These healthy vegetarian (with a vegan option) tacos are lightly spiced with Mexican flavours and are topped with fresh avocado and some salsa. If you want something a little different for your next taco night, then try these Sweet Potato and Black Bean tacos.
We can never have enough taco recipes in our life and these sweet potato tacos are so easy, as well as being delicious and nutritious! When you think of tacos, you might think of chicken or beef, but these are an amazing vegetarian version as you won't even miss the meat because there is so much texture and flavour.
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What you will need
- Sweet potatoes - we cut ours in to about 1 inch cubes. You could make them smaller, but you don't want them any bigger than that as they won't stay in the tacos very well and they will take longer to cook. The most important thing is that they are all cut to the same size, so that they cook at the same rate. You can peel the potatoes, or save time and keep the skin on.
- Black beans - this adds lots of protein to the tacos, however you don't have to use black beans. You could swap them for kidney beans, cannellini beans or even chickpeas.
- Onion - this is the base of the black bean mixture, however you could swap it for shallots if you wanted something a little sweeter.
- Sweetcorn - this adds lots of colour to the dish. You could use canned or frozen, or even leftovers from our Grilled Corn.
- Mexican seasoning - we make our own and we have provided the recipe for it below. However, you could save yourself some time and use a really good quality store bought one.
- Lime - this adds a little bit of freshness to the black bean mixture.
- Tortillas - we used soft mini tacos, however you could swap that for hard tacos shells, but this does make them a little more difficult to eat, as they crack and everything falls out.
- Feta - this adds a nice creaminess to the tacos. You could swap it for a mature cheddar, or leave it out if you want these tacos to be vegan.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Put the sweet potato cubes on a baking tray with half of the oil and half of the Mexican seasoning. Stir so all the potato is coated and bake at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 30 minutes.
Two: Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
Three: Add the black beans, sweetcorn and remaining Mexican seasoning. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the juice of a lime.
Four: Add the cooked sweet potato and heat through.
Five: Assemble the tacos by adding some of the bean/potato mixture, then top with chopped spring onion (scallions), cubed avocado, crumbled feta and chopped coriander (cilantro).
Why you should try it
- Tasty vegetarian food
- Easy to make vegan
- Simple to adapt with different ingredients and flavours
What vegetables to add
The sweet potato is really the star of the tacos and when roasted, it gets lovely and crispy and really brings out the flavour. You could swap the sweet potato for roasted butternut squash instead though. If you are going to do that, check out these tips on How To Chop a Butternut Squash.
We also added some sweetcorn to the black bean mixture to add some extra crunch and colour. However, there are lots of other options when it comes to vegetables. When you are frying the onions, you could also add some chopped bell peppers and courgette. Give these tacos a green boost by stirring in some spinach or kale at the same time as the black beans.
Mexican seasoning
You can buy Mexican (fajita) seasoning in a packet, but it’s usually loaded with extra sugar and salt. It’s really easy to make yourself, and then you can make a big batch and keep it in a jar for whenever you make fajitas or tacos. We like to sprinkle it on salmon before grilling too.
We mix together 1 tablespoon chilli powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, a pinch of sea salt, black pepper and sugar. You can make it spicier by adding extra chilli powder.
We also have a fajita seasoning recipe you can try.
Taco toppings
When it comes to tacos, we are all about those toppings. It's kind of like pizza, the best part about it is the toppings. Whilst the sweet potato and black beans add lots of flavour, there are lots more options too.
You could add some cheese like cheddar or crumbled feta, or you could leave it out if you wanted to make these vegan tacos. Add plenty of extra spice with slices of pickled jalapeno.
We didn't add a traditional tomato salsa, and instead let the flavours from the roasted sweet potato seasoning shine through. However, you could top it with some of our Restaurant Style Salsa or even our Pineapple Salsa for something different.
Lighten up the tacos with a sprinkling of coriander and chopped spring onions (scallions) before serving. Chopped avocado and a little sour cream add some extra creaminess that goes really well with the creamy sweet potatoes and beans.
What to serve tacos with
These tacos are pretty loaded and a whole meal in themselves. However, if you are making these for a crowd, then a few sides always go down well. Why not try these:
FAQs
These are a really nutrient dense taco. Chunky and vibrant vegetables with protein packed black bean. Easy to adapt with extra vegetables, these vegetarian tacos (with a vegan option) are healthier than their meat alternative.
No, you don't have to roast the potatoes, but it's the best way to eat them in our opinion. It makes them lovely and crispy, and really brings our the flavour. You could just boil them, but they would go very mushy in the tacos.
