Let me introduce you to the protein bowl of your dreams – sweet, spicy, satisfying and seriously good for you. This Hot Honey Beef & Sweet Potato Protein Bowl is our take on the viral sensation taking over TikTok and Instagram, with a Skinnymixers twist, of course!
As many of you may know, I recently started going to the Gym for the first time in my life! My trainer has told me I need to increase my protein intake, so I thought it was a great time to try this cottage cheese protein bowl trend.
Think: smoky spiced beef, caramelised sweet potatoes, creamy cottage cheese, and a sticky hot honey glaze that brings the whole thing together. It’s nourishing, high-protein, gluten-free and oh-so-easy to prep for lunches or dinners through the week.
✨ Packed with flavour
🥩 High in protein
🥗 Balanced and satisfying
🌶️ That sweet + heat combo you didn’t know you needed
Why You’ll Love This Protein Bowl
The flavours are unreal – it hits every single craving. You’ve got:
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The crispy, paprika-roasted sweet potato (like healthy chips!)
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Crispy beef mince loaded with smoky spices
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That sweet + spicy Hot Honey sauce that glazes everything perfectly
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Creamy cottage cheese for protein and tang
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Fresh toppings like lime, avo, herbs and greens to keep it feeling fresh
It’s the kind of meal that makes you feel like you’re eating something indulgent, but your body’s like “thank you.”
What You’ll Need
This bowl is built from pantry-friendly ingredients and fridge staples. Here’s what goes in:
🔶 Roasted Sweet Potato
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Sweet potatoes – caramelise beautifully in the air-fryer or oven
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Olive oil, salt, pepper & paprika – simple but perfect
🥩 Spiced Beef Mince
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Beef mince – we used lean, but go with your fave. Turkey mince would be delicious too!
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Garlic & onion – for flavour base
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Paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic/onion powder – taco-ish, but better
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Water – helps keep the mince juicy without extra oil
🍯 Sweet & Spicy Sauce
This is the star of the bowl.
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Hot Honey – you can buy this OR use our homemade ‘Hot Honey’ recipe in our SkinnyAmerica cookbook.
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Soy sauce – umami depth. You can use tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free/Paleo.
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Apple cider vinegar & Dijon mustard – for brightness and zing
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Sesame oil – adds nuttiness
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Water – for perfect drizzle consistency
🧀 To Serve
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Cottage cheese – creamy, high-protein & balances the heat. You can use lactose-free cottage cheese for Low Fodmap.
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Lime wedges – for a fresh zing
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Avocado – optional but adds healthy fats and creaminess
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Herbs – coriander or parsley to finish
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Baby spinach, lettuce or grilled broccolini – if you’re feeling green
How to Make It
You can cook everything simultaneously to make it super efficient for meal prep. Here’s a quick overview:
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Roast the sweet potato: Toss in oil, season, roast till golden and caramelised.
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Cook the beef: Sauté onion and garlic, add spices, then brown the mince and simmer with a splash of water.
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Mix the sauce: Just shake or whisk it all together!
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Assemble: Layer sweet potato, mince, drizzle with hot honey sauce, add cottage cheese, avo, fresh herbs and lime.
💡 Pro Tip: Make double the sauce and thank me later – it’s good on everything. The testing team were using it on their steak too!
Is This Good for Meal Prep?
YES! This is an amazing meal prep option. The beef and sweet potato both reheat beautifully, and you can portion the cottage cheese and fresh bits separately to keep it all fresh.
Make It Your Way
The best part about bowls like this? You can totally make it yours.
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🐔 Swap beef for chicken mince or turkey
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🧀 Don’t do cottage cheese? Try Greek yoghurt or feta
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🌱 Veggie version: Try crumbled tofu or black beans
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🌾 Gluten-free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce
Hungry Yet?
Whether you’re looking for a healthy high-protein lunch, a weeknight dinner that’s anything but boring, or just something to shake up your meal prep routine – this bowl is for you. Give it a go and let me know what you think!
💬 Have you tried the viral Hot Honey Bowl trend? Tag us @skinnymixers with your creations!
Companion Recipe
Make the Hot Honey from our Hot Honey Not Fried Chicken in our SkinnyAmerica Cookbook & double the hot honey if you love hot honey!
Use 80 g of the Hot Honey in this recipe and then enjoy Hot Honey Not Fried Chicken the next night with some Pickle Slaw.
skinnymixer's Hot Honey Beef & Sweet Potato Bowls
Equipment
- fry pan
- air fryer or oven
Ingredients
Roast Sweet Potato
- 500 g sweet potatoes - peeled, diced into 2 cm cubes
- 20 g olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
Beef Mince
- 2 cloves garlic - peeled
- 1 medium onion - peeled, quartered
- 500 g beef mince
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 10 g olive oil
- 50 g water
Sweet & Spicy Sauce
- 80 g Hot Honey - SkinnyAmerica recipe
- 40 g soy sauce - tamari or coconut aminos
- 20 g apple cider vinegar
- 10 g Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 50 g water
To Serve
- 250 g cottage cheese - or Greek Yoghurt (dairy-free if required)
- 1 small handful fresh coriander or fresh parsley
- Lime wedges - for serving
- Avocado slices
- Baby Spinach or grilled broccolini - optional
Instructions
Thermo cooker
- Preheat fan-forced oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. If you need to make Hot Honey to use in this recipe, you can make it now and set aside as we don't use it all.
- Add sauce ingredients to mixer bowl. Cook for 5 min/90°C/speed 2/MC off. Set aside to cool.
- Combine sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika in a mixing bowl. Toss to coat evenly.
- Spread the sweet potatoes on the baking tray and cook for 25 min or until golden and tender - turning halfway through.
- While sweet potatoes are cooking, add onion and garlic to mixer bowl. Chop for 3 sec/speed 6/MC on.
- Scrape down the sides. Add beef mince, spices, salt and pepper. Mix for 10 sec/reverse/speed 1/MC on to combine (do not over mix).
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, water, and beef mixture. Cook, stirring gently, until the beef is browned and cooked through, breaking up any large clumps as needed. Alternatively, you can use the Browned Mince High Heat function from Cookidoo in the TM6 or TM7.
- To make the bowls. Arrange roasted sweet potatoes, spiced beef, a dollop of cottage cheese and a drizzle of the sauce. Garnish with fresh coriander, avocado slices (if using), and serve with lime wedges. Feel free to add a layer of baby spinach or broccolini underneath.
Conventional
- Preheat fan-forced oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. If you need to make Hot Honey to use in this recipe, you can make it now and set aside.
- Add sauce ingredients to a small saucepan. Cook on a low heat for 5 min. Set aside to cool.
- Combine sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika in a mixing bowl. Toss to coat evenly.
- Spread the sweet potatoes on the baking tray and cook for 25 min or until golden and tender - turning halfway through.
- While sweet potatoes are cooking, finely chop onion and mince garlic.
- Combine beef mince, garlic, onion, spices, salt and pepper (do not over mix).
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, water, and beef mixture. Cook, stirring gently, until the beef is browned and cooked through, breaking up any large clumps as needed.
- To make the bowls. Arrange roasted sweet potatoes, spiced beef, a dollop of cottage cheese and a drizzle of the sauce. Garnish with fresh coriander, avocado slices (if using), and serve with lime wedges. Feel free to add a layer of baby spinach or broccolini underneath.
Notes
Nutrition
