetpotato biscuits
- Blueberry sweetpotato crisp
- Sweetpotato fish cakes (great way to use leftover fish)
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you get a chance to try it, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Street Corn Inspired Stuffed Sweetpotatoes
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweetpotatoes
- 2 tbsp light mayonnaise (or regular mayo)
- 2 tbsp plain nonfat Greek yogurt (or additional light mayo)
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- ⅓ cup fresh shredded parmesan (or cotija for a more traditional option)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 ears fresh corn on the cob, husked, corn removed from stalk (or about 1 ½ cups frozen or canned corn)
- 1 jalapeno, seeds and pith discarded, minced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- To quickly cook your sweetpotatoes, poke them with a few holes with a fork, and place on a microwave safe plate. Microwave the four potatoes together for 6 to 9 minutes, depending on size, until tender. As an alternative, you can bake the sweetpotatoes (after poking with a fork) in the oven at 425°F for 40-50 minutes, until tender. Set aside when done.
- Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, mix together the light mayo, Greek yogurt, and lime juice until well combined. Add the green onions, cilantro, and parmesan, and set aside for now.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Add the corn and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the jalapeno to the skillet with the corn, give everything a good stir, and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt to the skillet. Stir and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes, until the corn starts to lightly brown on some of the sides.
- Remove from heat. Add the skillet ingredients to the bowl with the mayo/yogurt mixture. Stir everything until well combined.
- Slice the cooked sweetpotatoes open and stuff with the corn filling. Enjoy!
Notes
- Lightly sautéing the jalapeno tempers its heat. If you prefer more heat, add it raw to the yogurt/mayo mixture.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warm.
- This side dish is great alongside a simple main protein, like roasted chicken drumsticks, steak, or baked tofu. If you prefer an all-in-one dish, you can mix rotisserie chicken into the street corn filling for this recipe to make it an entrée.
Nutrition
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