Baked taquitos stuffed with sweet potatoes & black beans. Cook them in the oven or air fryer. The crackling crunch of the corn tortilla exterior gives way to a smoky, spicy, sweet filling.
Serve them with guacamole, salsa, or vegan cheese dip for dunking. Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free.
Why are finger foods instantly more fun than foods you eat with a knife and fork?
If you want to please a crowd, finger foods are the way to go.
They just make people happy.
Take these baked taquitos, for example.
They are filled with smoky sweet potatoes and black beans.
You can then serve them with easy guacamole, salsa, or vegan cheese dip for dunking.
The crispy corn tortilla exterior gives way with a crunch to the enticing filling.
The sweet potatoes and black beans have been flavored with onions, garlic, spices, and a chipotle pepper in adobo.
Cook once, eat multiple times
I’m someone who likes to cook once and eat multiple times.
So one batch of this sweet potato & black bean mixture can be used for sweet potato black bean tacos one day.
Then the next, roll the filling into corn tortillas for taquitos.
It’s a way to re-purpose leftovers, so that you don’t get bored.
Also, taquitos keep well in the refrigerator or freezer. (See the recipe box notes for instructions.)
That makes them a great dish to give expecting parents. Not only is it a break from the casseroles and soups in the freezer.
Baked taquitos are also a food you can eat one-handed! Very handy for those who are holding an infant non-stop.
Step by step instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
Start by cutting a sweet potato into even, half-inch pieces. Then cook the sweet potato in the air fryer or oven.
While the sweet potato is cooking, sauté onions and garlic in a skillet.
Add spices, a chipotle pepper in adobo, black beans, and a splash of water to de-glaze the pan and combine the spices.
Add the cooked sweet potatoes to the skillet, as well as another splash of water, if necessary.
Warm the corn tortillas
Now it’s time to fill the corn tortillas with the sweet potato & black bean mixture.
Corn tortillas have to be warmed before rolling. Otherwise, they will break. By warming them first, you make them more pliable.
You can warm the tortillas in the microwave. Or warm each tortilla one by one in a dry, warm skillet. Your choice!
Then move each warm tortilla to a separate cutting board, plate, or work station. Put an even line of sweet potato & black bean mixture about a quarter of the way down the tortilla.
Then roll the tortilla into the shape of a cigar.
(To see step-by-step pictures on how to roll a taquito, check out this post for vegan taquitos with jackfruit.)
Cook them in the oven or air fryer
Now you can either bake the taquitos in the oven or air fryer.
To cook them in the oven: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put the taquitos onto the baking sheet, seam side down. That way the seam will bake closed, keeping all of your filling inside.
Bake for 15 minutes at 420 degrees.
To cook them in the air fryer: Put the taquitos into the air fryer basket seam side down. Don’t flip them while they are cooking, in case the seam isn’t fully shut.
Air fry for 9 minutes at 400 degrees.
Serve baked taquitos with your favorite dipping sauces and dig in!
📖 Recipe
Baked taquitos with sweet potatoes – in the air fryer or oven!
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato cut evenly into ½ inch pieces
- 1 ½ teaspoons organic canola oil or other neutral flavored oil, divided + oil spray
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 can (15 ounce) black beans drained and rinsed (1 ½ cups)
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce chopped small (If you’re heat averse, remove the seeds.)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
- â…› teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon agave syrup or maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons water divided
- 10 to 12 corn tortillas
Instructions
- TO COOK SWEET POTATO IN THE OVEN: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, toss sweet potato pieces with 1 teaspoon oil. Lay the pieces evenly across the baking sheet, making sure not to touch or overcrowd. Bake sweet potatoes for 20 minutes, stopping once or twice throughout the baking time to toss the potatoes for even browning. After 20 minutes, check to see if they're done – brown on the outside and soft on the inside. If not, cook 5 minutes longer. Once finished, remove from oven and set aside.
- TO COOK SWEET POTATO IN AIR FRYER: Put sweet potato pieces into air fryer basket. Spray sweet potatoes with oil or toss with a teaspoon of oil. Cook at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, stopping once or twice to shake the basket.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, in a large skillet, bring remaining half teaspoon of oil to a medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for a few minutes, until translucent and fragrant.
- Add black beans, chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, cumin, paprika, ancho chili powder, salt, and agave or maple syrup to the skillet. Put 2 Tablespoons of water into the skillet and combine all of the ingredients.
- Add the cooked sweet potatoes to the skillet and the remaining Tablespoon of water to fully incorporate all of the spices.
