This Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet only requires 4 ingredients, and it’s whole30, gluten-free, paleo, and super-easy to make!
This Sweet Potato, Kale, and Shrimp Skillet is so easy to make for lunchtime or a busy weeknight meal. It takes only a few minutes to be ready on your table. The only thing that takes a little time is for the sweet potatoes to cook.
Since you sauté the kale leaves, you need to keep the heat low to so that they don’t become soggy. I dislike soggy leaves, which is why they look almost raw in the pictures. I just sauté them for about one minute or so, but if you wish, you can sauté them for longer. It is really up to you. Let’s talk a little bit about the shrimp now.
Why did you use a cast iron skillet to make this recipe?
I’m a huge fan of cast iron skillets. If you visit Primavera Kitchen often, you know that I have a variety of cast iron skillet recipes for you to try. I love cooking with cast iron pans because they are very versatile. You can use them for frying, baking, grilling, broiling, braising, and sautéing meats, vegetables, and more! You can make almost everything in them. Isn’t that great? Cast iron is also very resistant and durable. I have had 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 they have a precise heat distribution, which makes foods cook evenly and taste delicious. I have two favourite cast iron skillets.
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You can see the Le Creuset one in the pictures in this post, and the other one is my Lodge skillet, which I use to make lots of recipes for my family such as Asparagus Sweet Potato Chicken Skillet, Chimichurri Chicken Green Beans Skillet, and Creamy Parmesan Chicken Skillet or any of these 50 Healthy Cast Iron Skillet Recipes or these 15 Healthy Skillet Dinner Recipes.
This Lodge skillet is great because it has a very good price for the quality. 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, place them in a bowl with cold water in the sink, and leave them for about 5 minutes. The shrimp are thawed when they are soft and easily bendable.
Then, rinse, and pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Now, they are ready to cook. It’s such an easy to cook protein! Try my Sweet Potato Green Beans Shrimp Skillet if you want another tasty shrimp recipe.
Why are my shrimp so chewy?
It’s probably because you overcook your shrimp. When shrimp are overcooked, they become tough, rubbery, dry, and chewy. Shrimp cook very quickly. So, as soon as the shrimp turn pink, it’s a sign that they are done. It will only take about 3-5 minutes to cook if the shrimp are medium-sized. If the shrimp are larger, they will take about 6-7 minutes.
5 more shrimp skillet recipes to try:
All these recipes are low-carb, paleo, gluten-free, and whole30.
- Shrimp Vegetable Skillet: This is a great one-pan meal for the entire family. Super-healthy and perfect for a quick dinner or a delicious lunch.
- Chimichurri Shrimp Broccoli Skillet: This recipe is another quick-and-easy, one-pan meal for your busy weeknight dinners. It’s ready in less than 15 minutes and super-flavourful.
- Garlic Shrimp Asparagus Skillet: Perfect for a busy weeknight since this one-pan meal will be ready in 20 minutes or so.
- Creamy Parmesan Shrimp Skillet: This recipe is full of so many flavours that you’ll think you are eating a gourmet meal!
- 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 recipe with other veggies of your choice.
For more quick and healthy lunch or dinner recipes, 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!
Did you make a recipe? Tag @primaverakitchen on Instagram so we can find you!
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Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or ghee
- ½ cup onions diced
- pinch crushed red pepper to taste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups sweet potatoes diced
- 2 cups shrimp peeled, deveined, and thawed if frozen
- 3 cups trimmed and coarsely chopped kale leaves
- salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onions and crushed red pepper.
- Cook until the onions are soft and golden.
- Add the garlic, and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the sweet potatoes, and cook until soft. Add a few tablespoons or ¼ cup of water to help steam the sweet potatoes, if necessary.*
- Add the shrimp, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they turn pink.**
- Turn the heat to low, and add the kale, stirring until wilted.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tips
- Don't add more than a ¼ cup of water to cook the sweet potatoes because they may become soggy. Also, cover the skillet with a lid for about 2 minutes. It helps cook the sweet potato faster.
- If I'm using more than 2 cups of shrimp, I cook the shrimp first and set them aside to avoid overcrowding the skillet.
- Here is a complete list of shrimp recipes for you to try. They are healthy, easy-to-make, and also great as leftovers.
- If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a large non-stick skillet instead.
- To store: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: You can microwave leftovers or reheat on the stovetop.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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Kathleen says
Thanks for the great recipe! I just made it for dinner. My husband said it was a definite “make again”. I did used a large “Garnet sweet potato”, peeled it and cut it in small dice. At about 10-12 minutes on medium to medium low it was cooked perfectly – soft, not mushy or too firm and beautiful color! You didn’t say whether to peel it, but I did. We like a bit of spice so I used 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Given another’s comments, I drizzled balsamic vinegar over kale before stirring it into other ingredients and will do that again. (That person also added soy sauce, but I don’t like soy sauce so didn’t add that.) I sprinkled a bit of grated parmesan on part of mine – I don’t adhere to Paleo, just aim for healthy. (Grated Parmesan didn’t add much. Nest time I’d try goat cheese. I also don’t like feta 😉 My husband said it was great and he didn’t want any cheese on his 😉
Olivia says
Happy you liked it. And yes goat cheese works great with this recipe.
shell shockers says
The food you share it is very appealing and looks delicious. I really want to reward it, thank you for providing the recipe.
Molly says
This was so easy and delicious! I ended up roasting my sweet potatoes while I was chopping everything up for the rest of my meal. The only other change was to grate the rind of one lemon and add that and the juice of half of the lemon at the end. It’s a very simple dish – the sweet potato, kale, garlic and shrimp all come through. I felt healthier after eating it and am enjoying the leftovers now. (PS: anyone throwing a yam versus sweet potato temper tantrum have some serious perspective issues)
Olivia says
Happy you like this recipe! Thanks for stopping by and leave your tips and feedback.
Kiara Smith says
I made this recipe as part of my meal prep and it was so easy and so delicious! I added mushrooms and used a little more crushed red peppers because I loove spicy foods and it was absolutely amazing! Third recipe of yours I tried and it was just delicious! Will definitely make again!
Olivia says
That’s absolutely AMAZING. I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks so much for your feedback 😉
Jennifer says
Can you use frozen already-cooked shrimp?
Olivia says
Yes you can. Just add it when you add the kale.
Cathryn says
Hello! I had exactly the list of ingredients, so decided to make this last night! The only change I would make next time is to par-cook the sweet potatoes first–either by roasting or sautéing. Although I diced them into 1/2 inch cubes, they took a long time to cook. Which meant that by the time they were done the onion and garlic was burned. I removed everything and then did the shrimp by itself, since I had large shrimp, then the kale, and then tossed everything together. The suggestion for balsamic was a great addition.
Jennifer says
This has become an easy week night staple. Sometimes I switch to shrimp with salmon or another seafood. Great recipe!
Olivia says
Happy you liked this recipe. Yes this recipe goes well with salmon and other type seafood.
RM says
I just made this. My picky husband who doesn’t like anything that’s good for him said “Make it again.” I added leftover garlic butter mushrooms. Just like always I made too much sweet potatoes, and not enough kale. I seem to be always referring to your recipes. And as usual they are always a hit at dinnertime. Please keep them coming. I bought way too much kale at the grocery store. Now to figure out a recipe to use up the rest of the kale.
Olivia says
That’s amazing! Happy him liked it!
Perry Piwowarski says
How much does two cups of shrimp weigh