Who doesn’t love a quick and easy family-friendly recipe that reheats well and is even liked by some picky eaters?
I make these Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos on those busy weeknights when I need easy dinners. They’re ideal for busy parents, and this meal is in a regular meal-planning rotation at my house.
Yes, even picky eaters will like these black bean and sweet potato tacos! One of my children never ate black beans until I made this meal. She had seen black beans in many other meals over the years and elected not to try them. Offering picky eaters foods they don’t eat in different ways provides new opportunities to try them and gives them many exposures to new foods they don’t eat.
If you’re interested in other kid-friendly black bean recipes, try our Black Bean Taco Soup and Easy Black Beans and Rice.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos
- They reheat well and are also good at room temperature, so they work well in packed lunches.
- These black bean sweet potato tacos can take 20 minutes to make if you cook the sweet potatoes in an airfryer. I often cook the sweet potatoes we need for that night in the airfryer as well as roasting a big batch in the oven so we have leftovers.
- It’s a choose your own journey type of meal so everyone can make their tacos with the fillings they like, even toddlers and preschoolers. Serving foods in a deconstructed way also makes it easier for more selective eaters who may not want to have all the components of the tacos.
- These sweet potato and black bean tacos are versatile. You can change up the seasonings and toppings. You can also add precooked shredded chicken, pork, or shrimp if you’d like.
- Don’t feel like sweet potato black bean tacos? Make nachos by topping corn chips with cheese and melt the cheese in the oven at 350F. Remove from the oven and top with the sweet potato black bean fixings for a fun weeknight dinner.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Canned black beans
- Sweet potatoes
- Garlic powder (or is it salt)
- Cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Soft taco shells
- Toasted pumpkin seeds
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Avocado
- Sour cream
- Salsa
How to Make Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos
1. Peel and dice 3-4 medium sweet potatoes. Toss them with 3 Tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon Dixie Crystals Kosher salt. Roast at 425 F for 30-40 minutes or until they’re soft and have started to brown.
2. Drain one 15-ounce can of black beans. Add the beans to a small saucepan.
3. Add smoked paprika, coriander, Dixie Krystals Kosher salt, and a few grinds of freshly ground pepper to the black beans and stir to combine. Add ½ cup of water to the black beans and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the skin and pit from a ripe avocado. Squeeze lime juice over the avocado. Add a pinch of salt and mash the avocado with a fork. Serve on the side with the black bean sweet potato tacos.
Variations and Substitutions
- You might like this homemade taco seasoning if you’d like to use different seasonings.
- I like to serve these sweet potato black bean tacos with toasted pumpkin seeds, diced avocado (or guacamole), sour cream, grated cheddar, and salsa. You could also use cheeses like Monterey jack, mozzarella, or cojita.
- If you don’t like pumpkin seeds, you can omit them altogether or substitute your favorite nuts. Toasted walnuts might work well.
- Use hard taco shells in place of the soft flour tortillas when making your sweet potato black bean tacos.
- Serve with rice and chopped romaine lettuce, and make a sweet potato taco bowl.
- Change up the toppings: try this corn and peach salsa or a store-bought pico de Gallo.
- Instead of making sweet potato and black bean tacos, roast a whole sweet potato and top it with the beans, cheese, avocado and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Expert Tips from a Registered Dietitian
Many people worry that canned beans aren’t healthy, but they are, in fact, healthy. Fresh beans are picked, washed, blanched, and then cooked in cans with water and salt. Both canned and dried beans are packed with protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates, along with vitamins and minerals.
If you’re concerned about the salt content, drain and rinse the beans before using them. But you can also use the liquid in the cans! It’s essentially flavorful bean broth.
Questions About Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos
What toppings go well with sweet potato tacos?
These black bean and sweet potato tacos are great with a variety of toppings from fresh to crisp and crunchy to creamy. I like to use toasted pumpkin seeds, grated white cheddar cheese, and diced avocado, and lime. If you want to go further, try cojita or feta cheese, walnuts, sour cream, or shredded cabbage to get the taste and texture combinations you enjoy the most.
Can I use refried black beans in this recipe?
Yes, I think they work well and make an easy substitute for whole black beans. When you heat the refried black beans, simply stir the seasonings and a tablespoon of water into the beans. Then spread them on the tortillas and add the roasted sweet potatoes and your favorite toppings.
Can I use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas?
Definitely! You can use either corn tortillas or flour tortillas when making sweet potato tacos. The corn tortillas with give the tacos a little more flavor and texture. And they’re a great option for anyone who needs a gluten-free option. Whichever you choose to use, don’t forget to warm the tortillas before filling them with the sweet potatoes and black beans.
Can I make the sweet potatoes in an air fryer?
Yes, and it’s how I make these on the busiest nights. Air frying the diced sweet potatoes cuts the whole meal down to about 15 minutes instead of the 30-plus the oven takes. I’ll often do double duty: air fry just what we need for that night, and roast a big batch in the oven at the same time so there are leftovers for packed lunches later in the week. Cook in the air fryer at 350 F° in a single layer so they brown instead of steam, and shake the basket partway through.
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Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds*
- 3-4 medium sweet potatoes
- 3 Tablesppons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt divided
- 1 – 15 ounce can black beans drained
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 8 taco size flour tortillas
- 1 lime
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Place ½ cup of raw unsalted pumpkin seeds on a parchment lined ¼ sheet pan. Bake at 350 F until they’re beginning to brown.
- Remove the pumpkin seeds from the oven and turn the heat up to 425F.
- Peel and dice 3-4 medium sweet potatoes.
- Toss the diced sweet potatoes with 3 Tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon Dixie Crystals Kosher salt.
- Drain one 15 ounce can of black beans. Add the to a small saucepan.
- Add 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp coriander, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Dixie Crystal Kosher salt, and a few grinds of pepper to the beans and stir to combine.
- Add ½ cup of water to the black beans and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Wrap 8 taco-sized flour tortillas in foil and heat in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Leave wrapped in foil until the sweet potatoes are done.
- Remove the skin and pit from a ripe avocado. Squeeze lime juice over the avocado. Add a pinch of salt and mash the avocado with a fork. Set aside until ready to assemble the tacos.
- Once the sweet potatoes are done, remove them from the oven.
- Allow everyone to build their own tacos.
Notes
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