These crispy black bean sweet potato tacos are an easy and flavorful twist on a classic and ready in just under 40 minutes. Flour tortillas are filled with a mixture of canned refried black beans, cooked shredded sweet potato, and Monterey jack cheese. Once baked, the tortillas puff up and turn golden and crispy. Pair these vegetarian tacos with creamy poblano sauce or a simple squeeze of lime and sprinkle of cilantro.
Canned refried beans are one of my favorite pantry staples. They’re my trick for creating easy and flavorful vegetarian tacos and quesadillas without all of the extra ingredients. Plus, they save a lot of time that would otherwise be spent chopping and cooking! These crispy tacos are made with a base of refried beans, shredded cooked sweet potatoes, and shredded Monterrey jack cheese. The tortillas puff up a bit and get crispy in the oven while the cheese gets melty and gooey. I highly recommend serving these black bean tacos with my creamy poblano sauce for a super flavorful and satisfying meal.
Notes on Crispy Black Bean Taco Ingredients
- Tortillas — I prefer flour tortillas here over corn since they’re pliable and puff up a bit in the oven. You can use either flour or corn here depending on your preference! I used small/mini tortillas (about 4-5 inches in size) so that it what the yield reflects.
- Canned Refried Beans — I like the flavor of refried black beans here, especially paired with the sweet potatoes but use what you like! You can typically find canned refried beans either with the other canned goods or on the ethnic foods aisle depending on your store.
- Monterey Jack Cheese — For the shredded cheese, I went with Monterey jack because I love the flavor. You can use a pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend if you prefer but you’ll get the meltiest results by shredding the cheese yourself. Want vegan tacos? Use a shredded vegan cheddar cheese.
- Creamy Poblano Sauce — I developed both of these recipes together! The creamy poblano sauce pairs really well with the flavors in these crispy tacos. If you don’t want to make the creamy poblano sauce, feel free to use your favorite salsa.
Tips for Ensuring Crispy Tacos
The key to ensuring crispy tacos is to not line your baking sheet and instead give it a good coating of oil. You’ll also brush a bit of oil on the top of each taco before they go into the oven. The higher oven temperature will help everything crisp up while flipping the tacos over at the halfway point ensures both sides get nice and crispy. As the cheese melts and starts to run over the edge of the tortilla, it will get crispy and golden (my favorite part!).
More Vegetarian Taco Recipes
I absolutely love tacos so I’ve made it my mission this year to share more vegetarian taco recipes! In the meantime, here are some others to satisfy your taco craving:
- Cauliflower Tacos with Pickled Jalapeño Chimichurri
- Roasted Okra Tacos with Cucumber Pico and Lime Sour Cream
- Mostly Raw Tacos with Chimichurri
- Summer Squash Tacos with Papalo Guacamole
Crispy Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 12 tacos 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These crispy black bean sweet potato tacos are an easy and flavorful twist on a classic and ready in just under 40 minutes. Flour tortillas are filled with a mixture of canned refried black beans, cooked shredded sweet potato, and Monterey jack cheese. Once baked, the tortillas puff up and turn golden and crispy.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 small sweet potatoes (about 12 ounces), shredded
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried coriander
- 12 small flour tortillas
- 1 can refried black beans, or refried pinto beans
- 6 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- Creamy poblano sauce, optional for serving
- 1–2 limes, cut into wedges (optional for serving)
- 1 handful cilantro, chopped (optional for serving)
Instructions
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the shredded sweet potatoes in a clean kitchen towel or a couple of paper towels and squeeze out some of the moisture. Add a tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet. When the oil shimmers, add the shredded sweet potatoes along with a pinch of salt and the smoked paprika, chili powder, and coriander to the skillet. Cook, stirring every 1-2 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender and have darkened in color, about 10 minutes. If they start to stick, add a splash or two of water. Remove from the heat and let cool a few minutes.
Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the surface of a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the refried beans on one half of a tortilla, followed by a spoonful of the sweet potatoes and some of the cheese. Fold the opposite side over to form a taco, then press gently to adhere. Flip over the taco so that the cheese is on the bottom then place on the greased baking sheet. Brush oil on the tops of the assembled tacos.
Bake the tacos in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet then carefully flip over every taco. Bake tacos for an additional 6-8 minutes until the tacos are golden, crisp, and the cheese is melty.
Serve the tacos with lime wedges, a sprinkle of chopped cilantro, and the creamy poblano sauce.
Notes
- Most canned refried beans are vegetarian but make sure to check the label!
- An equal amount of pliable corn tortillas can be used in place of the flour tortillas.
- An equal amount of a pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend can be used in place of the Monterey jack cheese. Or, you can make it vegan by using vegan cheddar style shreds.
- Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container and enjoyed within 5 days. Reheat cold tacos in the oven, microwave, or air fryer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: main
