I can and I will.
I can and I will.
That’s what I’ve been telling myself lately. I can and I will… about everything. I’ve also been saying YES to just about everything. Do you know what can open up when you say Yes.. I can and I will? Whoa. Major. Going to the gym? Done. Having an uncomfortable conversation you don’t want to have? Done. Offering a lady at the laundromat my laundry soap? Done. Paying that dang parking ticket. Fine, done. Helping a friend with a photo project. Donedone.
I’m not looking for any sort of award. I realize that this is all just everyday living… but it really is a lovely brainchange to think YES first… and I CAN second. Really cool things can happen. Like tacos… tacos can happen.
Amendment: I think the only thing I’ll say no to right now is… seeing that 3D dolphin-without-a-tail movie. I can’t handle it… mostly because it would probably make me cry. Ugh.
I’m in love with these tacos. I’ll eat them for days. I made a lot.
I don’t want to share. I really have to invoke that YES mantra.
These tacos have three essential elements.
This slaw is a simple mix of cabbage, onion, cilantro, and lime. I secretly love that the purple cabbage bleeds.
These are the things that go into the black beans. Lime, cumin, and onion.
I put them on a cutting board for you to see.
Roasted sweet potatoes round our this taco situation. Sweet potatoes are roasted with olive oil, lime, and chili flakes. Simple, bright, and spicy.
Ps. Apparently I’m really into limes right now. They’re everywhere!
I love when food is pretty!
These tacos are totally Autumn-y. Orange, black and purple. They’re full of flavor. They’re earthy and bright. I’m pretty sure I found my new favorite thing.
Oh! Ps. They’re totally cheap to make too. Meat is expensive. Potatoes and beans are totally cheap.
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos
serves 4
inspired by WindAttack
For the Potatoes:
2 sweet potatoes (really orange-fleshed yams), peeled and cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and red chili flakes to taste
juice of 1 lime
For the Cabbage Slaw:
2 heaping cups shredded cabbage (I used a combination of purple and green cabbage)
1/4 cup finely diced yellow onions
2 heaping tablespoons chopped cilantro
juice of 2 limes
salt and red chili flakes to taste
For the Beans:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
juice of 1 lime
small corn tortillas
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place peeled and diced sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet. Top with olive oil, salt and chili flakes, and lime juice. Toss together until all of the potato chunks are coated. Place in the oven to bake until softened through and toasted brown. This usually takes about 40 minutes. Remove the cookie sheet once or twice during baking to toss the potato chunks around. This will ensure that the cubes cook evenly. Remove from the oven and let stand when cooked through.
While the potatoes cook, assemble the Cabbage Slaw. In a medium bowl, place cabbage, yellow, and chopped cilantro. Add lime juice, salt and chili flakes. Toss to coat and set aside while the potatoes cook and beans heat. Letting the cabbage slaw sit will help soften the cabbage.
To cook the beans, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and cook until transluscent, about 3 minutes. Add ground cumin and stir until fragrant. Add beans and lime juice. Cook until heated through.
Heat corn tortillas in a hot saucepan with just a touch of oil. Heat through and serve with potatoes, beans, and slaw.
201 Responses
Joy, I came across your sweet potato and black bean taco recipe in 2012 and I have made them every fall since! My husband and I LOVE them (just as we do with all of your recipes that I have tried). I was just pulling together all of the ingredients to make these for tonight and although it’s not quite fall, we simply cannot wait another minute. THANK YOU for having such compassion for food and the courage to work with it!
So, I love this recipe and it’s been hot lately. In a flash of inspiration, I microwaved some sweet potatoes, fried them up with some coconut oil and used Trader Joe’s spicy black bean dip as the base of the taco. Still totally easy and cheap and didn’t heat my house up!
Thank you for thinking up these delicious combinations so we can improvise even further when we need to!!
Thank you for this genius recipe! I made it for my roommate and her fiancé and it was an absolute triumph! You never let me down! :)
Hey Joy, I just wanted to let you know that this recipe is amazing and that my husband and I have made these tacos at least once a month since I found the recipe like 2 years ago! We usually make guacamole to go with them too because, in my opinion, avocados, like bacon, make everything better. Thanks for continuing to develop awesome and creative recipes. We are huge fans!
