Vegetarian Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos make a simple lunch or dinner recipe that is so easy to meal prep! Sweet potato cubes are cooked with onions in a skillet, layered with canned refried black beans, and topped with cheese and cilantro in a healthy corn tortilla.
Want a few other vegetarian taco recipes? You might also enjoy Roasted Cauliflower Tacos, Easy Migas Tacos, and these Sweet Potato & Brussel Sprout Tacos.
Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos
Normally, I am a HUGE fan of all things meat – especially when it comes to tacos.
Whether making Instant Pot Tacos al Pastor, Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, or Skillet Steak Fajitas – a taco somehow seems incomplete without a bit of meat.
Boy was I wrong to make that assumption.
Little did I know how incredibly DELICIOUS a black bean and sweet potato taco could be.
(Much like these Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers are, too!)
And I didn’t even miss the meat in these vegetarian tacos?!
Not only are they incredibly filling and flavorful, but they are also so incredibly quick to make.
I’m talking, like under 30 minutes and you’ll have these sweet potato tacos ready to eat!
Ingredients
One of the best things about these black bean tacos is how simple the ingredients are to find.
On just about any day of the week I probably have all of the necessary items on hand to throw one of these bad boys together for dinner.
It’s definitely one of my “Last-Minute Meal Ideas” I turn to often!
- Sweet Potatoes – This starchy vegetable gives a subtle sweetness to the tacos and pairs perfectly with the beans. While you can use regular potatoes, you will not get the same amazing flavor combo!
- Onions – Sweet onions are my preference, but a yellow or red onion may be substituted.
- Beans – Canned refried black beans are used in this recipe. You can opt to get some with the red chilis added in for a bit of spice or get the regular, non-spicy kind. If you choose to purchase the reduced sodium variety, make sure you adjust the amount of salt you add accordingly.
- Tortillas – Corn tortillas are used to help keep this recipe completely gluten-free. The flavor also pairs well with the black beans and corn. If you only have flour tortillas on hand, you can always substitute with those!
- Cilantro – While it may seem like a bonus, trust me – this ingredient is crucial! If you have never had sweet potatoes paired with cilantro, then you are in for a real treat. However, if you think cilantro has that “soapy” taste you can always leave it off.
- Cheese – Monterrey Jack, Sharp white cheddar, or a Mexican cheese blend is recommended for this taco recipe. You can also experiment with some Cotija, goat, or even mozzarella cheese.
How to Make
The process of making these vegetarian tacos is actually rather quick and simple.
Here are the step-by-step instructions you will need to follow:
- Place olive oil and sweet potatoes in a large skillet.
- Cover skillet and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are cooked through.
- Optional: In a separate skillet over medium heat, add one tablespoon coconut oil and 2-3 tortillas. Heat up tortillas for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove tortillas and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Fill each tortilla with 2 tablespoons black beans and equal amounts of the sweet potato/onion mixture.
- Top with cheese and cilantro and enjoy!
Corn Tortillas
My favorite part about these sweet potato tacos, and quite honestly, just about ANY taco we make in our house… is to lightly fry up the corn tortilla in coconut oil!
Have you ever done that before?
It gives your tacos INCREDIBLE flavor and flexibility.
Make sure to dab off the excess oil before serving, though, so you don’t have a soggy taco.
What brand is best?
Hands down our favorite corn tortillas are Guerrero Corn Tortillas
They are thick enough so they do not break when you roll them and are made from very flavorful corn.
If you happen to find them in your grocery store… grab a bag!! You won’t be disappointed 🙂
Topping Ideas
While these black bean sweet potato tacos are pretty flavorful on their own, there are a few other topping ideas you can try:
- Crank up the spice by adding a bit of salsa or Sriracha sauce.
- Load them up with even more sauteed veggies like Zucchini & Squash or bell peppers and onions.
- Not feeling the dairy?… leave off the cheese! Or you can substitute it for a vegan or dairy-free alternative.
- Or switch up the type of cheese you use – Monterrey Jack, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Cotija, or even goat cheese would taste amazing.
- Load it with flavor by adding in some Taco Seasoning Mix to the sweet potatoes while cooking.
- Guac it up! With Homemade Guacamole that is, of course!
Meal Prep and Storing
To say I have meal prepped these often is a gargantuan understatement.
Not only did these tacos make a regular appearance on our menu for about 2 years straight, but I even prepped 2 dozen of them for my hubby’s first 260-mile canoe race.
There are 2 ways you can meal prep them:
- Cook the sweet potatoes and onions and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Cook up the tortillas and assemble the tacos when you’re ready to eat them.
- Prepare and assemble the entire taco (sans cilantro) and wrap them individually in aluminum foil. (You can put a parchment paper liner on the inside if you’d like!) When you’re ready to eat, simply reheat them in the oven or in a toaster oven and sprinkle on the cilantro just before serving.
Other Taco and Side Ideas
If you couldn’t already tell, we are pretty obsessed with tacos in our house.
For more meat-based tacos you might also like to try Blackened Fish Tacos, Shredded Chicken Tacos, or these Blackened Shrimp Tacos.
Want to add a side dish to these black bean sweet potato tacos? This Mexican Street Corn or Instant Pot Mexican Rice will pair great with them!
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Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos
Ingredients
- 4 cups sweet potatoes peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ tsp. salt to taste
- ¼ tsp. pepper to taste
- 1 cup refried black beans
- 1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil optional
- 8 corn tortillas
- ½ cup cheese Monterrey Jack
- Cilantro finely chopped
- See this recipe in Healthy Meal Plan #2
Instructions
- In a large skillet place olive oil and sweet potatoes. Cover skillet and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are cooked through.
- Optional: In a separate skillet over medium heat, add one tablespoon coconut oil and 2-3 tortillas. Heat up tortillas for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove tortillas and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- For serving, fill each tortilla with 2 tablespoons black beans and equal amounts of the sweet potato/onion mixture. Top with cheese and cilantro and enjoy!
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Video
Notes
- Serving size is 2 tacos.
- Feel free to leave cheese off or use a vegan cheese alternative.
Meal Prep and Storage
- How to Prep Ahead: Cook the sweet potatoes and onions and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Cook up the tortillas and assemble the tacos when you're ready to eat them. Or, prepare and assemble the entire taco (sans cilantro) and wrap them individually in aluminum foil. (You can put a parchment paper liner on the inside if you'd like!) When you're ready to eat, simply reheat them in the oven or in a toaster oven and sprinkle on the cilantro just before serving.
- How to Store: Place leftover black beans and leftover sweet potato in separate airtight containers. Keep them in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
- How to Freeze: These are best frozen by ingredient. Tightly wrap or cover the black beans and sweet potato separately and freeze for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: Warm completely assembled tacos back up in the microwave. You can use a skillet or microwave to heat up the black beans and sweet potatoes if stored separately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I accidentally bought a can of refried black beans and my husband said what are we gonna do with these? I went searching for a refried black bean recipe and I am a huge lover of sweet potatoes and when I found this recipe we fell in love with it. I has become one of our weekly meals at our house. Being vegetarians for over 10 years I am always looking for healthy recipes. I am now passing this recipe on to co-workers. I LOVE this recipe. Thank you so much.
Yay, Debbie!! So so happy you enjoyed the recipe so much. Thanks for sharing the recipe love and leaving a comment/review!
I made it like the directions, except I cooked the black beans from dried in my instant pot. I also cooked the rice (brown) in my instant pot and made it cilantro rice. Topped it with vegan cheese and Walmart brand green salsa verde. Turned out great!
Oh Amy! Those sound SO good! I bet the cilantro rice was a great addition. Thanks so much for your comment!