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These sweet potato black bean tacos are the perfect healthy vegetarian option when you are craving tacos, but don't want to feel guilty eating them.
Yes it's another taco recipe, and yes it's another meatless taco recipe, but when I talk about meatless recipes, this one might be #1 and that's for ANY meatless recipe I make. Well that or my crispy tofu tacos.
These sweet potato and black bean tacos are actually inspired from one I the blogs I follow daily - Cooking Classy. Come to think of it, discovering this recipe is the reason I follow her to begin with.
Thinking back, it gets a little hazy, but I really believe these sweet potato and black bean tacos were the recipe that made me love sweet potatoes as much as I do. And as you can tell I really love sweet potatoes nowadays, as about every fourth recipe calls for them somewhere.
One of the reasons I make so many meatless tacos is because I absolutely love tacos! I could eat them every day and be content. So by making them healthy, I get to have them more often without the guilt or the bad calories.
And these sweet potato black bean tacos couldn't be easier or taste better! Yes I may add a little extra feta cheese, but you've got to have some fat in there! Hope you enjoy!
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Ingredient Notes
- Sweet potatoes - by roasting and adding a ton of spices you get a depth of flavor that is almost like meat.
- Spices - the combination of spices enhances the flavor of the sweet potato tacos.
- Black beans - since this is a vegetarian dish, you need the added protein.
- Honey - gives the dish some sweetness to offset the spice.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While it is called sweet potato tacos for a reason, you can sub Russet potatoes or even butternut squash.
- If you don't have sweet onions, white, yellow, red onions or shallots will work too. They all high slightly different flavors.
- I like pairing black beans with the sweet potatoes for added protein, but garbanzo or cannellini beans are good substitutes.
- Honey is great for some added sweetness to offset the spice, but maple syrup works as well.
- Feta cheese has some saltiness that works well with these tacos, but cotija or pepper jack cheese can be used too.
- I'm a fan of corn tortillas, but you can use flour tortillas.
Step-by-Step Photos
Toss sweet potatoes with spices and olive oil and roast at 425°F in a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, cook the onions over medium-high heat with some olive oil for 5 minutes and then add the garlic the remaining 30 seconds.
Reduce the heat and stir in the black beans, corn, honey and lime juice before adding the cooked sweet potatoes and cilantro.
FAQs
Since they are diced, they cook much quicker. You know they are done when you can easily cut through one with a knife or fork.
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and cook for the tortillas 30 seconds on both side. You can also add a dash of olive oil when cooking them.
I like to have a little texture with these sweet potato and black bean tacos so I always use oil when cooking the tortillas.
Every taco should have cheese and I like feta. But you also want some fat, so avocado or even some homemade guacamole works well. You can also add some raw onion to get a sharp burst of flavor.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are super popular these days and there is good reason for it. Some of the health benefits of sweet potatoes include:
- Great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- Promotes gut health.
- Regulates blood pressure and sugar levels.
- Helps with keeping healthy vision.
- May improve brain function.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Be consistent when cutting the sweet potatoes so it will cook evenly.
- Add cold oil to a cold skillet and let heat up to proper temperature before adding the onion. You’ll know it is ready when the oil starts to shimmer.
- It may seem like a strange addition, but feta cheese works great with the sweet potato black bean tacos. You can of course use any cheese you like, but the saltiness from the feta is perfect.
- These tacos are so flavorful that they don't need toppings, but avocado is essential to get some healthy fat.
Other Taco Recipes
If you’ve tried these sweet potato black bean tacos or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- 1 ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (15.5 oz can) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 limes, juiced + more for garnish
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 avocados, diced
- ½ cup feta cheese
- 10-12 corn tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Place diced sweet potatoes in medium bowl and add 3 tbsp olive oil, cumin, paprika, chili powder, ground coriander, salt and pepper. Mix until everything is coated. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and add sweet potatoes. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tender, tossing halfway through.
- While sweet potatoes are cooking, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until slightly caramelized which should take about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the black beans, corn, honey and lime juice. Add roasted sweet potatoes and cilantro and mix.
- For tortillas, heat small skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 30 seconds on both side. Serve sweet potato mix over warm tortillas with some avocado and feta cheese or desired toppings.
Notes
- Be consistent when cutting the sweet potatoes so it will cook evenly.
- Add cold oil to a cold skillet and let heat up to proper temperature before adding the onion. You’ll know it is ready when the oil starts to shimmer.
- To make the corn tortillas pliable, heat a small skillet over medium heat and cook for 30 seconds on each side. You can also cover the tortillas with a wet paper towel and place in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- It may seem like a strange addition, but feta cheese works great with these tacos. You can of course use any cheese you like, but the saltiness from the feta is perfect.
- These sweet potato and black been tacos are so flavorful that they don't need toppings, but avocado is essential to get some healthy fat.
Chris says
Sounds delicious!