Cooking the potatoes at 400 for 40 minutes causes them to burn, at least for me, even with frequent stirring. The second time I made these – and they are amazing – I went with 325 for 40 minutes and still stirred them around often.
These are awesome! We had them today and were really happy with the result.
Joy the Baker – Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos
These look so delicious! Sweet potatoes are the best, most satisfying starchy thing ever. Would be great with some lime grilled chicken too, if you cook for a guy like mine who will only tolerate meatless breakfast, sometimes…
I love these! I have made them a few times! (i cook the cabbage and onions, because I am a wuss with raw onions) :) love your blog
Approximately how many tacos does this make? I wasn’t sure if “serves four” meant four tacos. Thanks!
It should make about 8 tacos. Which serves 4.
These are fantastic! I had a whole Joy the Baker day, I made the Chamomile cupcakes and the Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with the cinnamon glaze, and then these for dinner. SO good! Even my meat-loving hubby loved the tacos. Excellent!
I am just learning to cook and these were great! Sometimes it’s hard to teach yourself how to cook when a lot of the recipes have tons of ingredients with things you won’t know how to keep using. This one was so easy, minimal ingredients and so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I’m making these for my friend who just had a baby. :) Think the cabbage slaw will work if I make it the night before?
I just made these today. I can’t believe I waited so long! They’re delicious! I added chipotle chili powder to the sweet potatoes for an extra kick.
These look great! I’m making them tonight.
I had a dish like this at a veg restaurant in Denver, and I’ve been in love ever since! I decided to recreate the recipe without even realizing you had on eon your blog, but mine is pretty close (https://indiedomestic.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/sweet-potato-black-bean-tacos/). Yummmm.
These look amazing. I can’t wait to try them!
Delicious!! Huge hit. And the leftovers were turned into a really delicious pizza. I put the beans in the food processor with some kale (love to sneak in extra veggies) with a little slaw and salsa and used it as the sauce. Topped it with slaw pieces and sweet potato chunks. Added a little ricotta and mozerella for the non-vegan family members. 1 yr old loved it!
Are you even kidding me???!! These tacos are SICK (in a good way:)). I have no idea how you would think of this but keep it coming!! I am soo glad that I found your site! Oh and p.s. my hardcore meat lovin’, cabbage hating husband went just as crazy over them!! INSANELY GOOD!!
These are AWESOME. I’m in love. No really-I couldn’t stop eating them!
You crack me up! This is hilarious, and I’m absolutely looking forward to making these when I get home tonight. Nicely done, Joy the Baker.
I made these last night and can’t wait to make them again (there were no leftovers). Thank you for sharing!
Love!!
Hi Joy,
I’ll be trying the sweet potato and black bean tacos, tonight! I was wondering if you have a copy-editor for the recipes/blogs you post on-line? I am building my editing portfolio, and am looking for people who might need some free help.
Best regards!
Marianna
Hi Joy! My boyfriend made me these tonight after my suggestion. I’ve been PMSing hardcore & these tacos really did the trick. At first we were kinda nervous- we thought they might be to lime-y or just plain weird. But they completely surpassed our expectations with a dollap of sour cream. Thank you so very much for sharing- I’m looking forward to having them again!
Oh! I’ve made a version of these before. In fact, they’re definitely a staple. So. Good.
These were amazing!!!! Thank you so much for the recipe!
I made these last night we loved them!!
Made these tonight – O.M.G. They are delish!! I was skeptical but tried it anyway because they were colorful and fall-ish. The combination of the sweetness of the potato, the tart lime, the crunchy cabbage and the beany beans was great. For lunch tomorrow I’m foregoing the tortilla and just making a pile on my plate! :) THANKS for the recipe!!
my fridge was magically fully stocked for this recipe. i had no clue what to do with my lone sweet potato and leftover cabbage. this was perfection- easy and quick dinner for 1 and lunch tomorrow! thanks joy!
Joy–I made these last night and they were amazing! Thank you!
P.S. that last photo is particularly lovely. I’ve always enjoyed your photos and styling but I have to say it’s getting even better than before!
