These sweet potato black bean tacos come together quickly on the stove top and are baked to perfection in this delicious and flavorful vegetarian taco recipe. Perfect for your next Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday!
Easy Sweet Potato Tacos
It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of sweet potatoes. From sweet potato chili to sweet potato brownies I’ve got a whole array of sweet potato recipes on The Healthy Maven.
Sweet potatoes are so versatile and can be used in a wide array of both sweet and savory recipes. I also love using them in vegetarian recipes since they’re a nice hearty veggie that keeps you feeling full. Paired with the protein from black beans, these sweet potato and black bean tacos are the perfect vegetarian taco recipe.
Feel free to omit the cheese if you’d like to keep them vegan but with or without cheese these sweet potato tacos are always a good idea!
Ingredients in Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
- Olive oil – for cooking veggies and also for getting tacos nice and crispy.
- Sweet potatoes – you want 1 large sweet potato. No need to peel!
- Yellow onion – or sub in red or white onion.
- Bell pepper – I like using red bell pepper but you could sub in any pepper you’d like. Poblanos would be great too!
- Garlic cloves – make sure they’re minced finely.
- Black beans – I use canned black beans but you could certainly make your own from scratch. It’s roughly 1 1/2 cups.
- Spices + Herbs – Chipotle chili powder (or use a regular chili powder), smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano and salt and pepper
- Corn taco shells – I use regular corn taco shells but you could certainly use a hard shell taco too.
- Mexican cheese blend – most grocery stores carry a Mexican cheese blend but if not feel free to use Monterey Jack or cheddar.
- Avocados – make sure they’re ripe since we’ll be mashing them.
- Lime juice – 1 lime juiced.
- Cilantro – feel free to omit if you don’t like cilantro.
- Jalapeños – these are optional!
How to Make Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
STEP 1: COOK SWEET POTATOES + BLACK BEANS
To a large pot add your olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and cook for 5 minutes. Add yellow onion, bell pepper and garlic coves to pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in black beans, chili powder, paprika, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper and continue to cook until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
STEP 2: BAKE TACOS
Line up your tacos on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 3 minutes. Stuff each taco with sweet potato mixture and Mexican cheese blend and fold other side over to close. For a crispy taco spray each with olive oil spray or rub with olive oil. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until cheese has melted and tortillas are crispy.
STEP 3: MAKE AVOCADO MASH
In a small bowl combine mashed avocados, lime juice and salt, to taste.
STEP 4: DRESS + SERVE
Stuff or top each taco with avocado mash, chopped cilantro and jalapeños (if desired).
Taco Toppings
These sweet potato and black bean tacos taste delicious as is with avocado mash, cilantro and jalapenos but if you want to change things up, here are some other ideas:
FAQs
Absolutely! Feel free to sub in a 15 oz can of your favorite beans. Pinto beans, white beans or even chickpeas would all be great.
Technically no since I use cheese but for a fully vegan recipe you could omit the cheese. They are vegetarian though!
Yes! We’re using corn tortillas which makes these tacos fully gluten-free
Storage Instructions
Store sweet potato and black bean mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend just making the mixture beforehand rather than baking the tacos and storing those. Reheat sweet potato and black bean mixture in microwave or on stove-top. Make avocado mash and bake tacos right before serving. This recipe makes great meal prep!
More Delicious Taco Recipes:
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
These sweet potato black bean tacos come together quickly on the stove top and are baked to perfection in this delicious and flavorful vegetarian taco recipe. Perfect for your next Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
- 1 tbsp olive oil + more for taco shells
- 1 large sweet potato, cubed
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded + chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can black beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained
- 2 tsp Chipotle chili powder (or regular chili powder)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp salt, divided
- pinch black pepper
- 8 corn taco shells
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (or cheddar)
- 2 large avocados, mashed
- Juice, 1 lime
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Optional: chopped jalapeños
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- To a large skillet or pot add your olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add sweet potato and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add yellow onion, bell pepper and garlic coves to skillet/pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Stir in black beans, chili powder, paprika, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper and continue to cook until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- Line up your tacos on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 3 minutes.
- Stuff each taco with sweet potato mixture and Mexican cheese blend and fold other side over to close. For a crispy taco spray each with olive oil spray or rub with olive oil.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes or until cheese has melted and tortillas are crispy.
- In a small bowl combine mashed avocados, lime juice and 1/4 tsp salt, to taste.
- Open and stuff or top each taco with avocado mash, chopped cilantro and jalapeños (if desired).
