Shrimp and Sweet Potato Breakfast-for-Lunch Hash
A one-skillet tangle of crisp-edged sweet potatoes, wilted kale, plump shrimp, and smoky bacon, finished with garlic and fresh thyme.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
A plate of shrimp, sweet potato, and greens that eats like a hearty breakfast but works at any hour, for anyone who wants something more substantial than a salad but just as clean. It comes together in a single pan, which makes it a good weekday option for cooks who want real food without a sink full of dishes, and it leans on whole ingredients most people already recognize.
The sweet potatoes brown in the rendered bacon fat before anything else joins them. Cooking the cubes in a single layer and resisting the urge to stir too often lets their cut surfaces caramelize into crisp, deeply colored edges rather than steaming into mush. Layering the ingredients by cook time means each component finishes at its best instead of one being overcooked while another lags behind: bacon first, then potatoes, then aromatics, greens, and quick-cooking shrimp last.
Sweet shrimp brings plenty of the protein here, the sweet potato adds the slow-burning carbohydrate and fiber, the kale folds in earthy greens, and the bacon and avocado oil round the whole thing out with savory richness. The result is a filling meal that keeps you full without feeling heavy, with a mix of textures in every forkful: crisp potato edges, tender kale, and snappy shrimp.
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled
- 2 large sweet potatoes, diced
- 5 cups chopped kale
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients: Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into small, even cubes so they cook through quickly. Peel and dice the onion, mince the garlic, and strip the thyme leaves from their stems. Stack and roughly chop the kale, discarding the tough center ribs. Chop the bacon into short pieces. Pat the peeled shrimp dry with a paper towel.
- Crisp the bacon: Set a large skillet over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook, stirring now and then, until the pieces are browned and crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. Lift the bacon out with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
- Brown the sweet potatoes: Add the avocado oil to the same skillet and stir in the diced sweet potato. Spread it into a single layer and cook over medium heat, stirring only occasionally so the cubes can develop color, until they are deeply browned on the edges and fork-tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add the aromatics: Stir in the diced onion, minced garlic, and thyme leaves. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens and turns translucent and the garlic smells fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Wilt the kale: Add the chopped kale by the handful, stirring, and let it collapse and turn bright green and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and finish: Settle the shrimp into the hash and cook, turning once, until they curl and turn opaque pink all the way through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Return the crisp bacon to the pan, season with the salt, and stir everything together to warm through before serving.
Variations
- Swap the protein: Trade the shrimp for diced boneless chicken thighs, browning them in the pan before the potatoes and returning them at the end; this changes the protein but keeps the method the same.
- Add a leafy swap: Use chopped collard greens or Swiss chard in place of the kale, giving sturdier collards a couple of extra minutes to soften.
- Brighten it up: Finish the hash with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a shower of chopped parsley or chives for a fresher, more herbal lift.
- Make it smoky-sweet: Add a handful of diced apple along with the onion for pockets of sweetness that play against the bacon.
- Root vegetable mix: Replace some of the sweet potato with diced parsnip or butternut squash for a milder, more autumnal flavor; keep the cubes small so everything browns evenly.
Storage & Leftovers
Cool any leftovers and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where the hash keeps well for up to three days. The shrimp are best eaten within the first day or two, as they can firm up with longer storage.
To reheat, warm the hash in a skillet over medium heat with a small drizzle of avocado oil, stirring occasionally until heated through; this revives some of the crisp edges on the sweet potato. A microwave works in a pinch, but the potatoes will soften and the shrimp can turn rubbery if pushed too long, so heat just until warm.
To get ahead, dice the sweet potato, onion, and kale and mince the garlic a day in advance, storing them in separate containers in the refrigerator. You can also cook the bacon and brown the potatoes ahead, then finish with the aromatics, kale, and shrimp just before eating so the shrimp stay tender.
Notes & Tips
- Buy the right shrimp: Look for shrimp already peeled and deveined to save time, and if you buy frozen, thaw them in a colander under cool running water and pat very dry so they sear instead of steam.
- Cut potatoes small and even: Dice the sweet potato no larger than half-inch cubes and keep them uniform; small, even pieces are the difference between tender-crisp and a raw-in-the-middle bite.
- Do not crowd the pan: If your skillet looks packed when the potatoes go in, brown them in two batches. A crowded pan traps steam and keeps the edges from crisping.
- Know when shrimp are done: Pull the shrimp as soon as they curl into a loose C shape and turn opaque pink; a tight O shape means they have gone a touch too far and will be chewy.
- Season at the end: Because bacon brings its own saltiness, add the salt after everything is combined and taste first. You may need less than you think.
- Double it for meal prep: This hash scales up well for the week; cook a larger batch, portion it into containers, and you have grab-and-go lunches that reheat in minutes.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- A hash lives or dies on how much browning you allow. The sweet potato goes down first and is left alone until it crusts, the onion and kale follow, and the shrimp go in last so they stay sweet rather than seizing up.
- Bacon is a small amount of ingredient doing a large amount of work. It renders its fat into the pan, which is what the sweet potato and onion brown in, and it leaves salty, smoky, chewy pieces scattered through the finished hash.
- Sweet potato is the body of the dish, crisp on the cut faces and soft at the center, and its orange color is beta-carotene that your body converts into vitamin A. It is the part that makes this genuinely filling.
- Kale added toward the end wilts but keeps some chew, and the leaves that touch the pan go crisp and almost sweet, gentler and rounder than kale is raw. It brings fiber along with vitamins K and C.
- Shrimp fold in during the last two minutes, still springy, and fresh thyme and garlic go in with them. The smell as they hit the hot fat is most of the pleasure, and their protein is what carries the plate through the afternoon.
- As you eat, go hunting for the crispest corner of sweet potato and the piece of bacon next to it, and give the plate your attention long enough to catch the moment you are satisfied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen shrimp instead of fresh?
Yes. Thaw them first by placing them in a colander under cool running water until pliable, then pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels so they sear and turn pink rather than releasing water into the pan.
My sweet potatoes came out soft instead of crisp. What happened?
Usually it is a crowded pan or too much stirring. Spread the cubes in a single layer, give them room, and let them sit undisturbed for a minute or two at a time so the cut sides can brown before you turn them.
Can I make this without bacon?
You can, though you will lose the smoky flavor and the rendered fat used to brown the potatoes. Cook the potatoes in a little extra avocado oil instead, and consider a pinch more salt to make up for the seasoning the bacon provided.
Is this good for meal prep?
It is. Portion the cooled hash into airtight containers and refrigerate for up to three days. Reheat in a skillet with a touch of oil to bring back some crispness, keeping in mind the shrimp are at their best within the first day or two.