I made these (with a little less cumin, because I am overly cautious when it comes to cumin). They are absolutely delicious! I just wish my tortillas were a smidge bigger.
The sweet potatoes with chili flakes and lime are great alone. I kept snacking on them while they were cooling. Great brown bag lunch item too.
Thanks so much!
I just made these amazing tacos and had to tell you how much we (my hubs and I) loved them! DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing.
I think I’ll make them next week inside enchiladas.
xoxo
LOVE these! I cooked up the potatoes and put the slaw together (using chinese cabbage because it’s what I had) and that alone is SO good! I can’t wait to add the black beans and wrap it in a tortilla. Thank you for this!
I loved this. I would eat the sweet potatoes by themselves, they were so good.
Aghhh I love you Joy! How did you know I freaking LOVE sweet potatoes AND black beans AND limes?! Black and purple and orange! How festive!
I “Pinned” you! I <3 Joy the Baker!
Heck quick, easy, colorful & healthy. Nice recipe!
These tacos look scrumptious! I’ve recently tried the sweet potato and beet crisps from the BPC book. YUM! Try it because, like kale chips, they are not as good as potato chips, but close! =oD
Made these for my tea tonight after thinking about them all week and they were delish thanks for another yummy recipe x
Gorgeous photos, these tacos look delicious! :)
soooo I definitely made these the night you posted them. they immediately took the place of whatever I was gonna make (don’t even remember…obviously not important). I have a soft spot for all things sweet potato and all Mexican foods but it never occurred to me to combine them. brilliant! you’re awesome. thank you for a new regular on my dinner menu! and just for being awesome
Were you peeking in our pantry and refrigerator?! We’re out of milk and out of bread, but we had every single ingredient that these beautiful tacos called for. From zero to eating, the whole works was ready in an hour. (And I’m not a speedster in the kitchen.) Husband and 6yo loved it too. Thanks for a winner!
As a vegetarian, I LOVE black bean tacos. Thanks for a new variation Joy!!!
I totally <3 whatever your tacos are on. the place mat or table cover or whatever. That thing is AWESOME!
Have you been watching “Yes Man” with Jim Carey? Days after watching that movie I said “yes” to many things, including extra helpings of chocolate, cakes, cookies…you catch my drift and then the bum got larger. At least your “yes” mantra is for yummy healthy looking Tacos….HOORAY!!
You are so right!! Also, very smart- you have the right idea! I love tacos so much–these look so much like the tacos that I adore from our favorite Chases Daily, I want to make them and I will —so Divine- you are a miracle worker!!
Nettie
Mmmm nom. Seeing as I made pumpkin-swirl brownies last night and the only working out I’ve been doing lately is “The Jack LaLanne Show” and “Sit and Be Fit” (shameless plug: click my name for more on those gems), I think this will make a perfect, light dinner tonight!
Ooh yum. I’ve been trying to find new options for vegetarian tacos, and this just might be it. We’ll have to try them out this weekend. It’s actually feeling like fall here in the Bay Area, at least for now.
I love that last picture!! Very cool.
Reading food blogs on an empty stomach not good.
Such an unusual recipe, it really caught my eye. I wonder if my kids would eat it? Better yet, would my Husband eat it? That’s the kicker in my house. I’ll have to give it a try.
I love this post! Isn’t deciding to say YES such a freeing thing? I struggle with finding balance and not over-committing myself. Sometimes no is a good thing, but I think you make a great point about the positivity behind saying YES to things, even those simple daily tasks. Thanks for the reminder.
Today = yes.
On that note I’m off to workout. :)
well, this is a kind of unusual combination for a Mexican girl like me but nonetheless I would love to give it a try. I´m that intrigued.
I´ll let you know if I do so.
Wow, these are so beautiful! I bet they’d be really good with a nice, fresh, pico di gallo on top too. :)
I love sweet potatoes. Like I seriously l-o-v-e them. You used yams, I know, but I’m making these with sweet potatoes. Stat.
AMAZING recipe! sounds perfect this time of year and love that it is packed with beautiful flavors!!
