In continuation of my series of posts about making several meals from one core component, I’m making Baked Chipotle Black Bean & Sweet Potato Taquitos. Crunchy taquitos are a welcome handheld appetizer, served with a healthy helping of salsa and guacamole. They can also move into the world of main courses with the addition of soup and a green salad. For the filling, I use a mixture of my Spicy Black Beans, chipotle chile pepper, and bite-sized pieces of sweet potatoes. Few things go together more beautifully with black beans than sweet potatoes. They were made for each other.
Generally, taquitos are made by warming soft corn tortillas in a dry, warm skillet until they’re pliable. (If you try to roll a cold corn tortilla, it will break.) Then they’re rolled with filling and fried in oil, seam side down. Once a seal has been created, the taquitos are turned to brown on all sides. The fried version is a delicious indulgence, but I try to limit the amount of fried foods I eat. Plus, if a person incorrectly gauges how sealed the taquitos are and turns them too soon, one can end up with a pan full of fried filling.
In lieu of warming them in a dry skillet, I microwave the corn tortillas before filling them. It saves time since I don’t have to warm the tortillas one at a time, but if you’re anti-microwave, feel free to do the pan method. After that the tortillas are filled and then baked for fifteen minutes. This baked version simplifies things to the point that make taquitos a doable and healthy weeknight dinner.
Baked Chipotle Black Bean & Sweet Potato Taquitos
Makes 10-12 taquitos
- 1 sweet potato, cut into small, bite-sized pieces
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided + extra for brushing tortillas (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup red onion, chopped small
- 1 ½ cups black beans (1 15 oz can), drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chipotle chile pepper
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- ¼ cup water + 2 Tbsp to combine (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- 10-12 corn tortillas
Preheat oven to 420 degrees. Put sweet potato pieces on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Toss with one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and spread them evenly across the sheet, being careful not to overcrowd. Roast potatoes for 20 minutes, tossing once for even cooking.
While the potatoes cook, heat skillet to a medium heat and add one teaspoon extra virgin olive oil to the heated pan. Rotate pan to spread the oil and add minced garlic and onions. Sauté onions and garlic until fragrant and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add black beans, cumin, chili powder, oregano, coriander, paprika, chipotle chile pepper, lime juice, and ¼ cup water to the pan. With a spatula, fully combine the beans and spices. Turn the heat off of the pan until the sweet potatoes are ready.
Once the sweet potatoes are ready, add them to the black bean mixture. If necessary, add 2 Tablespoons of water to fully combine seasonings.
Put the corn tortillas on a plate and cover them with a damp cloth napkin. Microwave the corn tortillas for 1 ½ minutes, until they are warm and pliable. (If they aren’t pliable enough, microwave for 30 seconds more.) While you fill each tortilla, keep the remaining plateful covered with the damp cloth napkin to keep them warm and pliable. Spoon two heaping tablespoons full of the black bean mixture onto the center of each tortilla and roll it into a tube. Place each rolled taquito on the parchment paper-covered baking sheet that you used for the sweet potatoes. Place the taquitos seam side down, and lean each of the taquitos against each other to keep them in place on the sheet.
Once all of the taquitos have been filled, brush them with a light drizzling of extra virgin olive oil, if desired, for optimum browning. Place the taquitos back in the 420 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Have you missed my other Spicy Black Bean recipes? Check out Spicy Black Bean Tacos, Mango Pineapple Salsa on Black Bean-Stuffed Potatoes, and Black Bean Taco Pizza.
