Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos (Vegetarian Recipe)

Learn how to make the best Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos for Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday or any day of the week.

While there aren’t a ton of Mexican dishes that are traditionally prepared for vegetarians, it’s super easy to modify recipes to be veggie based. One of the easiest Mexican food meals to prepare with a vegetarian flair are tacos. You can stuff them with literally anything!

My easy recipe combines the bold flavors of hearty black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, corn and seasonings. Since sweet potatoes absorb the flavors of the other foods and spices, they make a great base for vegetarian taco recipes.

It doesn’t take much time to pull together these delicious black bean and sweet potato tacos for taco night. They have the perfect balance of flavors, and your whole family will love these delicious tacos!

Ingredients

• 3 cubed sweet potatoes
• 1 can of drained black beans
• 1 cup of corn kernels
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lime juice
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 diced onion
• 1 teaspoon of dried cumin
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 12 flour or corn tortillas
• Toppings of your choice

Equipment

• Large baking sheet
• Aluminum foil or parchment paper
• Large nonstick skillet
• Mixing spoon

By the Numbers: How to Make Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos

Follow these simple step by step instructions to learn how to make the best vegetarian tacos with simple ingredients.

Step 1: Roast Sweet Potatoes.

The very first thing you want to do is to pre-heat your oven to 425° F. While it’s pre-heating, peel and cube 3 sweet potatoes. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and lay sweet potato cubes out Drizzle on 3 tablespoons olive oil and toss potatoes so they’re evenly coated. Sprinkle on the spices and toss again to ensure the spices are evenly distributed. Make sure everything is in a single layer, then bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through the cook time.

Step 2: Saute Filling Ingredients.

While your sweet potatoes are baking in the oven, pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 diced onion and cook until translucent.

Once the onions are translucent, reduce the heat to medium-low setting and add 1 cup of corn, 1 can of black beans, 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice and 3 tablespoons of honey. Saute for a few minutes, until everything is warm, then add 1 clove of minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 3: Add Roasted Sweet Potatoes to Skillet.

Once they’re finished roasting, toss the roasted sweet potato cubes into the skillet with chopped cilantro.

Step 5: Fill Tortillas and Serve Tacos.

Once you’re done preparing your sweet potato taco filling, warm the tortillas. After they’re warm, you’ll want to fold tortillas in half, then fill them up with the sweet potato mixture in warmed tortillas with queso fresco and additional cilantro as well as any other preferred toppings. Folding the tortillas while filling them helps make sure you don’t overfill your tacos.

Tips for Making the Best Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos

Answers to all of your questions about making these tasty vegetarian tacos, including tips and substitution ideas.

1. Best way to cook black beans?

If you don’t have a can of black beans on hand, you can also cook dried beans and use those. I always cook my black beans in the Instant Pot.

There are 1 ½ cups of beans in a can of black beans, so that’s all you need to make unless you want more on the side.

2. Can taco seasoning be substituted?

Absolutely! I also like to grab my jar of homemade taco seasoning and add about a tablespoon in place of the cumin, paprika, sea salt, black pepper and cayenne.

3. Can a different type of cooking oil be used?

Yes, you can use your favorite cooking oil, such as coconut oil, in place of the olive oil.

4. Best way to warm tortillas?

My favorite way to warm up tortillas is to place them on a gas burner and heat them for a few seconds on each side over the open flame.

5. How to make these vegan tacos?

Since this recipe includes honey in the sauce, they’re not technically vegan. To make them vegan, you can substitute granulated sugar or leave out the sweetener. Maple syrup will change the flavor of the recipe.

6. Best side dishes to serve with tacos?

The perfect way to make it a meal is to add a tasty side dish or two to your taco plate:

• Refried Beans
• Mexican Rice
• Pinto Beans
• Black Beans
• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Garlic Roasted Bell Peppers
• Spicy Carrots

7. Best taco toppings?

My favorite toppings are:

• Mexican Salsa
• Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
• Homemade Guacamole
• Pico de Gallo
• Queso Fresco
• Chipotle Crema or Avocado Crema
• Chopped Green or Red Onion
• Hot sauce (like Cholula or Tapatio)

8. Other taco filling ideas for Taco Tuesday?

If you want to put together a spread of fillings for taco night, try these recipes:

• Instant Pot Carne Asada
• Instant Pot Barbacoa
• Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

9. How to store leftovers?

If you have any leftover taco filling, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To reheat, add filling to a pan and heat over low until warm.

10. More meatless meals?

If you’re a vegetarian, or simply want to feed your family more meatless meals, try some of these recipes to go with your sweet potato black bean tacos:

• Slow Cooker Navy Bean Soup
• Vegetarian Tamales
• Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili

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