Oh wow! Totally going to need these! :)
Ah, Joy – I read this post yesterday morning and smiled at your “I can and I will” philosophy. “Joy’s right” I thought, ” I can and I will”, and I went about my day. In the evening, after work, I went to my horseriding class. It’s one of those things I love but it scares the living daylights out of me at the same time. Anyway, we were jumping. I ride a beautiful horse. He’s a sweetheart and he jumps wonderfully, but he’s a bit of a mindreader. “I can and I will” I thought, as we jumped over some small jumps, “I can and I will”. And then the instructor raised the bar. Canter, canter, canter, we went, until I saw the bar coming. My mindreading horse knew the second I stopped thinking “I can and I will” and he stopped dead. I tumbled right over the front. He’s big and it’s a long way to the ground. Thud. Ouch. Thankfully no harm was done, but today, every time I feel a twinge from my aching neck and my bruised bottom(!) I remember how dangerous it is to stop thinking “I can and I will”. On the upside, the tradition at my riding stables is that if you fall off, you have to take CAKE to the next lesson for everybody. So I’m going to look through your amazing collection of recipes this weekend and find something extra yummy to take with me. I might even make something for the horse (if you can bake for your cat, I can bake for my horse, right?) And even though life is such that I don’t have much time to bake at the moment, this weekend I CAN AND I WILL!!!! Thanks for all your amazing recipes, and your beautiful posts – your writing brightens my day :-))))
these sound soooo good right now!
Don’t know if you realized this Joy but this recipe is vegan! Looks delicious. I want!
That cabbage slaw looks delicious–slaw is always my favorite part of tacos. I had veggie tacos with beets as the “meat” the other day that were absolutely to die for, so I best these are amazing too!
It is very pretty! I love the combination of sweet potato + the red cabbage! It’s so fall!
I’ve been saying “Yes” to wine and chocolate a lot lately. Same thing? Yes? Okay, good. ;)
you must be psychic…I really needed this post. both the “can and will” and the recipe. I’ve a gajillion sweet potatoes that need to be eaten and I’ve been searching for recipes. thanks!!
Ooo, vegetarian tacos! I LOVE! Styling them on that illustration of the place setting is so gorgeous! What a fantastic idea :)
these sound delicious!! love it. also i love your attitude. thank you for a bright spot on an otherwise not so bright day.
am I the only one that noticed that the pic of the sweet potatoes looks like the shape fo the United States?
whoah. you’re deep! no… seriously.
I LOVE the sweet potato and black bean combo – especially in enchiladas!!! xox
oooh yes.
Yes! I CAN and I WILL make these tacos this week. They look fantastic! Thanks for the inspiration Joy.
Oh, and I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m totally going to the dolphin movie. It’s a true story from the aquarium right down the road here in Florida. Pretty cool. And since I know that the dolphin is alive and well (unlike that dumb and hideous Marley & Me movie), I think it will be okay and I won’t blubber too much.
These are gorgeous!
I love limes too. They perk up almost anything.
I love it! All those colors! They make me wanna dance! ^^
Perfect for fall! You could totally substitute the sweet potato for turnip or squash…or even some carrots glazed with honey and cumin. Thanks for the ideas!
Is that a brewski in the upper right hand corner? If so, nice…
heck yes!
I HAVE to make these really soon!!! It’s love at first sight!
Love the colors in these tacos! Such a fun comboniation, too. I never would have dreamed up putting sweet potatoes in a taco, but they look amazing!
um…this looks AMAZING! and actually like a recipe my mom might like to try, ha! ;)
Can and WILL are two such important words. Honestly, everything has changed in my life since I started using that pair of words on a daily basis. So many things just never get done when “could”, “should” and “never” are featured vocabulary.
Congratulations on the #FBZ nom. With such positivity, great recipes, and beautiful photos I CAN definitely vote for you!
Best,
Brooke
Love it! This is one of my favorite combos of all times..
Sadly I have no black beans at home. Or limes. Or tortillas. Perhaps I should remedy that..
Oh my gosh. That dolphin movie. It was filmed where I live….And it really did nothing for my hometown pride. I mean, why is that dolphin named Winter?? I dunno. How come dolphin with no tail = movie? No idea.