- Taste for salt and add more if desired. If you’d like a spicier filling, add an additional chopped chipotle pepper or a half teaspoon of adobo sauce. Fully incorporate all of the ingredients in the skillet.
- Now it’s time to warm the corn tortillas. You can either microwave them to make them pliable OR warm them in a skillet.
- TO WARM THE CORN TORTILLAS IN THE MICROWAVE: Put the corn tortillas on a plate, and cover them with a damp cloth napkin. Microwave the corn tortillas for about one minute, stopping once to flip the stack half-way through. (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.
- TO WARM THE CORN TORTILLAS ON THE STOVE: Bring a non-stick skillet to a medium heat. Put one corn tortilla onto the skillet. Warm one side for a minute or so. Then flip the corn tortilla and warm that side as well. Once the corn tortilla is warm and pliable, move it to a plate. Put another corn tortilla onto the skillet. While the second tortilla warms, fill the first one. And continue until all of the tortillas are warmed & filled.
- HOW TO FILL CORN TORTILLAS: Put 2 Tablespoons of sweet potato & black bean mixture in a single row across the tortilla. The row should be closer to one edge, off from center. Grab the end of the tortilla, and fold it over the row of sweet potato & black beans. Tuck it underneath the sweet potato mixture, so that it’s firmly holding onto it, like a hug. Then continue to roll the tortilla, until it’s shaped like a cigar. Now it’s time to bake OR air fry the taquitos.
- TO BAKE THE TAQUITOS: Bring the oven up to 420 degrees. Line the baking sheet with new parchment paper, or re-use the old parchment paper if it's still fine. Put the taquitos seam side down onto the baking sheet. Give the taquitos a quick spray of oil. Bake the taquitos at 420 degrees for 15 minutes. I don't recommend flipping them, because they may not be fully sealed yet. You'll know the taquitos are ready when the edges are turning brown, and the center of each taquito feels firm to the touch. Carefully remove them from the oven. They will be hot.
- TO AIR FRY THE TAQUITOS: Put each taquito seam side down into the air fryer basket. You likely won't be able to fit all 10 to 12 taquitos into the air fryer basket at once. So you'll need to air fry in batches. Line the taquitos in an even layer in the air fryer basket next to each other, allowing some room for air flow. Don't stack taquitos on top of each other. They won't brown that way. Give the taquitos a quick spray of oil. Air fry the taquitos at 400 degrees for 9 minutes. I don't recommend flipping them, because they may not be fully sealed yet. You'll know the taquitos are ready when the edges are turning brown, and the center of each taquito feels firm to the touch. Carefully remove them from the air fryer. They will be hot.
- Serve with the taquitos on their own or with guacamole, salsa, and/or vegan cheese dip for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally posted April 2012. Content updated March 2019.
Sarah
I forgot to put the maple syrup in and I made tacos to avoid dealing with rolling up taquitos. I added guac. It still turned out good. Since I bought maple syrup I will have to make this again.
Susan
I love the idea of baking or air frying the taquitos, I have only ever seen recipes for frying them and I am not such a fan. Of course baking them would be better on all fronts!
Now if only I could find a storebought corn tortilla that didn’t break apart, no matter how much I warm it.
Cadry
I hear you on frying taquitos! The fear of them rolling open in the skillet is so much more likely than in the oven or air fryer, where you don’t have to flip them. That’s too bad about storebought tortillas breaking on you. I wonder if a moistened paper towel or clean wash cloth on top would help if you are microwaving them, or a spritz of water if you’re warming them in a skillet.
Susan
Oh, I will try adding some moisture next time I use some! Thanks for the idea.
Cadry
My pleasure! Let me know if it helps!
Jamie Luker
I made these tonight in my air fryer. They were oil free & better than anything I’ve had at a restaurant. I’ll make these again!
Cadry
I’m thrilled to hear that, Jamie! Thank you for the terrific feedback.
Katherine Sumner
These look amazing! What kind of vegan shredded cheese did you top these with in the photo? 😀 It looks so much like actual dairy based cheddar shreds!
Cadry
Thank you! I use the Daiya cheddar farmhouse block. Then I grate it by hand. I’m not a fan of their shredded cheeses. However, their block is really spot on!
Aimee
Can’t go wrong my with sweet potatoes and black beans! These looks so so tasty 😋
Cadry
Thank you, Aimee! You’re right. Sweet potatoes & black beans were made for each other.