These sweet potato and black bean tacos are such a great vegetarian/meal option, however if you wanted to add meat then there is a few options. You could add leftovers from our Slow Cooker Whole Chicken or even add some grilled salmon or cod. Our Slow Cooker Shredded Beef also goes really well in these.
If you have leftovers of the sweet potato and black bean taco mixture, then you can store it in an air tight container and it will keep in the fridge for 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can then use leftovers to make tacos again, or it goes well with rice.
The actual sweet potato mixture itself is already vegan, so as long as you use vegan toppings and tortillas, these are some epic vegan tacos. You can get some really good vegan alternatives to feta and sour cream too, so there is no need to miss out.
To make sure that these tacos are gluten free, then use tacos that are 100% gluten free certified and make sure the seasoning you use is gluten free too.
We would always recommend warming tortillas before using them to make these tacos, otherwise they are likely to crack. The best way to warm them is one by one in a dry skillet and then keep them all warm in a wrapped up towel on a plate. You could also stack them and put them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Extra tips
- Add some extra sweetness by drizzling some honey over the tacos before serving.
- You could add some extra crunch to these tacos by sprinkling over some pine nuts or sunflower seeds before serving.
- Why not try something different and swap the sweet potato for butternut squash.
- Make extra of the roasted sweet potatoes, are they are great to have in the fridge to add to salads for lunch.
More taco recipes
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
- 400 g sweet potatoes
- 240 g black beans - (drained weight)
- 130 g sweetcorn - (drained weight)
- 3 tablespoon fajita seasoning
- 1 onion - finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves - crushed
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 mini tortillas
- 1 lime - (juice only)
To serve:
- fresh coriander (cilantro)
- feta
- spring onions (scallions)
- avocado - diced
- salsa
- jalapenos
Instructions
- Put the sweet potato cubes on a baking tray with half of the oil and half of the Mexican seasoning. Stir so all the potato is coated and bake at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 30 minutes.
- Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the black beans, sweetcorn and remaining Mexican seasoning. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the juice of a lime.
- Add the cooked sweet potato and heat through.
- Assemble the tacos by adding some of the bean/potato mixture, then top with chopped spring onion (scallions), cubed avocado, crumbled feta and chopped coriander (cilantro).
Notes
- Add some extra sweetness by drizzling some honey over the tacos before serving.
- You could add some extra crunch to these tacos by sprinkling over some pine nuts or sunflower seeds before serving.
- Why not try something different and swap the sweet potato for butternut squash.
- Make extra of the roasted sweet potatoes, are they are great to have in the fridge to add to salads for lunch.
Beth Sachs
These tacos are just perfect for meat-free Monday! So easy to make but oh so tasty!
Taylor Kiser
We did not miss the meat at all in these tacos! Such a great change up for taco night!
Jenn
I never thought to use sweet potatoes in a taco, but boy are these tasty! When I'm looking for good vegetarian fare, these are my first pick!
HEATHER
We eat tacos at least once a week, but have been trying to make more meatless meals so I can't wait to make this!! And love the idea of adding feta. Thanks for the tip on warming the tortillas too :)
Andrea
These are perfect veggie tacos. The veggies used and the flavors are fantastic!
Bintu | Budget Delicious
These tacos sound incredible - so full of flavour and healthy too!
Claire @ Flake and Cake
They look so dleicious, love how bright and colourful they are!
Connie
Keep the vegan/vegetarian recipes coming please!
Katrina
You are so creative with all of your recipes, I wish I could be like that. But I suppose I don't have to be when you are so kind to share yours with us :)
Nina
My mouth is watering. Thanks for all your recipes Dannii.
Aneta
Why is it that my black beans are much blacker than yours? ;)))))) Your are more purple than black.
Maxine
I just can't seem to stop with the Christmas eating. This looks so good and has everything I love in it, but I can't bring myself to get back into cooking.
Lisa
I am on a big avocado kick at the moment. Good fats = a healthier me.
Paula
Girl, you really do love your mexican food don't you. Me too! This isn't what I am normally used to, but my aim for this year is to try new things.
Shane
I am not scared of carbs either ;) After a good workout, it is definitely what I need. I will give this a go at the weekend.
Natalie
Beautiful photos! I got a SLR camera for Christmas and seeing your photos is reminding me that I really need to learn how to use it.
I really don't like sweet potato (I know, I am crazy haha), but I am going to make this with BNS.
Ashleigh
All of my favourite ingredients in one dish! Can't wait to try this.
Whitney
Thank you so much for posting vegan meals. I know you are not vegan, but I am trying to be, but I am lacking inspiration. Your recipes are my inspiration.
Bev
Thanks for posting this, I was hoping your would put it up before I went to the store. I will be making this tonight for the family x