On top of that, the 3D element really just means a lot more dolphin snout in our faces, and I’m not about it. i think i need a taco.
You should probably know that when combined with Dawn dish soap the purple cabbage juice will turn your dish water bright blue (it makes doing dishes way more exciting!). also, these look killer, saying yes to these won’t be difficult at allllll.
Seriously? That’s very cool!
Woo! Ph sensitive food dyes!
Loving the healthy recipes! It balances out the dessert. :)
oh my gaaawwrsh. these look so delish. I had a recipe for black bean + sweet potato burritos that I made all the time in college, but these look about 10 times better. making these next week. or this week. or tonight? also. not to be a nazi. but they aren’t yams. (this is one of my terminology pet peeves. feel free to disregard. i just had to have my i-can-and-i-will moment with being a jerk about correcting amazing food bloggers on their sweet potato terminology.)
Am I the only one that is fixated on what the “uncomfortable conversation” that was ‘done’ was all about? God Im so nosey. Annnnyway, yes, the tacos. They look amazing!
Haha…I thought the exact same thing. I am exceedingly intrigued by all of my favorite bloggers personal lives, and can’t help but wonder :)
Joy, these tacos look amazing. I love the black bean/sweet potato combo. It’s so delicious and satisfying!
Keeping this recipe for when i do groceries next. It seems perfect for my cheap college student budget.
We just had butternut squash & black bean enchiladas last night for dinner. I’m loving this squash/potato + beans combo SO much. Your addition of lime sounds amazing. Can’t wait to try them!
Totally all over this. Like tonight.
The perfect thing for the cool fall temperatures here in the Northwest.
Joy the baker should become president. People would eat way better and laugh a lot more.
I’m gonna put this out there that it’s one of your more colorful blog posts. I heart a rainbow palette.
And those placemats. I work for Anthropologie and I wanted these but *forgot* to buy them before they were sold out. Dang. So excited to see them put to good use!!!
I love tacos…and black beans…and sweet potatoes. What a winning combination. Please share your tacos with me? Please???
Joy! This is TOTES one of my favorite combinations. “Meat is expensive. Potatoes and beans are totally cheap.” Indeed. Ladies who are living right know how to save the dough (for cookies, or Belgian chocolate brownies – don’t think I won’t do that in a SECOND) and eat right. Well done. :)
Yum! (Right now anything served with a slice of lime appeals to me. )
Oh yum! I will be making these ASAP! I love everything in this taco – can’t wait. I just took my niece to see Dolphin Tale, and I sorta cried a lot, but it was SUCH a good movie!
Mmmm, these look so tasty! I love sweet potatoes. I love black beans. I love tacos. You put them together… genius!
black beans and sweet potatoes are a match made in heaven…yes.
Ahh those look amazing. I live in the south so sweet potatoes are big here. The hot dog place I work at even has sweet potato mustard (so weird but SO good). Making these ASAP.
I love how red cabbage bleeds too.
great use of the placemat! I never thought to not put a plate on it. GENIUS.
Amen sister. I can and I will. I need to say these kinds of words to myself right now. I can and I will. I can and I will. Thank you for the reminder. :)
PS. Dolphin Tale was totally not a weepfest, and actually kind of cute.
absolutely amazing! it’s vegetarian week at where i live (Thailand) and this could be one inspiring recipe. thanks joy :)
I love vegetarian tacos and I like the pumpkin seed addition mentioned above. Sounds absolutely delicious!
Joy. You are the cutest-I love these colors! you are SO right, they are totally fall colors.
Thanks for being so awesome! Yeah!
Yummers. I wish I had time to cook more, school is kicking my behind HARD. I plan on making these this weekend!
yum! they have a taco like this at a place called Tacodeli in Austin. Theirs adds toasted pumpkin seeds too. (But those are expensive…I’m totally down with the cheap beans n’ potatoes thing.)
Chips for breakfast? I can and I will. Thanks Joy!
So awesome! Love your inspiration too. Yes. I can! I needed that today!
Tacos of all varieties are pretty much my favorite food right now. In fact, I made black bean tacos for dinner last night with cilantro slaw & lots and lots of cheese.
