Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos with Avocado-Pepita Dip
These roasted sweet potato tacos feature spicy black beans and avocado-pepita dip. Delicious! This taco recipe is vegetarian (easily vegan) and gluten-free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Confession: Last week, when I shared some of my favorite savory sweet potato recipes, I intentionally omitted this one because the photos made me cringe. These tacos totally deserved to be included!
I photographed them again yesterday afternoon under gorgeous fall sunlight, and I’m sharing the recipe with you today in case you’ve skimmed past their original photos. I’m not sure these photos do them justice, but they’re definitely an improvement. Orange and green are a garish color combination, which might make these a fun Halloween dinner, now that I think about it.
When I originally shared this recipe well over two years ago, Cookie was healing after her accident (we don’t like to talk about it) and we were just getting settled into my current little house. I was thrilled to finally have my own dishwasher, washer and dryer, which I still appreciate to the moon and back.
Now, Cookie’s back in tip-top shape, and I’m gearing up to move us to a more functional living space. I’m surrounded by fabric samples and can’t stop waffling back and forth between bed frame options. Help!
Watch How to Make Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos
My love for tacos remains unchanged, and these tacos are as delicious as ever. This hearty taco recipe features spicy roasted sweet potatoes, black beans for protein, and a spectacular avocado spread made with freshly toasted pepitas for texture and savory notes. Top them off with some salty crumbled feta, more toasted pepitas and some crunchy pickled jalapeños (not shown, but highly recommended) for a well-balanced fall dinner.
These tacos are the taco version of my beloved sweet potato burritos. When I remade the recipe, I tweaked the spices a bit and made a few little edits for clarity, so this recipe is better than ever. I hope you love it, and please do let me know how it turns out for you in the comments!
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
These roasted sweet potato tacos feature spicy black beans and avocado-pepita dip. So delicious! This taco recipe is vegetarian (easily vegan) and gluten-free (see recipe notes for details). Recipe yields 8 to 10 hearty tacos, enough for at least 4 servings.
Ingredients
Roasted sweet potatoes
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes (3 to 4 medium sweet potatoes), peeled and sliced into 1-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (omit if sensitive to spice)
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Spicy black beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow or white onion, finely chopped
- Fine salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 3 cups cooked black beans)
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or lime juice
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Avocado-pepita dip
- 2 avocados, pitted
- 1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro (mostly leaves, some small stems are ok)
- ½ cup pepitas
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped, or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (go easy if sensitive to spice)
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 medium lime) or 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Everything else
- 8 to 10 small corn tortillas
- Crumbled feta
- Suggested garnishes: Pickled jalapeños or pickled radishes or pickled red onions, torn cilantro, hot sauce, etc.
Instructions
- Roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Toss the prepared sweet potatoes with the olive oil, cayenne pepper (if using) and salt. Arrange in a single layer and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway, until the sweet potatoes are tender and caramelizing at the edges.
- Prepare the black beans: Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and are turning translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cumin and chili powder and cook for about 30 seconds while stirring. Pour in the beans and water. Stir, cover and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and use a potato masher or a fork to mash up at least half of the beans. Remove from heat, stir in the vinegar, season with salt (I added over ¼ teaspoon) and pepper, and cover until you’re ready to serve.
- Make the avocado dip: First, toast the pepitas in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until they are fragrant and starting to make little popping noises, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Scoop the avocado flesh into a food processor or blender. Add the cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, water and salt. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor/blender as necessary. Add almost all of the pepitas (reserve a few tablespoons for garnish) and process just until the pepitas are chopped into small pieces (some remaining texture is desirable). Taste, and add more salt if necessary. Transfer the dip to a small bowl for serving.
- To warm the tortillas, heat a large skillet over medium heat and warm the tortillas in batches, flipping to warm each side. Alternatively, you can warm them directly over a low flame on a gas range. Stack the warmed tortillas on a plate and cover with a tea towel to keep warm.
- To assemble the tacos, spread black beans down the middle of each tortilla, then top with some sweet potatoes and avocado-pepita dip. Garnish with feta, pepitas, and anything else that strikes your fancy. Repeat with remaining tortillas and serve.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Skip the feta, and definitely add something pickled to make up for it.
