Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Are you ready to tantalize your tastebuds with this vegetarian taco recipe? I promise you won’t even miss the meat once you have a bite of these spicy roasted sweet potato tacos with black beans and a delicious avocado/ranch sauce.

Next taco night, why not try something different with these vegetarian tacos? This taco recipe is so simple and quick to make and so good y’all! Just roast some seasoned sweet potatoes (recipe below), toss them with the black beans, toast your tortillas and slap that all together. I also include a delicious avocado and ranch sauce that is the perfect combo to these sweet potato tacos, but feel free to skip it or serve your tacos with your own favorite taco sauce instead.

In under 30 minutes, you have a weeknight dinner that’s meat-free, healthy, flavorful, and filling. Talk about a total crowd-pleaser!

Sweet potatoes are such a versatile vegetable and a favorite in my kitchen. Sweet or savory, roasted or mashed – the options are endless! Some of my other favorite sweet potato dishes include loaded sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato dumplings, and sweet potato casserole with marshmallows.

Recipe Ingredients

• 2 small-medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1-inch cubes)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (15 ounces) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 corn tortillas
• Lime juice (optional)

Sauce (optional)

• ½ ripe avocado
• 2 tablespoons ranch dressing
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Step 1: Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare sweet potatoes and place them in the baking dish.  Add oil and mix sweet potato cubes to coat.  Sprinkle with taco seasoning and mix well.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through cook time.  

Step 2: Rinse and drain the black beans and place them in a microwave-safe dish.  When potatoes are almost done, heat in microwave for 1 minute.  Once potatoes are cooked, add black beans to potatoes and mix gently.  

Step 3: While potatoes are finishing, prepare tortillas.  If using a gas stove, raw tortillas can be placed directly on the burner set to low heat for about 10 seconds before flipping with tongs.  Continue flipping side to side until the tortilla has browned to your liking.  To brown using a skillet, heat on medium heat, turning tortilla until it has browned on both sides. 

Step 4: (Optional) prepare the sauce by mashing avocado in a small bowl. 

Add ranch dressing and lime juice and mix until creamy and smooth.  

Step 5: Fill tortillas with the roasted sweet potato and black bean taco mixture.  Serve with a squeeze of lime and avocado ranch sauce or your favorite taco sauce.

Storage

Store leftovers of the roasted sweet potato and black bean mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for three days. Alternatively, store them in the freezer for up to three months. Reheat in the microwave and serve with a freshly-toasted tortilla or over rice.

Recipe Notes

• As a shortcut, you can purchase pre-cubed sweet potatoes.
• Check sweet potatoes for doneness while baking. Potatoes should be tender and soft and fall off a fork easily when poked.   
• Another shortcut: your corn tortillas can be done in the toaster oven on toast setting, you just won’t get the charring effect.  You can also use flour tortillas if you prefer.  
• If you aren’t vegetarian, feel free to top your tacos with your favorite cheese, like crumbled feta, shredded cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, or goat cheese for something different.
• If you want to add more vegetables to the mix, you can add a can of corn with the black beans. Alternatively, fry up some onion or bell pepper and toss that into the mixture.
• Want to add more spices to this black bean taco mixture? Go wild and add a teaspoon each of onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and ground coriander.
• Additional toppings: I recommend serving your tacos with jalapenos, pickled onion, cabbage slaw, cilantro, salsa verde, or a dash of hot sauce.

Recipe FAQs

Are these sweet potato tacos gluten-free?

Yes, these vegetarian tacos are gluten-free. Just always double-check to make sure the corn tortillas and other ingredients don’t have any hidden gluten-free additions.

What do you serve with sweet potato tacos?

While these tacos are a great main course by themselves, you could also serve them with a side salad. I recommend a green salad, coleslaw, or a simple tomato, onion, or cucumber salad. 

Is this taco recipe vegan?

Without the sauce, this is a vegan taco recipe. You could still serve them with avocado, but use your favorite taco sauce instead of the ranch.

Here are more of my favorite Mexican-inspired main courses:

Taco Pizza – Fast, Fresh, Delicious!

Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Tacos

Taco Tot Casserole

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Saddle Up Chicken Enchiladas

Stuffed Zucchini Boats, Tex-Mex Style