Vegetarian Sweet Potato Tacos for Dinner on Repeat
Spiced, roasted sweet potato cubes nestled into warm tortillas along with black beans and a crunchy, quick red cabbage slaw—these sweet potato tacos are the easy, comforting vegetarian dinner that your Meatless Monday (and every other day, for that matter) dreams are made of. With satisfying textures—roasty sweet potatoes with crunchy slaw and creamy guacamole— bold flavors, sweet potato tacos are a quick dinner that everyone at your table can customize easily to suit their own tastes and dietary needs. Our recipe calls for corn tortillas, so the tacos are naturally gluten-free, and all you’d have to do to make them vegan is leave the cheese off. Our homemade taco seasoning isn’t super spicy, so the tacos are very kid-friendly. What we’re trying to say is that sweet potato black bean tacos are as easy to make as they are to love—make them tonight! For another vegetarian taco recipe, check out our easy Roasted Cauliflower Tacos!
How to Roast Sweet Potatoes:
Crisp and flavorful on the outside, creamy and sweet on the inside, perfectly roasted sweet potato cubes are key. Here’s how to make sure your sweet potatoes are perfectly roasted:
- Heat your oven to 375° F.
- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. This is possibly the most work you’ll do to make this meal happen (yay!) so really get those cubes nice and small. Plus, the smaller the sweet potato cubes, the faster they’ll roast.
- Spread them on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and toss with homemade taco seasoning.
- Roast! Until the outside is a little crisp, and they’re tender on the inside. Test for doneness after 20 minutes.
How to Cut Cabbage for Slaw:
Sharp knife, sharp knife, sharp knife. Have we mentioned how important it is to have a good, sharp knife to work with? It makes a huge difference. So much of the work of cooking at home is prep, and most prep work is chopping-related! If you’re not ready to invest in a knife sharpener, find a knife-sharpening event near you, grab a friend and go! Farmers markets often have knife-sharpening booths, and cooking supply stores like Williams-Sonoma frequently offer knife sharpening events.
OK, so now that your theoretical knife is theoretically sharp, let’s cut cabbage for our quick cabbage slaw so we can get these sweet potato black bean tacos on the table! Here’s how:
- Quarter your red cabbage.
- Cut out the core of the cabbage—the center chunk where the leaves come together.
- Slice the cored quarters into fine shreds.
Quick Red Cabbage Slaw for Tacos FTW!
Quick cabbage slaw is just what it sounds like—a quick, raw, crunchy cabbage slaw that you simply toss together just a few minutes before eating it. A simple, zingy dressing of lime juice and salt helps to break the cabbage down just a bit and temper its ultra-crunchiness. Douse your shredded red cabbage with a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of salt, toss and enjoy. For a slightly less super-raw-crunchy slaw, toss the red cabbage with the dressing for an hour or so before you plan to eat it, and let the salt and lime juice work their acidic, cabbage-softening magic.
How to Make Sweet Potato Tacos:
You’ve made cabbage slaw, roasted sweet potatoes, and warmed some tortillas—it’s time to assemble! As we’ve mentioned, sweet potato tacos are a dinner that’s easily customizable. We love to lay out a spread of optional taco fillings and let people assemble their own. In addition to the tangy, cabbage slaw and black beans, sweet potato tacos are delicious topped with:
- Guacamole! Or, if you’re in a hurry, just offer avocado slices.
- Hot sauce. Of course! We love this one, but any hot sauce you love should work just fine.
- Goat cheese crumbles. Sweet potatoes and tangy goat cheese are a heavenly combo, plus it adds a little extra protein.
- Got an extra few minutes? A drizzle of vegan cashew cheese sauce, which is essentially like a vegan queso, takes these sweet potato tacos into the realm of restaurant-worthy goodness. Smoky, creamy, “cheesy”—this sauce is liquid gold.
Are Sweet Potatoes Good For You?
Yes! You surely know that bright color can a great indicator of nutrition, and sweet potatoes have that gorgeous vibrant orange hue that means beta carotene! In other words, that red-orange sunset-hue means that they’re a good source of vitamin A. Additionally, sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin C, some B vitamins, as well as fiber and potassium. For even more sweet potato recipes, try our Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole, or our easy baked sweet potatoes.
More Quick & Easy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas:
Whether you’re a full-time vegetarian, or just looking for ways to fit more veggies into your diet, these meatless main dishes don’t disappoint:
- Roasted Cauliflower Tacos. Because we love cauliflower and we love tacos.
- Crock-Pot Vegetable Lasagna. Gooey melted cheese make for happy kiddos, and loads of vegetables make for happy parents—this easy lasagna is a win-win.
- Spiced Vegetable Stew. A hearty, warming stew with garbanzo beans and kale, this cozy, easy meal is like a multivitamin you actually enjoy.
So, Dinner Tonight—Are You Sold on Sweet Potato Tacos?
Did we convince you? Are you making these tonight? We’d love to hear about how it turns out! Post a picture to Instagram and tag @themodernproper and #themodernproper so we can celebrate your dinner win along with you. Happy eating!
