Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos are a quick and easy meal to make with minimal prep and cook time. Seasoned roasted sweet potatoes and black beans with pepper jack cheese create a hearty and budget-friendly meal in about 35 minutes. Top with Chili Lime Avocado Sauce and other favorite taco toppings. This recipe is vegetarian, easily gluten free and easily vegan.
A Weeknight Taco Win!
Growing up in Texas, I ate a lot of Tex-Mex food. It continues to be a favorite, so taco night is a regular thing in our home, although sometimes it turns into taco nights if we have leftovers. Mexican food is a food group as far as I’m concerned, and when Tacos are this easy and tasty, why not?
This Recipe Is
- easy to make
- hearty and satisfying
- customizable to dietary needs
If you enjoy the bold flavors of Mexican Inspired Recipes, you’ll enjoy these simple flavorful soft tacos.
About the Key Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes – there are several varieties of sweet potatoes. For this recipe, you’ll need Jewel or Beauregard sweet potatoes. Beauregards have purplish-red skin and a deep orange interior, while Jewel have a copperish skin color and deep orange flesh. Both varieties are pretty standard in grocery stores.
- Black Beans – follow my How to Cook Black Beans recipe for tasty home cooked black beans from scratch or you can use canned black beans. These tacos are also delicious made with Slow Cooked Pinto Beans.
- Seasonings – I include individual seasonings in this recipe like chili powder, cumin and chipotle chili powder, but, if needed, you can sub prepared taco seasoning in equal measure.
- Pepper Jack Cheese – adds creamy cheesy flavor and a bit of spice.
- Cotija Cheese – adds a finishing, salty touch to tacos, sprinkled on just before serving. It’s not a cheese I use often, but it freezes easily, so it’s something I keep on hand in the freezer. You can sub Queso Fresco if desired.
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How to Make Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
step by step
All the components can be prepared up to a few days in advance, for meal prep. Save making the chili lime avocado sauce until the day you plan to use it so it retains its bright green color.
What to Serve with Tacos
Share with your favorite Mexican food sides, and condiments. Here are some ideas:
Traci’s Tips
- Make Ahead – up to two days in advance, roast the sweet potatoes and mix with the beans. Chop the lettuce and roast the pepitas. Store in lidded containers in the fridge.
- Save for Later – allow the tacos to cool, then wrap in foil. The tacos can be reheated in the oven with the wrapping on. For microwave heating, wrap in parchment paper, then in foil. When ready to reheat, remove the foil.
- Gluten Free? Enjoy the tacos with gluten free corn tortillas. Be sure to double the tortillas before spooning on the sweet potato and black bean mixture.
35 Minute Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
Servings:8 , 6-7 inch tacos
Calories:338kcal
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos are a quick and easy meal to make with minimal prep and cook time. Seasoned roasted sweet potatoes and black beans with a bit of pepper jack cheese creates a hearty and budget-friendly meal! Top with Chili Lime Avocado Sauce and other favorite taco toppings. This recipe is vegetarian, easily gluten free and easily vegan. Time Saving Tip: Make the sweet potato and black bean mixture up to two days in advance. Store in a covered container in the fridge until ready to enjoy. It also freezes with ease.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (40 grams) Raw Pepitas optional but recommended
- 3 cups (415 grams) Diced Sweet Potato peeled & diced into 1/4 inch pieces, about one medium potato
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil like olive or avocado oil
- 1 3/4 cups (425 grams) Cooked Black Beans homemade or about one can, drained
- 3/4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin *see note
- 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder or more Chili Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Granules
- 1/8 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/4 Lime
- 8, 6-7 inch (15-17 cm) Soft Flour Tortillas **see note
- 2 1/2 cups (130 grams) Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese or Monterey Jack Cheese
For the Toppings
- 1/2 cup (70 grams) Cotija Cheese or Queso Fresco
- 2 1/2 cups (75 grams) Romaine Lettuce chopped
Chili Lime Avocado Sauce***
- 1 (275 grams) Avocado sliced in half, skin/pit removed, about one medium
- 8 sprigs Cilantro ends trimmed
- 1 Green Onion chopped into small pieces
- 4-6 Pickled Jalapeno Pepper Rings adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Fresh Lime Juice about 3/4 of a lime
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 5-7 tablespoons Water as needed
Instructions
- Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.In a small pan, add the pepitas, and set in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit (204 Celsius). The pepitas will toast while the oven preheats for about 10-13 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly golden brown around the edges. Set aside to cool.
Make the Filling
- In a medium mixing bowl, drizzle the oil over the diced sweet potatoes. Mix well, then add the salt, cumin, chili powders, garlic granules and onion powder. Stir to distribute the spices. Transfer the sweet potatoes to the prepared sheet pan in one even layer then roast in the 400 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
- Meanwhile, to the same mixing bowl (no need to clean), add the drained black beans. Once the sweet potatoes come out of the oven, transfer the potatoes to the mixing bowl with the beans, squeeze 1/4 lime over the ingredients, and mix throughly. Set aside.
- On two sheet pans (no parchment needed), arrange your tortillas so they're not overlapping, four per pan. Spoon the potato/bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle jack cheese over the tops. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the sweet potato and black bean mixture is warmed through, about five minutes.
For the Chili Lime Avocado Sauce***
- Into the work bowl of a food processor, add the avocado, cilantro, green onion, pickled pepper rings, lime juice, and salt. Process until almost smooth and creamy stopping to scrape down the bowl several times while processing. Add water to thin as desired while processing, adding 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Taste for salt adjustment.
Assemble the Tacos
- Once the tacos are out of the oven, top with lettuce, avocado sauce, pepitas and cojita cheese. Share right away.
- To Store: allow the tacos to cool, then wrap in foil (without added toppings). The tacos can be reheated in the oven with the wrapping on. For microwave heating, wrap in parchment paper, then in foil. When ready to reheat, remove the foil.
Notes
*Taco Seasoning Sub: substitute 2 1/4 teaspoons taco seasoning for the cumin, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, garlic granules and onion powder.
**Corn Tortillas: these tacos are delicious with corn tortillas. You’ll need 16 instead of 8 flour tortillas so you can double layer the tacos on the sheet pan (they’re more tender than flour and can tear easily).
***Avocado Crema: have you tried my Avocado Cream Sauce? It’s fabulous with these tacos too, although a bit richer due to added sour cream.
Dairy Free or Vegan: omit the cheese entirely in this recipe and top the tacos with something creamy like Pepita Crema or Charred Jalapeño Guacamole.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Serving: 1taco | Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 593mg | Potassium: 565mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 9007IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 353mg | Iron: 2mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
I made this recipe exactly as directed, and it was delicious!
Yay! Thank you for your note, Sheree and giving the tacos a go!