This Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet only requires 4 ingredients, and it’s whole30, gluten-free, paleo, and super-easy to make!
Looking for more shrimp recipes? Try these ones too: Garlic Butter Shrimp, Air Fryer Shrimp and Shrimp Fried Rice.
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.
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!
Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet
Video
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.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
If you like this Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet recipe, please share it with your friends and family. Do you want to taste more? Subscribe to my newsletter, and follow Primavera Kitchen on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for all delicious recipe updates. As always, I really appreciate you stopping by.
Holly says
I just made this tonight for my “detox week”. The only change I made was using coconut oil in place of EVOO. This dish was AMAZING! My bf doesn’t like shrimp and he ate it and commented that it was pretty good. Success! Thank you 🙂
Olivia says
Thanks a LOT! So glad to hear you both enjoyed this recipe! Happy New Year 😉
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Shari A. says
Delicious! I was just trolling online for a way to use Kale and shrimp I had on hand. this recipe is a keeper.
Vivek Sharma says
Wow a great way to use kale! I’ll definitely try this recipe. 🙂
Olivia says
Thanks Vivek 😉
Martha says
I am in a strict diet now but this recipe sounds right up my alley. Do you happen to have the nutritional value information?
Alisha says
I had to leave out the red peppers because of a nightshade intolerance and we found it to be a bit bland.
Any ideas on some seasoning?
Olivia says
You can add Italian seasoning and also 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce. I am sure it will taste very good. I hope it helps 😉
Mickelaynne Moton says
I made this for my family. My husband loved it and so did a few of my kids – that means it’s pretty good! I boiled the sweet potatoes so that i could peel the skin off easily. Chopped veggies while potatoes were softening…easy to make and beauitiful!
Olivia says
Awesome! I am very happy to know that your family love this recipe 😉
Dona says
I added a tablespoon of lemon juice after the kale to brighten it up a bit. I might try it with red wine vinegar next time, and barley or Faro to make it a cold salad dish in the hot summer. Thanks!
Olivia says
You are very welcome. Glad you enjoy this recipe.
Kari says
This was amazin! All 5 family members gobbled it up. (I tripled the recipe w/growing boys in the house.)
thank you so much!
This is definitely a “keeper”!
Olivia says
So glad to hear that! Thanks for stopping by 😉
Lynn Margaret says
Yummmm…I googled “shrimp and sweet potato” since I had shrimp and sweet potato on hand. This is the first thing I came across! I used fresh spinach instead of kale and added in a little curry powder and cumin with the garlic. I.LOVE. THIS. With a nice glass of white wine! Cannot wait to go through the rest of your recipes!
Olivia says
You are so sweet to say that, I appreciate it so much! I am thrilled you loved this recipe and it was so good and flavorful! Thank you for the comment!