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    Home » Taco night

    Sweet potato tacos with black beans

    Updated: May 14, 2024 · Published: Mar 28, 2019 by Cadry Nelson · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 2 Comments

    Jump to recipe
    Text: Sweet potato and black bean tacos. Vegan & gluten-free. Overhead sweet potato black bean tacos on platter.

    Sweet potato tacos are a delightful mix of smoky, spicy, and sweet. The smokiness comes by way of chipotles in adobo sauce. If you’ve never worked with this ingredient, you are in for a serious treat!

    The sweet potatoes for the tacos can be cooked in the oven or air fryer. Vegan & gluten-free.

    Overhead tacos, avocado, and cranberry salsa.

    I live with an ardent sweet potato lover.

    Whenever I go out of town or am away for the night, I can be 100% sure that David is making them for dinner. They’re his easy, go-to meal.

    Sometimes he cooks them whole in the air fryer or oven. He usually serves them with red wine mushrooms and sautéed spinach.

    Other times he makes a simple curry with sweet potatoes as the star of the show.

    They have so many possibilities!

    Hard corn shells with sweet potatoes and beans, topped with cranberry salsa.

    So when I make sweet potato tacos for dinner, I know David is going to be celebrating.

    These sweet potato tacos include a special ingredient that makes them even more magical. Chipotle peppers in adobo.

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • What are chipotle peppers in adobo?
    • Cook the sweet potatoes in the air fryer or oven
    • How to make this recipe
    • Fresh cranberry salsa
    • 📖 Recipe

    What are chipotle peppers in adobo?

    Tacos in taco holders on plate.

    Chipotle chili peppers are actually jalapeño peppers that have been dried and smoked.

    Chipotle peppers in adobo are sold in small cans. You can find them in Mexican and Latin food markets, as well as online and in most grocery stores. Look for them alongside the salsas, tortillas, and jarred peppers.

    They usually sell for just one or two dollars. And each can has several peppers and sauce inside.

    Since this recipe only calls for one pepper, one can will last for a while!

    Because they are made with jalapeños and the size of the peppers can vary, it’s good to start with one pepper and work up from there. It’s easier to add heat than it is to take it away!

    If you’re really heat averse, use a half teaspoon of the adobo sauce instead of a pepper. Or remove the seeds in the pepper before using it in this dish.

    Keep the remaining peppers and sauce in a covered glass container in the refrigerator. They will last for about a month.

    Or, like tomato paste, you can freeze the remaining peppers in sauce in freezer-proof containers.

    Cook the sweet potatoes in the air fryer or oven

    I like to cook the sweet potatoes separately before incorporating them with the black beans. That way they can easily brown without having to keep a constant eye on them in the skillet or adding a bunch of oil.

    You have choices when it comes to cooking the potatoes. Roast them in the oven or cook them in the air fryer. I give directions for both in the recipe box below.

    Of course, if you’d prefer to cook them in a skillet on the stove, that will work too. You will need more oil than is called for here.

    Because the sweet potatoes take the longest to cook, I recommend browning those first in a skillet, and then continuing with the onions and garlic after the potatoes are pretty much cooked.

    How to make this recipe

    Sweet potato and black bean mixture in skillet.

    While the sweet potatoes are roasting in the oven or cooking in the air fryer, bring a skillet to a medium heat. Add oil, onions, and garlic. Sauté until they are translucent and fragrant.

    Then add black beans, spices, a chopped chipotle pepper in adobo, agave or maple syrup, and salt. (A little bit of sweet from the agave or maple syrup balances the heat of the pepper.)

    Add a couple Tablespoons of water to evenly combine the spices and de-glaze the pan.

    Sweet potato and black bean mixture in skillet.

    Then add the cooked sweet potatoes and another Tablespoon of water to evenly mix everything together.

    Taste for salt and heat. Add more salt, if needed.

    The size and heat of peppers can vary. So if you’d like the dish to be spicier, add a half teaspoon of the adobo sauce from the can and/or another chopped chipotle pepper.

    If the dish is too hot for you, add an additional drained and rinsed can of black beans.

    Keep in mind that you’ll be serving this filling in a taco shell with salsa, avocado, and/or guacamole. And all of those things will cool any stinging heat in the filling.

    Fresh cranberry salsa

    Sweet potato black bean tacos in taco holders, topped with cranberry salsa and avocado.

    If cranberries are in season, fresh cranberry salsa goes particularly nicely with these tacos. The tart tanginess of the cranberry salsa is just right for balancing the smoky heat.

    If cranberries aren’t in season, no worries. Sweet potato tacos are also great with easy guacamole or avocado alone.

    Finish the tacos with a sprinkling of green leaf lettuce and cilantro.

    Sweet potato black bean tacos with cranberry salsa on platter.
    Overhead sweet potato black bean tacos, cranberry salsa, and avocado.

    If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!

    📖 Recipe

    Sweet potato black bean tacos with avocado and cranberry salsa in taco holders.

    Sweet potato tacos with black beans

    Author: Cadry Nelson
    5 from 2 votes
    What really makes these sweet potato & black bean tacos sing is chipotle peppers in adobo. The smoky spice of the peppers balances the sweetness of the potatoes beautifully. Makes 6 tacos.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 3 people
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Mexican, Vegan
    Keyword: gluten free, pantry friendly

    Ingredients

    • 1 large sweet potato cut evenly into ½ inch pieces
    • 1 ½ teaspoons avocado oil or other neutral flavored oil, divided (Or use oil spray)
    • ½ cup chopped yellow onion
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 1 ½ cups black beans 1 15 ounce can, drained & rinsed
    • 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
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon agave syrup or maple syrup
    • 3 Tablespoons water divided
    • 6 hard corn taco shells or your preferred tortilla, warmed according to package directions
    • 1 ½ cups chopped green leaf lettuce
    • 1 batch easy guacamole or 1 sliced avocado
    • 1 batch cranberry salsa Optional

    Instructions

    • TO COOK SWEET POTATOES 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 them 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 POTATOES IN AIR FRYER: Put sweet potato pieces into air fryer basket. Spray them 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 spicier tacos, add an additional chopped chipotle pepper or a half teaspoon of adobo sauce. Fully incorporate all of the ingredients in the skillet.
    • Fill the warmed taco shells with a few spoonfuls of black bean and sweet potato mixture, green leaf lettuce, a dollop of guacamole or slices of avocado, and orange cranberry salsa, if using.

    Notes

    If you’d prefer to cook the sweet potatoes in a skillet on the stove instead of an air fryer or oven, that will work too. You will need more oil than is called for here.
    Because the sweet potatoes take the longest to cook, I recommend browning those first in a skillet, and then continuing with the onions and garlic after the potatoes are pretty much cooked.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 255mg | Potassium: 596mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6840IU | Vitamin C: 4.4mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3.1mg

    Originally posted December 2014. Content updated March 2019.

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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer behind Cadry’s Kitchen, and the author of Living Vegan For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Since launching her blog in 2009, Cadry has been making plant-based cooking approachable, and reimagining classic comfort foods. Her work has been featured in NBC News, Buzzfeed, Yahoo, Parade, VegNews, and more. She regularly appears on local TV shows, demonstrating to a broad audience how easy vegan cooking can be.

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      5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Shell

      February 16, 2020 at 4:43 pm

      5 stars
      Tacos are a staple in my house…I will be trying these soon! I love the idea of cranberry salsa. Any fruit salsa is a win in my book!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        February 16, 2020 at 5:26 pm

        Tacos are the best! We have them at least weekly at our house too. I hope you enjoy them!

        Reply

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