You Only Need 3 Ingredients To Make These BBQ Chicken-Stuffed Potatoes

If you're looking for a quick and easy dinner, a barbecue chicken-stuffed potato might be the answer. It's filling, delicious, and simple to put together — and you only need three ingredients: chicken, barbecue sauce, and a potato.

You have a few options for the chicken: You can cook it fresh, use some you have on hand, or just grab a rotisserie chicken from the store to shred. While a large baking potato or russet works fine, Ashley Lonsdale, ButcherBox chef-in-residence, recommends using a sweet potato as the base. "They're sweet and starchy, so it's hard to go wrong when choosing a filling," she said, adding that pulled chicken brings a savory note, while tangy barbecue sauce ties it all together. "I prefer the vinegar-heavy sauces," she noted.

You can make your own barbecue sauce with just three ingredients, which lets you add as much vinegar as you like to match Lonsdale's preferred flavor, or opt for one of our top-ranked store-bought barbecue sauces if you're short on time. If you really want to switch things up, you could even whip up a simple five-ingredient Alabama white barbecue sauce. While creamy, it still has plenty of tang from apple cider vinegar and mustard, and would pair beautifully with the sweet potato base.

Once the potato is baked, slightly cooled, and partially scooped out, it's ready for stuffing. Ashley Lonsdale recommends seasoning the sweet potato flesh before adding the filling. Simply brush the inside with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Next, add the chicken mixed with barbecue sauce to taste. "Heat the chicken inside just until hot throughout to avoid drying out the chicken," Lonsdale advises.

While the core three ingredients are all you need for this recipe, don't be afraid to experiment with different toppings. "If you're topping with cheese, a quick broil will do the trick and ensure a golden-brown color on top," Lonsdale suggested. To complement the sweet potato base and tangy barbecue sauce, consider a great melting cheese like sharp cheddar, smoked Gouda, or pepper jack. She added that classic accoutrements like pickled red onions and minced chives "add a sharp and herbaceous" kick to the meal.