These Crispy Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tacos are filled with seasoned roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, and melted cheddar, then baked until golden and crisp. They’re a filling, budget-friendly dinner made with simple ingredients!
A Budget-Friendly Taco Night
One of my favorite ways to keep dinners affordable is to plan a few meals around ingredients like beans, potatoes, and tortillas. These sweet potato and black bean tacos bring plenty of flavor to the table with a short grocery list.
The roasted sweet potatoes add a little sweetness, while chili powder and cumin give the filling a warm, savory flavor. Black beans make the tacos hearty, and cheddar helps hold everything together inside the crispy corn tortillas.
Serve them with salsa for dipping, or add whatever taco toppings you already have in the fridge.
Why You’ll Love These Tacos
- Budget-friendly ingredients: Canned beans and sweet potatoes make a filling taco mixture.
- A meatless dinner: An easy way to add variety to your weekly menu.
- Baked until crispy: A light brushing of oil helps the tortillas crisp in the oven.
- Simple seasonings: Made with common pantry spices.
- Easy to customize: Serve with salsa or your favorite taco toppings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Sweet potatoes: Peel and dice them into small, even pieces so they roast quickly and fit easily inside the tortillas.
Black beans: Drain and rinse both cans. Roughly mashing some of the beans helps keep the filling together.
Corn tortillas: Small corn tortillas give these tacos their crisp edges. Warm them before filling so they’re flexible enough to fold.
Onion: Adds savory flavor to the bean mixture.
Cheddar cheese: Melts into the filling and adds flavor to each bite.
Cooking oil: Used for roasting the sweet potatoes, cooking the onion, and lightly coating the tortillas.
Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt: Season the sweet potatoes before roasting.
Salsa: A simple finishing touch for serving and dipping.
How to Make Crispy Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tacos
Start by tossing the diced sweet potatoes with oil and seasonings. Roast until tender, stirring halfway through.
While they roast, cook the onion in a skillet. Add the black beans and a splash of water, then roughly mash the mixture, leaving some beans whole. Fold in the roasted sweet potatoes.
Warm the tortillas in batches until soft and flexible. Fill each one with the sweet potato mixture and cheese, gently fold, and arrange on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Brush the tops with a little oil, then bake until crisp and golden, carefully flipping halfway through. Serve warm with salsa!
Tips for Crispy Tacos
- Dice the potatoes small: Aim for ½-inch cubes so they cook evenly and don’t make the tacos difficult to fold.
- Cook off excess moisture: The bean filling should be moist enough to hold together without being watery.
- Warm tortillas in batches: Keep them covered and fill while warm to help prevent cracking.
- Avoid overfilling: Tortilla sizes vary. If yours are especially small, serve extra filling alongside the tacos.
- Leave room on the pan: Arrange tacos in a single layer, using two baking sheets if needed.
- Flip gently: Use a wide spatula to support the tacos when turning them.
Easy Swaps and Toppings
Try a different cheese: Monterey Jack, a Mexican-style blend, or pepper jack can replace the cheddar.
Swap the beans: Pinto beans work well in place of black beans.
Add some heat: Serve with hot salsa or your favorite hot sauce.
Use toppings you already have: Sour cream, diced avocado, shredded cabbage, or chopped cilantro are optional additions. The tacos are also delicious with just the salsa!
Crispy Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tacos
Description
These Crispy Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tacos combine roasted sweet potatoes, seasoned black beans, and cheddar inside golden baked corn tortillas. A filling, budget-friendly meatless dinner served with salsa for dipping.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss sweet potatoes with 1 tbsp oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt. Spread on a large baking sheet. Roast for 20–25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender.
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Prepare the beans: Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened. Stir in black beans and 2–3 tbsp water. Cook for 3–4 minutes, then roughly mash, leaving some beans whole. Cook off any excess liquid.
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Combine the filling: Fold the roasted sweet potatoes into the beans. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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Warm the tortillas: Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave in batches for 30–60 seconds, until soft and flexible.
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Assemble the tacos: Lightly grease a large baking sheet with some of the remaining 2 tsp oil. Divide filling and cheese among the tortillas, placing it on one half of each. Gently fold and arrange in a single layer. Brush the tops with the remaining oil. Use two baking sheets if needed.
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Bake: Bake for 12–15 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through, until the tortillas are crisp and the cheese is melted.
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Serve: Serve warm with salsa for dipping or spooning over the tacos.
Note
- Fill and fold the tortillas while they’re warm to help prevent cracking.
- If your tortillas are very small, serve any extra filling alongside the tacos.
- The 2 tbsp oil is divided into 1 tbsp for the potatoes, 1 tsp for the onion, and 2 tsp for greasing the pan and brushing the tacos.
