Chorizo Hot Maple Grilled Sweet Potatoes

These sweet potatoes are so creamy, they’ll melt in your mouth. They’re topped with crispy chorizo and hot maple syrup for a bit of heat with cooling sour cream and pumpkin seeds for crunch.

Disclosure: Lodge Cast Iron sponsored this post. Opinions are my own.

The Lodge Cast Iron Kickoff Grill

Y’all know I have an obsession with grills. I have 25-30 in the backyard right now. You’d think that would be enough, but when companies come out with new, innovative designs, I have to try them out. 

And so, I just added the Lodge Cast Iron Kickoff Grill to my collection.

It’s a portable grill that is completely made of cast iron. It’s going to be great for campouts. Here’s how it works. 

There are two sections. The base and the grill.

The base has three feet that elevate it from the surface. Because the entire grill gets hot, you’ll want to use it on the ground or on a Lodge outdoor cooking table.

The top side of the base has a grooved grill pattern. This isn’t for grilling. You actually put the coals on top, and the grooves allow the oxygen to flow. 

Speaking of oxygen, the base has four cast iron tabs that stick up. This is what helps the Kickoff Grill function.

The top piece is kind of like an upside-down Dutch oven, but instead of a solid surface, the very top has a 12-inch surface with open grill grates. Then, along the bottom, there are four openings. 

When you set the top on the base, you can twist it, so the tabs on the base seal the openings to cut off air flow. Or, twist it so the tabs are hidden, allowing the oxygen to feed the fire inside. 

Overall, it’s a pretty cool concept. You can grill straight on the grate, or you can add a skillet on top or you can cook straight on the coals, which is what we’re going to do today with these hot maple sweet potatoes. 

How to grill sweet potatoes over coals

One of my favorite ways to grill sweet potatoes is straight on the coals. All you have to do is rub them with a little oil and wrap them in two sheets of foil. 

The foil will insulate them and protect them at the same time. 

Get the coals ready using a Lodge Charcoal Chimney Starter. You’ll only need about 40 briquets for this recipe. Once they ash over, dump them straight onto the Kickoff Grill base.

Then, add the foil-wrapped sweet potatoes around the edge of the coals. Be mindful of the placement, so when you add the top piece, you don’t block the air flow. Twist the cover, so the holes are open. 

Every 20 minutes, remove the lid using the hooks and rotate the potatoes, so they cook evenly.

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How long does it take to grill sweet potatoes

The time it takes to grill sweet potatoes will depend on how large your potatoes are. Generally, a medium-sized sweet potato will take about 1 1/2 hours. If your potatoes are larger, you might need an extra 30 minutes. 

These babies are going to be really hot, since they’re so close to the heat, so instead of pinching them to see if they’re tender, use a thermometer. 

Potatoes are perfectly baked when the internal temperature reaches 205-210F degrees. At that point, you can use a pair of tongs to remove them from the coals. 

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Prepare the crispy, caramelized chorizo

The cool thing about the Lodge Kickoff Grill is that while the potatoes are cooking, you can use the grill grate to prepare the rest of the meal. 

Since sweet potatoes are the star of this recipe, we’re going to whip up some caramelized chorizo with onions and peppers. 

Place a 10-inch Lodge Cast Iron skillet on the grill grate. Once it’s heated, add the chorizo. Be sure to use Mexican chorizo (which is raw) vs. Spanish chorizo (which is already cooked). 

Using a wooden spatula, break the chorizo up as it cooks. Once it’s browned, add the onions and peppers and sauté until they’re tender. Set that aside, until the potatoes are ready.

When the potatoes are tender, remove them from the coals. Discard the foil and allow them to cool a little. 

Slice each sweet potato in half and brush the cut side with hot maple syrup, which is simply your favorite maple syrup mixed with some dashes of hot sauce. Place the sweet potatoes on the grill cut side down, until they get a crispy char.

To assemble the dish, spoon the cooked chorizo over each potato. Add a dollop of sour cream to cut the heat and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. Finish it with a drizzle of hot maple syrup.

If you like the Kickoff Grill, you may also want to check out the Lodge Cast Iron Cook-It-All.