Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet

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This Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet only requires 4 ingredients and it’s whole30, gluten-free, paleo, and super easy to make! 

This recipe was first published on July 24, 2014. I updated it in July 2018 with new pictures and extra information about the recipe.

Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet

We are receiving some Brazilian guests today (well, when you will be reading this post they will be here already) and I really have to finish cooking some goodies to offer to them. I don’t know about you guys, but when Brazilians have friends or family over, they will fill you up with food until you say “I can’t eat anymore, please stop it” 😉

I guess this is the way Brazilians show how much they care about their friends and family. In Canada, it is very common we offer guests something to drink when they arrive, but in Brazil, food is the first thing to be offered.

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So funny! My husband is Canadian and every time he visited my mom he used to say to me “baby, why does your mom think I am hungry all the time? She is like an Italian!” YES, we are like Italians, Portuguese, and Spanish. That’s Latin culture, guys. Just for the record, he wasn’t complaining about it. In fact, he loves this tradition since he is such a good eater, right baby?

And if you are like my family and I, that really enjoy to cook, you won’t want to miss any recipes from my blog, right? So, you just need to subscribe to my newsletter and you will receive new recipes in your inbox plus a free e-cookbook!

So, this sweet potato, kale, and shrimp skillet is so easy to make for lunchtime or busy weeknight meal. It will take only a few minutes to be ready on your table. The only thing that takes more time is the sweet potatoes to cook.

Since you will sauté the leaves, you will have to keep the heat at low to avoid them from getting very soggy. I don’t like very soggy leaves and that’s why in the pictures my leaves look almost raw. I just sautéed them for about one minute or so, but if you wish you can sauté for longer. It is really up to you. Let’s talk a little bit about shrimp now.

Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet

Why did you use a cast iron skillet to make this recipe?

I’m a huge fan of cast iron skillets. If you often visit PK, you know that I have a variety of cast iron skillet recipes here for you to try. I love cooking with cast iron pans because they are very versatile. You can use it forfrying, baking, grilling, broiling, braising, and sautéing meats, vegetables and more!You can make almost everything with it. Isn’t that great? It’s also very resistant and durable. I have my three cast iron skillets for over 7 years now and they look absolutely new.

They are also fairly cheap for the quality you get and it also has a precision heat distribution, which makes your food cooks evenly and tastes delicious. I have two favourite cast iron skillets. One is this one you see on the pictures from Le Cruesset and the other one is my Lodge skillet, which I use to make lots of recipes for my family such as my Chimichurri Chicken Green Beans Skillet and Creamy Parmesan Chicken Skillet. This Lodge skillet is great, because it has a very good price (14$ at Amazon) for the quality you get. I highly recommend this type of skillet and you can get yours here.

Can I make this Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet with frozen shrimp?

Absolutely, but you need to thaw the shrimp before cooking it. If your shrimp are frozen, you can place them in a bowl with cold water in the sink and leave it there for about 5 minutes. The shrimp is thawed when it is soft and easily bendable. Then, rinse and pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Now, they are ready to cook.

Why is my shrimp so chewy?

Probably it’s because you overcook your shrimp. When shrimp is overcooked, it becomes tough, rubbery, dry and chewy. Shrimp cooks very quickly. So, as soon as the shrimp turns pink, it’s a sign that the shrimp is done. It will take about 3-5 minutes to cook if shrimp is medium size. If shrimp is large, it will take about 6-7 minutes.

More Shrimp Skillet Recipes to Try:

All these recipes are low-carb, paleo, gluten-free and whole30.

  1. Shrimp Vegetable Skillet: It’s a great one-pan meal for the whole family. Super healthy and perfect for a quick dinner or a delicious lunch.
  2. Chimichurri Shrimp Broccoli Skillet: This recipe is another easy and quick one-pan meal for your busy weeknight dinner. It’s ready in less than 15 minutes and super flavourful.
  3. Garlic Shrimp Asparagus Skillet: Perfect for busy weeknight since this one-pan meal will be ready in 20 minutes or so.
  4. Creamy Parmesan Shrimp Skillet: It’s full of flavours that you’ll think you are eating a gourmet meal!
  5. Shrimp, Bell Pepper and Onions Skillet: I love this recipe because even if you don’t have bell peppers or onions, you can still make this Shrimp, Bell Pepper and Onions Skillet with other veggies of your preference.

For more quick and healthy lunch recipes or dinner, please visit my lunch time and what’s for dinner Pinterest boards!

I hope I inspired you to create a delicious healthy lunch dish in your own kitchen today.

As a memory, I kept the original photo from 2014!

Sweet potato, Kale and Shrimp skillet

Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet

Yield: 4

Total Time:25 mins

Prep Time:5 mins

Cook Time:15 mins

This sweet potato, kale, and shrimp skillet only requires 4 ingredients and it’s gluten-free, low-carb, paleo, and super easy to make! 

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Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or Ghee.
  • ½ cup onion, diced
  • A pinch of crushed red pepper, to taste
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups sweet potatoes, diced
  • 2 cups fresh shrimp
  • 3 cups trimmed and coarsely chopped kale leaves
  • Salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. In a cast iron skillet, add the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.
  2. Add onions and crushed red pepper.
  3. Cook until onions are soft and golden.
  4. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
  5. Add sweet potato and cook until soft. In case you need, add a few tablespoons of water or 1/4 cup to help steam the sweet potato*.
  6. Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they turn pink*.
  7. Turn the heat to low and add kale, stirring until wilted.
  8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*Don’t add more than 1/4 cup of water to cook the sweet potato because it may become soggy. Also cover the skillet with a lid for about 2 minutes. It will help to cook the sweet potato faster.

*I like to cook first the shrimp and set it aside if I’m cooking with more than 2 cups of shrimp to avoid overcrowding the skillet.

HERE is a complete list of shrimp recipes for you to try. They are healthy, easy to make and great as leftovers too.

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please visit my disclosure page here.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 4, Serving Size: 1/4

  • Amount Per Serving:
  • Calories: 265
  • Total Fat: 7.8g
  • Cholesterol: 239.5mg
  • Carbohydrates: 18g
  • Sugar: 3.4g
  • Protein: 32.1g
All images and text ©

If you make this recipe, please don't forget to snap a photo and hashtag it #primaverakitchen. I really want to see!

Products Featured in this Recipe:

(may include affiliate links)

Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cast Iron Skillet

Crushed Red Pepper

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Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet