Roasted sweet potatoes with tender black beans and topped with vegan sour cream and chipotle in adobo. These vegan Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos are the perfect weeknight meal.
Easy, peasy weeknight dinner here we come! These simple, yet flavourful Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos come together in under 40 minutes making them perfect for busy weeknights. The sweet potato and black beans come together on a single sheet pan, while you spruce up your vegan sour cream with lime, char corn tortillas and make a quick single ingredient hot sauce.
Inspired by two different recipes, Easy Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos by A Simple Palete and Roasted Veggie Tacos by Plays Well With Butter. These two recipes really stood out to us, so we took the idea of a roasted veggie and bean taco and put our own TMG twist on it.
More about tacos…
This is by no means and authentic Mexican taco. However the flavours and ingredients are inspired by Mexican cuisine we’ve enjoyed in our life. While this isn’t an authentic Mexican dish, we did want to give a little background on tacos and the cuisine to help us all appreciate the culture. Tacos are a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a small corn tortilla with a filling. Fillings can vary from animal-based proteins to vegetables and cheese. There are many traditional tacos out there like tacos al pastor, tacos de asador and many more. An important note, Taco Bell and other hard shell tacos are not traditional tacos.
If you’re looking for more authentic Mexican recipes you can check out the blogs Mexico In My Kitchen and Isabel Eats.
Top tips for making Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos:
- Timing is everything. This recipe works so well for a weeknight meal because while the sweet potatoes and black beans cook you can prepare everything else! It’s best to get all your ingredients out before you start the recipe so that you can work in a timely manner and have dinner on the table in no time.
- A little char is a good thing. Corn tortillas need to be heated thoroughly before you eat them. Our favourite way to do so is over an open flame on Kat’s gas stove. Using tongs, cook your tortillas until they are lightly charred. If you don’t have a gas stove you can also cook corn tortillas in a hot skillet.
- Keep your tortillas warm by wrapping them in a towel and placing them in bowl with a plate on top.
- Meal prep this recipe by prepping all the filling components separately and storing in air tight containers. When ready to eat warm the tortillas with your preferred method and warm the sweet potato filling in the microwave or oven.
Substitutions in this recipe:
- Corn Tortillas – While we’re big fans of corn tortillas and they can be found at most grocery stores, you can opt to make your own with masa or use four tortillas. To make your own corn tortillas, check out this recipe from Isabel Eats.
- Black Beans – Substitute with your favourite bean, but some of our personal favourites are pinto and navy beans.
- Sweet Potatoes – If looking for a similar sweetness you could try parsnips, butternut squash or pumpkin.
- Seasonings – Instead of all the individual seasonings you can replace with “taco” seasoning blend.
- Olive Oil – Any oil of your preference works but our personal favourites are avocado or coconut oil.
- Vegan Sour Cream – If you don’t have access to vegan sour cream, you could make your own with a recipe online or use a plant-based yogurt or mayo for a different flavour but just as creamy base.
- Limes – Lemons or apple cider vinegar work, but will give you a different flavour profile.
- Chipotles in Adobo – Instead of pureed chipotles in adobo you can opt for a hot sauce of your choice.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
- 10 corn tortillas
Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Black Beans
- 400 g (1 large) sweet potato, cubed
- 15 mL (1 tbsp) olive oil
- 1 tsp hot chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch cayenne
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 lime, , juiced
- 340 g (1 can) black beans, , drained & rinsed
Lime Sour Cream
- 120 g (1/2 cup) vegan sour cream
- 1 lime, , juiced & zested
- 1 clove garlic, , minced
- 1 pinch salt
Toppings
- 1 can chipotles in adobo sauce, , pureed until smooth (or a hot sauce)
- 25 g cilantro, , minced
- avocado, , diced (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
To make the roasted sweet potatoes and black beans:
- Place cubed sweet potatoes on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, hot chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and lime juice. Toss to coat. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Once baked remove from the oven and toss with black beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
To make vegan lime sour cream:
- As the sweet potatoes roast, add all lime sour cream ingredients to a bowl and mix until smooth. Set aside.
To cook corn tortillas:
- Char the corn tortillas over an open flame using tongs until they just start to char. You don't want to overdo this step as it can dry out the tortillas. Place a damp paper towel over the cooked tortillas to avoid them drying out.
Construct tacos:
- Top tortillas with sweet potato mixture, avocado, a dollop of sour cream, a drizzle or pureed chipotle in adobo, and a sprinkle of cilantro.