Also, I LOVE the place setting placemat thing you’ve got going on up there. Awesomeness times two.
I need to make these tacos happen in my life!!
This looks beyond tasty, Joy. My favorite food combinations. Plus, this is an amazing super-charged, antioxidant rich meal! Will be making it for my family this weekend. Thank you!
I pinned something like this earlier today! Joy you are a genius.
This is total lady food. The husband is away until friday and I have been eating popcorn for dinner….
These look like beautiful winter tacos! I am actually going to make them for sure. Thank you!
PS. I am going to be doing a bit more canning and willing in my life.
PPS. Black beans and lime are bffs.
Oh lovely…..I love sweet potato and black bean chili so bet this is just as good. I’m thinking, with the fall produce arriving to your local grocery store soon, that butternut squash would be just as delicious in this dish. Thanks for sharing.
obviously i’ll be making this for dinner on halloween! black and orange!
How fitting, considering that yesterday was National Taco Day! And thanks for being so positive and enthusiastic! You’re awesome!
haha, I’m not for the 3D effects, but I’m really impressed with the concept of overcoming loss of vital appendages since so many returning veterans are facing the same circumstances. It’s at least an attempt to normalize and up lift some of their families and the veterans themselves, let alone a chance for parents to explain to their children what happened to Daddy’s legs.
looks yummy … and gluten free too! can’t wait to try this!
what an amazing dish to accompany the start of the fall season. Black bean & sweet potato tacos. a pomegranate limeade. sitting on the floor. lennox taking a nap facing the food, one eye open. alias reruns. striped socks gifted from randy keeping my toes warm. more tacos.
ps my mom says that when I was 4, I watched a cartoon called “The golden dolphin” and apparently it had a sad bit in it, and I was bawling for days. I dont remember this at all, but my brother says that I was inconsolable.
Love this! The cabbage slaw is a new touch to these. Yum!
Favorite part: “Meat is expensive. Potatoes and beans are totally cheap.” <– This is totes why I became a vegetarian.
Also, I do not want to see that 3D dolphin-without-a-tail movie either. How about we watch a movie about dolphins WITH tails instead? Maybe a cartoon one to lower the crying odds? Online movie date? I think so.
Yay for tacos and yay for Joy! :D
I adore black beans and definitely in Mexican!
Thank you for a delicious recipe!
Can’t wait to make :)
I secretly love when purple cabbage bleeds and turn everything else a shade of pink/purple too :) …..And ship those limes my way! LOVE limes!!!
I’m all about black beans and sweet potatoes paired together, so these tacos need to be made!
The tacos look great and the cubes of sweet taters on your cutting board are like little squares of perfection. I love looking at them!
And this meal screams, “eating the rainbow” and super healthy and vibrant. YUM!
Empowerment and tacos: Do you need anything else?
Dear Joy, I have something to ask you.
Here in Italy it’s very difficult to find tacos. So I thought: why shouldn’t I make them?
So, have you got any good recipe for homemade tacos?
If yes, well, I can totally make them. I can and I will ;-)
I had a delicious black bean taco the other night but sweet potato would be a perfect addition!
I make this flavor combo all.the.time. So good! One of my favorite ways is in a burrito. They freeze so well…and it’s nice to be able to pull one out of the freezer for a quick weekend lunch!
Oh how yummy! I often find that purple slaw absolutely makes a dish whenever I have it and I’m sure this is no exception. Love the colours and the flavours.
Joy, I’ve been inspired! I’ve said ‘Yes I can’ and entered my chocolate cake into a Great Chocolate Cake-Off competition! Wish me luck!
Good luck! Your cake is gonna rock everyone’s socks off!
Joy, my dear, did YOU DRAW that place setting in that last photo. I quickly looked at it, went by it and had to go back. That is A-MAZING!!! You can draw, too? What other hidden talents do you have that we need to know about? Please share!
Those tacos look pretty darn good. I’m sitting here in bed and my tummy’s rumbling – those didn’t help.
MUST. EAT. ONE. NOW!
What’s that drink?! Is that Orange Fanta?! If so, WANT!
it’s beeeeeeer.
Is it your own beer? The home-brewed kind?