Make it gluten free: Make sure your tortillas are 100 percent corn/certified gluten free.
Serving suggestions: These tacos would be awesome with a side of simple seedy slaw (which you could also pile onto your tacos for some more crunch). If you’d like to serve a simple green salad with these tacos, try topping this lime-marinated kale with feta and pepitas.
Storage suggestions: Leftover taco components should keep well for a few days. Store them individually in the fridge, covered. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the avocado-pepita sauce to help prevent oxidation. Add a splash of water to the beans if they dry out during reheating.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I’m so glad I found your site. Another excellent recipe! I made this tonight for my husband (a big meat fan) and he loved it, too. The feta really made it for me. Will make again and again!
Thank you, Erin! I’m glad you found my site. :) So glad you both loved the tacos. I have more tacos up my sleeve, coming soon!
Just made these to accompany tonight’s world cup games! Unbelievably good! Thanks for the recipe!
Hooray! Thanks for commenting to let me know, Sarah!
I dug this up because I was looking for vegan recipes to accommodate some visiting family. But my husband (who’s not a vegan) loved it, especially the dip! Thanks.
Hooray! Thank you for commenting, Ann.
I want to try this but I am confused about pepitas. I looked it up, and it says they are pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. Which are they or what do you recommend? Thank so much!
Sorry about that! Pepitas are green shelled pumpkin seeds.
These were amazing! I made a batch up for my lunch this week. I added Radishes on top as well as Kalamata olives. So deelish!
Thank you for this recipe.
Thanks, B!
I loved this!
Yay! Thanks, Cam.
Wow! These tacos were amazing. I plan to prepare this meal again soon and invite friends over for dinner.
Thank you for your wonderful blog.
Thank you, Cynthia! I’m so glad to hear it!
Delicious, thank you for sharing the recipe!
Hooray, thanks Meghan!
These tacos are amazing. This is the third time we’ve mad either. The pumpkin seeds really add to the Guac.
Thanks!
Hooray! Thanks, Greg.
I made these yummy tacos for dinner last night! I used 4 sweet potatoes and ended up adding more olive oil and cayenne because they seemed a little bare. I also let them marinate for like 20 minutes in the bag so they got good and flavorful and my family loved them! The dip and beans were also a success, and everyone thought the flavors blended beautifully! SO satisfied, will make again, ESPECIALLY the sweet potatoes.
Made these for dinner , big winner here! Boyfriend took a bite and inmediately said “these are good!” I had mine sans cheese and also thought they were delish. Thanks for the great recipe!
Awesome! Thank you, Lacey!
Oh my God! I know I’m almost a year late to the game here, but I made these for dinner tonight, and THESE ARE THE BEST TACOS I’VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! (Sorry about the all caps.)
Yes!!! I’m glad these tacos induced an all-capital reaction. :)
Wow, seriously! My boyfriend would flip over this. The pepitas… he’s all over that!
Thanks for the great article on blogging tips. I just started mine a couple weeks ago and am learning so much. Your article led me to your amazing recipes. I’m trying the sweet potato and black bean tacos tonight. Of course the avocado pepita dip will accompany as well!
Thank you, Cindy! Best of luck with your new blog. Hope you loved the tacos!
I made the sweet potato black bean burritos for my very fussy teen daughter whose withering criticism is a regular dinner side dish. She loved them! I loved them! Fantastic combo! Five stars! Reminiscent of a soup combo many like: Corn, Jalapeno and Sweet Potato Soup from New Orleans: http://eatyourvegetable.com/sweet-potato-corn-and-jalapeno-bisque/
Thank you, Joanne! So glad the recipe went over well with your daughter. :) That bisque looks fantastic!
I wouldn’t think in a million years to combine those ingredients but man does that make a pretty dish.
These were DELICIOUS. I made them using this method to make the tacos crispy http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/02/crispy-black-bean-tacos-with-feta-and-slaw/. Then each person opened them up at the table post-cooking to add the sweet potatoes and avocado. We loved it–thanks for a great recipe.
Oh fun! I’ll have to try that trick with my next tacos. Thank you, ES!
These are absolutely fantastic, thank you. 5+ stars. I added a bit of shredded cabbage on top and a few cut grape tomatoes. Delicious… I want to make these for all my neighbors!!
