These Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos have been a weeknight staple in our house for many years! You’ve got caramelized sweet potatoes and spiced black beans, all topped with a creamy avocado crema. It’s the kind of taco filling that converts even the pickiest of eaters!
Love a vegetarian taco recipes? You need to try our Sheet Pan Black Bean Tacos as well as our Shredded Tofu Tacos and our Chickpea Tacos!
Why you’ll love these vegan tacos!
This recipe is actually one of the VERY first recipes I ever posted on my blog nearly 15 years ago! Today it’s getting a much needed facelift with new photos, a step by step video, but with the same tried and true black bean sweet potato taco recipe.
This flavor combination is one that I find myself coming back to again and again because it’s the same pairing that inspired my stuffed sweet potatoes recipe I love so much. And honestly, it might be even better tucked into a warm tortilla.
Here’s why you’ll love these:
Great textural contrast – caramelized sweet potato, hearty beans, and a CREAMY avocado dressing in every single bite.
Protein-packed – the black beans keep this filling and satisfying, it’s not just a side of veggies in a tortilla!
Meal-prep friendly recipe – all three components of the tacos holds up well in the fridge for easy assembly through the week.
Easy to customize – swap toppings, adjust the dice size, roast additional veggies such as poblano pepper or bell pepper, or add a broil for extra char!
In this post…
Ingredients neededHow to Make ItRecipe TipsFrequently Asked QuestionsSweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos Recipe
Ingredients needed
The ingredients for this recipe are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
Sweet Potatoes – these are diced into half inch cubes for the best balance of caramelization and speed in cooking. Go smaller if you want more filling packed into each taco!
Olive oil – this helps the potatoes roast up crisp and caramelized instead of steaming. We’ll also use a little to cook the onion and black beans.
Spices – chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder are used as a warm spice blend that flavors the potatoes as they roast. Meanwhile, we’ll use cumin and chili powder to season the black beans.
Black Beans – We’re using 1 can of black beans. We’ll mash about 1/3 of these lightly to help the filling hold together and overall give it a creamy texture. you could swap these for refried beans as well!
Yellow onion and garlic – this is the classic aromatic base for the beans.
Lime juice – this gets added at the end for brightness.
Tortillas – I love flour tortillas in this recipe but corn tortillas also work well!
For the Avocado Crema
Avocado – the CREAMY base of the crema sauce.
Sour cream OR Greek yogurt – adds tang and helps thin the crema to a thinner consistency.
Lime juice – balances out the richness of the avocado and adds a needed bit of acidity to the dressing.
Water – added as needed to reach your desired consistency. I usually add about 2 tablespoons to thin the sauce and make it drizzlable.
How to Make It
Just a reminder that you can find the FULL written vegetarian tacos recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you 🙂
Make the black bean mixture. In a large skillet, saute the onion in olive oil over medium-high heat until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more, until fragrant. Stir in the black beans and spices and cook for about 5 minutes, mashing about 1/3 of the beans with the back of your spoon. Finish with lime juice.
Roast the sweet potatoes. Toss the cubes of sweet potato with olive oil, spices, salt and pepper. Spread in an single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, flipping halfway, until fork tender and caramelized along the edges.
Make the avocado lime crema. In a blender or food processor, blend together the avocado, sour creamy, lime juice, water, and salt until smooth. A mini food processor or immersion blender will also work well here.
Assemble. Serve with warm tortillas then layer with roasted sweet potato, black beans, and a drizzle of avocado crema. Top with fresh cilantro and your favorite toppings and serve. These would be great served with cilantro lime rice!
Recipe Tips
Adjust your dice size – Smaller cubes roast faster and pack more into each taco, but you’ll love a but of that deep caramelization.
Try a quick broil – Broiling the sweet potatoes for the last 203 minutes can give you those crispy, charred edges people love in a taco filling.
Choose your creamy base – Sour cream gives a tangier, thinner crema while Greek yogurt makes it thicker and more neutral but both work GREAT!
Double the black beans for extra filling power – If you want a heartier, more protein forward taco filling, doubling the black bean portion is an easy variation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! All 3 components can be made ahead of time – the roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, and avocado crema all store well separately in the fridge. So, you can prep ahead and assemble tacos through the week.
Absolutely! Pinto beans or a mix of black beans + pinto beans work well as a substitute here.
Store the sweet potato and black bean filling together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The avocado crema is best made fresh or stored separately for a few days.
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
For the black beans
½ tbsp olive oil½ small yellow onion diced2 cloves garlic minced1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed½ tsp cumin¼ tsp chili powderSqueeze of lime juiceSalt to taste
For the sweet potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes½ tbsp olive oil1 tsp chili powder1 tsp cumin½ tsp smoked paprika¼ tsp garlic powder¼ tsp onion powder¼ tsp cayenne optional, for heatSalt and pepper to taste
For the avocado crema
1 ripe avocado¼ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurtJuice of 1 lime1-2 tbsp water to thin, as neededPinch of saltTortillas for servingOptional toppings: cotija or feta chopped cilantro, diced red onion, shredded cabbage or slaw for crunch
Instructions
For the sweet potatoes
For the black beans
For the crema
Notes
Nutritional info – does not include tortillas or other fillings not already listed
Sweet potato dice size — smaller cubes (⅓-inch) roast faster and pack more into each taco, but you lose some of that caramelization. Worth testing both ways.
Char vs. no char — a quick broil for the last 2-3 minutes could give you those crispy edges people love in a taco filling.
Crema thickness — sour cream gives a tangier, thinner crema; Greek yogurt is thicker and more neutral. Might be worth offering both as an option in the post.
Protein anxiety angle — given Sarah’s pain points, you might want to call out the bean-to-sweet-potato ratio or even suggest doubling the beans as a filling variation
Nutrition
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