Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos
These quick and healthy black bean and sweet potato burritos are completely and utterly the most delicious meal in the history of ever.
Have you ever made something and then nervously waited, cringing and biting your nails, for your spouse or roommate or child or friend or whoever to take a bite because you were pretty surely almost positive they weren’t going to like it but you really, really, really wanted them to love it?
Have you? I have. A lot.
And I was very anxious to know how Brian would respond when he walked in from work to find out we were having Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos for dinner (he’s a meat-loving, hearty meal kind of guy and while he never complains about some of the craziness I put on the dinner table, I know he’s not always doing cartwheels when he walks in and sees vegetable overload instead of brisket).
To his credit, he barely batted an eye (although I did see his nose crinkle a bit) and by the time we had both taken our first bites, we were looking over the heads of our rowdy children at the table and meeting each others eyes in complete agreement that these burritos are completely and utterly the most delicious meal in the history of ever.
This is definitely one of those recipes where I wish I could jump through the computer screen, take your little face in my grubby hands and insist that you make immediately with the threat that I won’t leave you alone until you do. A scary thought, indeed.
If you didn’t know already, sweet potatoes and black beans were meant for each other. Throw in some other vegetables, simple spices and a delicious fresh taste of lime and cilantro and you have an epically good meal.
Roasting all the vegetables together before tossing with the black beans knocks this meal out of the park.
The glorious news is that the vegetable and bean filling can be made the day or so before you want to assemble the burritos which makes for a seriously fast meal when you are ready for the sweet potato and black bean love.
These burritos are on our menu plan for this week {again} and no pressure, but they should definitely make it on to yours, too.
What to Serve With This
- Chips and a really great dip, like this Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Fresh, seasonal fruit
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed small (about 3-4 cups)
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- 1 red pepper, diced small
- 1 small red onion, diced small (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- ¼ – ½ cup chopped cilantro, depending on your taste
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, from about 1 lime
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 6-8 burrito-size tortillas, whole wheat, white or other favorite variety
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, jalapeno, red pepper and red onion with the olive oil, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Dump the coated veggies onto a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 18-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. The vegetables should be tender but not mushy at the end of cooking time.
- Let the vegetable mixture cool. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and toss with the black beans, cilantro and lime juice. Taste the mixture and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to assemble the burritos or use immediately.
- Place 3-4 tortillas on a microwave-safe plat and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 15-20 seconds until the tortillas are pliable. Place 1/4 cup or so of the vegetable mixture in the center of the tortilla and top with a sprinkle with shredded cheese, a little of each kind.. Fold in the sides of the tortilla and roll up. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas until you have all the burritos you need (the filling can be refrigerated and used for 3-4 days).
- Bake in a 375 degree F oven for about 10-15 minutes, until heated through and the top of the tortilla is golden brown. Adjust the baking time as needed depending on if the filling has been refrigerated or not. For a softer tortilla, wrap each burrito in tin foil and heat through. Serve immediately.
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Recipe Source: adapted slightly from this Tasty Kitchen recipe
This is one of our favorite burritos. It is great as is but I have made a few additions that add a little pizzazz. I add defrosted frozen corn when I add the black beans. We love the pop of the addition of sautéed shrimp. I use the same seasoning for the vegetables on the shrimp. I also add lime juice and cilantro to the shrimp, while it cooks. To top off the burrito I make an homemade tomatillo ranch dressing.
This has been my go-to for years. I roast the vegetables and throw it on everything-eggs, arugula, rice, whatever. It’s always a hit at parties. I arrange the vegetables, beans, arugula, and chips on a platter with all the toppings. It is great by itself or with a grilled protein.
Love this review, Grace! I’m going to start putting this filling on all.the.things too!
Hi Mel! Long time follower and recipe admirer. This is so amazing! My partner isn’t vegetarian but prefers meatless weekdays which is very hard for me who has an addiction to meat. Thank you for this it’s delicious and he always asks me to make it. I use your recipes a lot and they’ve been a go to for years! Cheers
Thank you so much!!
Looking forward to making these tonight. Can I assemble them ahead of time , in the burritos and wrap them in foil? Would it be good this way for a day or two?
Yes, that should work great!
Even the kids love and request this healthy meatless meal!
At Thanksgiving our youngest daughter mentioned this recipe and said it is her favorite recipe. We have made it many times and my husband will eat it even though sweet potatoes are not his favorite.
Mel, I forgot how freaking yummy these are! My son walked in the door, & took one off the pan that I had just wrapped; he wasn’t willing to wait. Thanks for having such great skills & sharing them with us.
These are SO yummy, so healthy, and so easy! I am a freshman in my first semester of college and was able to whip up and roast the mixture of veggies very quickly. I only made a half batch and now have it in the fridge to eat throughout the week! I love the convenience and that it was a healthy meal too. And delicious 😉 I love all Mel’s recipes though, so that wasn’t a surprise!
Hey Ellie! So fun seeing your comment pop up. And WAY TO GO making such an amazing, healthy meal at college!
I made these with black beans and sweet potatoes we grew in our garden so I had to cook my beans first. I didn’t have any lime So I substituted lemon. Also skip the cilantro since I didn’t like that flavor and they turned out delicious very very good thank you Mel for another good recipe. It’s a saver I’ll make these again.
These were super delicious! Thanks for a great healthy recipe. My friend made these for me and I’m looking forward to making them for myself again soon. YUM!
Wow – these are fantastic! A coworker brought these in for his lunch and they smelled so heavenly that I had to get the recipe. It took me a few years to get up the courage to make them. The combo sounded strange but these are a definite winner! Everyone in the family loved them.
These were terrific. My husband and I loved them. I added some pinto beans and shredded chicken.
Thanks for sharing, all your food is a winner at my table.
I wanted this recipe as a “bowl” tonight so here is what I did: made the burrito filling (added garlic). Then cooked a pot of quinoa in chicken broth. I made a sauce from some tomato sauce, a little white vinegar, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, pepper, chopped cilantro and chopped green onion. Then I toasted some pine nuts (in the microwave, of course, thank you Mel). I served it up with quinoa, sweet potato mix, cheese, sauce, and sprinkled toasted pine nuts on top. My husband’s dad was a meat cutter and he grew up with steak several times a week; he snarfed up second helpings. It kind of reminded me of your Buddha bowl recipe.