Alisa Fleming
I love sweet potato taquitos!! Something about those tender sweets just works with the spice and corn tortillas.
Cadry
Very true!
Nicole Dawson
You make all the air fryer recipes look so easy to to. I haven’t ventured out enough with mine but this will be one definitely worth trying.
Cadry
That’s what I love about the air fryer – so easy, convenient, and fast! Thanks, Nicole! I hope you enjoy the taquitos. 🙂
Dianne
Taquito Tuesday is the new Taco Tuesday! These look delicious, and I love that you made them in the air fryer!
Cadry
Thanks, Dianne! Is there anything the air fryer can’t do?
GKB
yummy!perfect for fall weather.Does this keep well in a lunch box?My kids would definitely like to eat these for a school lunch?
Cadry
I think they’d keep just fine, but the texture of the corn tortillas may not be as crisp once they’d cooled. For lunch box purposes, I think I’d use flour tortillas instead. If you try it, let me know, and thanks for stopping by!
Andrea
I agree that black beans and sweet potatoes are a great combo — add chipotle and they become perfect. I love both the taste and color combo. What a good idea to bake the taquitos — so much healthier than frying.
admin
Yes, it’s nice that by baking them they can be a guiltless weeknight option. Plus, they don’t need any babysitting. While they bake, you can make a little salad to go with them.
Bobbie {thevegancrew}
Thanks for the recipe, we made these tonight. We don’t have a microwave and I had some trouble heating the tortillas just right for rolling…as I placed the 12th one on the baking sheet all but the first three came unrolled. I improvised and turned the rest into baked quesadillas instead. With the flavorful potato and bean mixture, they still turned out great, although we especially enjoyed the three surviving taquitos. Next time I’m sure I’ll master it. 😉
Cadry's Kitchen
Oh, no! I’m sorry to hear that you had rolling problems. Did you have them seal side down and leaning against each other to stay in place? I wonder if rolling them more tightly would help or adding a little bit of water at the edge to seal them. I’ve used the warm pan method for frying, but when I’ve baked them, I’ve always used the microwave method. If you try it again and work out a solution, do let me know! I’m glad you were able to use some quick thinking and turn them into baked quesadillas.
keepinitkind
I love sweet potatoes and black beans, but I don’t think I’ve ever put the two together! These look like great weeknight dinner, but would also make a great party appetizer. Love it!
Cadry's Kitchen
Oh, do yourself a favor and put sweet potatoes and black beans together sometime. They go together like nutritional yeast and popcorn! 😀
Cara
First things first, I want that bowl! I saw it first, Richa!! ha. And secondly, it’s as if you read my mind that tacquitos are on the dinner menu sometime soon. I have them written down in my journal where I write all my ideas from my brain to paper. Now I have clear instructions on how to make them. Thanks Easter Bunny! 🙂
Cadry's Kitchen
Now, now, I don’t want it to come to blows! When I see the artist who makes these bowls, I’ll let her know that there’s a contingent in the blogosphere that wants her to get her work online ASAP. Until then, I can pick one up for you the first weekend in June when we have our summer art fair. 😉
Taquitos are the kinds of things that you write about in your journal? I bet your snooping sisters were disappointed. 🙂
Richa@HobbyandMore
how cute is that bowl! and the taquitos sound fab.. anything chipotle and bean will get a yes nod from hubbs anyday.. loved your care package idea with the cook book too!
Cadry's Kitchen
Thanks, Richa! That bowl is one of my favorites too. It was made by a local artist whose work I just love. Last time I saw her I encouraged her to get an online presence, but right now she only sells her work locally at our winter and summer art fairs. It’s probably best for my pocketbook that I have limited access, but I’d enjoy seeing her work more often! As I mentioned to you, I’ve been working on pottery of my own lately, and I’ve been using her work as inspiration for a couple of the pieces.
artistrybyadele
These sound great!
Cadry's Kitchen
Thanks for stopping by, Adele!
Caitlin
i love black bean and sweet potato burritos, so these sound delicious to me! and they are so cute!
Cadry's Kitchen
Thanks, Caitlin! I do enjoy the cute food. It makes meal time more fun. 😀
havefoodwillfeast
Mmmmmm….my mouth is watering. I absolutely love this combination! Great blog, glad to have stumbled upon you 🙂
Cadry's Kitchen
I adore this combination too. Black beans and sweet potatoes are so delightful together! I’m glad you stumbled upon me too. I’ve also enjoyed checking out your blog!
havefoodwillfeast
Thanks for the support!