Sweet Potato Jalapeño Hash
The Story Behind This Sweet Potato Jalapeño Hash
I wish I could take all the credit for this recipe, but I can’t. My husband came up with it, and I tweaked it! His original version used feta cheese, which is one of my all-time favorites, but I thought it was too salty with the bacon. Queso fresco has a milder flavor and helps cool down what can otherwise be a spicy dish. I added shallots because they pair so well with jalapeños and add depth of flavor. It was a true team effort, and after testing many versions, this is the sweet potato jalapeño hash we love.
Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Hash
This side dish starts with diced roasted sweet potato, then adds crisp, salty bacon, shallots, and blistered jalapeños. Queso fresco cools things down, while a drizzle of hot honey ties the sweet, salty, and spicy flavors together.
You control the heat, so this sweet potato jalapeño hash can be as mild or spicy as you like. It works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner—try it with fried eggs or serve it beside a juicy ribeye, fish, or another favorite protein.
How to Make Sweet Potato Jalapeño Hash
Roast the Sweet Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Peel the sweet potato and cut it into 1.5-inch pieces.
Place the diced sweet potato on a baking sheet, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Roast the potatoes for 20 minutes until they are cooked through.
While the potatoes are roasting, cut the bacon into tiny strips.
Cook the Bacon, Shallots, and Jalapeños
In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp.
Line a bowl with paper towels and scoop the fried bacon bits into the bowl and let the grease soak into the paper towel.
Set aside.
Leave about 2 tablespoons of rendered bacon fat in the pan and remove any excess.
Let the bacon fat cool for a few minutes. In the meantime, slice the shallots into thin slices.
Cut the jalapeños in half and remove as much of the membranes and seeds as you prefer, then slice them into thin strips.
Tip! If you enjoy spicy food, leave some of the membranes and seeds when you slice the peppers. The more you leave in, the spicier the dish will be.
In the pan with the bacon fat, set on medium heat, fry the shallots and jalapeño slices in the bacon fat for 3-4 minutes until the shallots are translucent and the jalapeño slices are blistered but still maintaining a vibrant green color.
Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Tip! The bacon fat will add saltiness to the dish so don’t add too much salt to the shallots and jalapeños.
Once the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to the pan with the shallot mixture and toss everything in the bacon fat.
How to Serve Sweet Potato Jalapeño Hash
In a large serving dish, serve the potatoes.
Sprinkle the crispy bacon bits on top of the sweet potato mixture.
Using the fine side of a cheese grater, grate the queso fresco over the bacon.
Add a drizzle of hot honey on top of the whole dish and ENJOY!
Tip! If you prefer to not have any heat, use regular honey instead of spicy hot honey.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
For more flavorful sides, try my Maple Orange Roasted Carrots, Roasted Cauliflower with Shallots and Pine Nuts, or Roasted Vegetable Antipasto.
Sweet Potato Jalapeño Hash
Equipment
- 1 medium size frying pan
- 1 medium size cooking sheet
- 1 cheese grater with a small grating option
Ingredients
- 1 peeled large sweet potato about 2 cups diced
- 4-6 strips of bacon about 1 cup cut into strips
- 2 shallots about 1 cup sliced
- 2 fresh jalapeño peppers about 1 cup sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons hot honey
- 2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons grated queso fresco
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Start by peeling the sweet potato. Cut into 1.5-inch pieces.
- Place the diced sweet potato on a baking sheet, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast the potatoes for 20 minutes until they are cooked through.
- While the potatoes are roasting, cut the bacon into tiny strips.
- In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp.
- Line a bowl with paper towels and scoop the fried bacon bits into the bowl and let the grease soak into the paper towel.
- Set aside.
- Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan and remove any excess.
- Let the bacon fat cool down a little bit so it is not extremely hot.
- Slice the shallots into thin slices.
- Clean the jalapeños by cutting them in half. Remove as much of the membranes and seeds as you prefer.
- The more membranes and seeds you leave in, the spicier the dish will be.
- Heat the pan with the bacon fat to medium heat.
- Fry the shallots and jalapeño slices in the bacon fat for 3-4 minutes until the shallots are translucent and the jalapeño slices are blistered but still maintaining a vibrant green color.
- Season with a little salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the bacon fat is already salty.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to the pan with the shallot mixture and coat it all in the bacon fat.
Serving the Sweet Potato Jalapeño Hash
- In a large serving dish, serve the potato jalapeño mixture.
- Sprinkle the crispy bacon bits on top of the hash.
- Using the fine side of a cheese grater, grate the queso fresco over the bacon.
- Add a drizzle of hot honey on top of the whole dish.
- If you prefer no heat, use regular honey instead of hot honey.
- Enjoy!