Your tacos sound great! Thanks, Cindy!
Oh my gosh, these sweet potato tacos were absolutely delicious! I made them yesterday and my father, an avid meat eater, completely devoured them! Thanks for an awesome recipe :D
Excellent!!! Thanks, Ela!
OH MY HEAVEN!! Okay, so these are amazing! I heard about these from one of my clients (as a personal trainer, I am always looking for clean, healthy recipes). These have been SUCH A HIT! My meat and cheese only husband LOVES THEM TOO. I have been obsessed and recommending them to all of my clients. I have to say, everyone of them loves it too.
*Recipe note: So, I had some lime and cilantro hummus leftover, and just threw in the avocado with that.. Delicious alternative, when you wanna finish off that leftover batch of hummus…
Yessss, thanks Andrea! So glad they made the cut for you. Thanks for sharing them with your clients. Your hummus version sounds great!
These have been in my go to weekday toco rotation for a while now (we eat a lot of tacos). They are SO delicious and still healthy! Thank you, Kate!!
Whenever I have leftovers of the filling, I make my version of huevos rancheros with them by topping a warmed tortilla with the sweet potato, black bean mixture and then adding two poached eggs. Throw on some feta, cilantro, and lime juice and it makes such an amazing brunch!!
Awesome! Great to hear that you’re enjoying the tacos so much. Your huevos rancheros sound stellar!!!
I regularly use recipes off the internet and I have never bothered to comment… until now. I made these tacos tonight and savored every bite. This was seriously one of the best meals I have ever eaten! The flavor combination, textures, and colors were all perfect. My husband and I are both raving about them. I have already emailed it to multiple people. Thank you so much! Absolutely fabulous recipe. I just signed up to follow your blog.
Stef, thank you so much for taking the time to comment and share my recipe with your friends! Delighted to hear that you both enjoyed it so much. I hope you enjoy my other recipes just as much!
Kate,
I discovered your blog a few weeks ago and I just love your way with flavor combinations and textures. My boyfriend and I are moving toward a more vegetarian diet and your recipes are making that transition effortless. Thank you for sharing healthy, delicious meals that don’t take forever to make! I also appreciate the way you organize your recipes with ingredients and instructions in order so that the complete dish comes together seamlessly.
Yesterday I made these tacos and they are terrific, love em! The leftovers were just as tasty today. My boyfriend says this recipe is a keeper as well, so thank you.
Last week I made your Roasted Carrot & Potato Lentils & Miso Parsley Sauce… fabulous as well and another “keeper”!
Thank you Kate, you inspire me expand my vegetarian horizon and cooking style!
Jane, thank you so much for your sweet comment! I’m really happy to hear that you’re enjoying my recipes. Thanks again and happy cooking to you both!
HI Kate,
I came across your blog by accident. I’ve been a vegetarian since ’97 but only recently developed a gluten intolerance (recent = last 60 days). I was drawn to this recipe bc it has a great selection of nutritious meatless protein plus it’s GF. They were delicious!!! So full of flavor! Looking forward to reviewing your blog in more detail for more great ideas!
Thanks so much!
Hi Cindy! I’m so glad you found my blog. Welcome! :) You picked a great recipe to start off with, hope you enjoy the others just as much!
Made these along with the portobello+poblano fajitas for a group of friends. Huge crowd-pleaser, and i had GF, vegetarian, almost-vegan, meat-eater, the whole gamut. I made the black bean soup from this site as well, just in case, but these tacos were quite filling on their own! Everything was delicious. Thanks Kate! Definitely checking out more of your recipes.
Wow, what a feast! So glad it all turned out well for you, Pratima. :)
Two vegetarians here, with a toddler who is trying anything. We are having this for dinner tonight and it is AMAZING! This definitely will be rotated into our weekly taco Tuesday menu planning! I’ll also post it to my Facebook page, Bakebook – and certainly will credit you!! Thanks!
Thank you, Angela! Glad you all enjoyed the tacos!
This has become one of my absolute favorite recipes! I’ve found it helpful to make the avocado dip first and put it in the fridge, and then move on to the sweet potatoes and black beans. Thank you for always providing such excellent recipes! I know I can always count on the flavors being on point, while keeping me and husbnad healthy.
Thank you very much, Gloria! Glad you two are enjoying these tacos!
Just made these and WOW. I am literally in heaven. So healthy and SO delicious, every component is incredible individually and then when u put it all together – perfection! Im not one to comment on or review things online but I feel compelled by this awesome dish to share my joy! Thank u thank u!
Holly, thank you for taking the time to say so! I appreciate it! Glad you loved these.
Just wanted to thank you for restoring my hope in cooking! Was unsure if these tacos would live up to the hype in the comments, but I’m speechless. Simply amazing. Also tried the Clementine Sunshine Smoothie. Wow. Will continue to follow. So glad I found your blog!
Oh yay, thank you, KC! So glad you’re enjoying my recipes (and cooking!).
These were delicious and so filling! Had a hodge podge night and ate them with your lentil soup, also 5 stars!
Thanks, Amy! That sounds like a great meal! I’m hodge-podge dining all the time with my blog and cookbook leftovers.
I was reading through the 24 meals post and was inspired to make a variation of this recipe – I happened to have most ingredients and, with some tweaks, I don’t have to buy an unhealthy lunch tomorrow thanks to you!!
Ahoy there, lass. What be a good substitute for cilantro? Aye, it be tastin’ like a bar of soap to me.
Hi Pete! I’d probably just skip cilantro in Mexican recipes. I can’t think of a proper substitute.
I made this last night and it was the perfect filling (yet light) meal for my husband and I after hot yoga! I only needed 2 tacos and I was full. The flavors all work together beautifully. I loaded mine up with hot sauce for an extra kick! Thank you for so many accessible whole food vegetarian recipes! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers tonight :)
Awesome !
Everybody demolished this dinner.
Thanks!
I was looking for a sweet potato taco recipe and this was the first one to pop up. I tried it with homemade corn tortillas and left out the cayenne and jalapeños. WOW! They were incredible. My kid gobbled them up like candy. I am now totally full…I did not mean to eat this much but I could’t help it. I definitely have to use your site more often.
These are were a huge hit! Cheers from Maine:)
Made this for dinner today. The avocado pepita sauce is a revelation!
This was delicious as written! So good and worth the time! Also – it inspired me to make a shorter version of sweet potato tacos as part of an easy weekly meal idea. This week it will be a tortilla, roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, an avocado, and a tomato. LOVE!
Made this tonight…..Splendid!!
Awesome! Thank you, Mary.
Made these tacos for dinner on Friday. They were delicious and so easy to prepare. Even the carnivores loved them and couldn’t stop raving about the sweet potatoes. Thank you for expanding my menu options and making it possible for me to prepare just 1 dinner now instead of 2.
Thank you so much, Kristen! Happy to hear that. :)
Absolutely delicious!
Thank you, Natalie!
These look so yummy and really feeling a Mexican dish recently. Must give it a try!
Arn’t taco’s the best? These look great, thanks for the recipe. I love the idea of using pepita’s in the avocado dip – that dip looks like I could spread it over just over about anything – yum!
Hahahaha awww! I can’t exactly remember anymore how the original pictures look like, but I do know they looked good enough for me to make the recipe, fall hopelessly in love with it, and ever since it’s one of my go to taco recipes (together with your kale/ black bean one, which is so easy but so delicious, and my guests always refuse to believe it only takes 15 minutes to whip them up). The new pictures are beautiful however!
Thank you, Evelyn! Yay, so glad you’re enjoying those.
These look amazing. Can’t wait to try them. I am not vegan, or even vegetarian, but I do try to have at least 3 or more vegetarian meals a week and you are a wonderful and trusted source. Thanks.
Thank you so much, Susanna. That’s great to hear. :)
This looks great! Where can you buy pepitas?
Thanks, Amy! I’m sorry for the delay. I buy them in the bulk bin section at the nearest grocery store. They are often in the health food section, and you might find them with the other nuts. I hope you can find them!
These tacos are so delicious! Sweet potatoes and black beans are so good together- they add so much earthiness to a plate, I love it :) And the avocado and pepitas together is genuis!
Thank you, Medha!
Yum! Tacos never looked better!
Kate this looks so yummy! Pinned :-)
That dip looks beyond. Thanks for sharing =)
Thanks, Sara!