This Mexican-style Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe is packed with fresh, nourishing, plant-based ingredients. It’s such an easy, quick, beginner-style recipe that you could prep in about 15 minutes (or 5 minutes if you get your partner involved like I do!), and there are hardly any dishes. You can also prep this one ahead of time by keeping the filling in an airtight container and pre-blended sauce in the refrigerator, ready to combine with the roasted sweet potato when you’re ready for dinner.
This is one recipe I’ve been evolving over the past seven years (since I went plant-based), trying subtle variations every time, so you know it really is next-level! I definitely recommend saving this one and giving it a go. I’m sure once you’ve tried it, it will make its way onto your dinner rotation! If you love this one, my easy pickled red onions are amazing on top. And my Tex-Mex shepherd’s pie and tandoori cauliflower bowl are both favorites if you love a cozy bowl dinner.
Why I Love this Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Made from everyday items that are easily accessible.
- Nutritious: Rich in fiber, protein, and antioxidant-packed.
- Flavorful: Mexican-inspired flavor, rich and satisfying.
- Quick to Prepare: Ideal for busy weeknights.
- Perfect Texture: Creamy, crunchy, and soft all in one.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by heating your oven to 400°F (200°C). Halve the sweet potatoes and bake them facedown on a baking sheet. No olive oil is required. Mix the black beans, corn, avocado, tomatoes, onion, salt, and lime juice for a vibrant filling. Massage the cabbage with sea salt and fresh lime juice until it turns pink. Blend the ingredients for the Yogurt Cilantro Sauce until smooth. Once baked, mash the inside of the sweet potatoes and top with the bean mixture, cabbage, and sprouts. Finish with a drizzle of the creamy Yogurt Cilantro Sauce, garnish with some fresh cilantro, and enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
- Sweet Potatoes: Rich in fiber and vitamin A, they bring sweetness and texture.
- Black Beans: A great protein source, also high in fiber and the powerful antioxidant anthocyanin.
- Avocado: Adds creaminess and healthy fats.
- Red Cabbage: Provides crunch and is high in vitamin C.
- Yogurt Cilantro Sauce: Brings a tangy, refreshing element to the dish, some extra protein and omega-3s.
Variations and Tips
- Customize Your Toppings: Experiment with different vegetables for varied flavors. Cucumber, edamame, or mango would make an excellent addition.
- Meal Prep Friendly: Prepare in advance and assemble for quick meals.
- Use Different Sauces: Swap the cilantro sauce for our Creamy Chipotle Queso sauce for a unique twist.
- Roasting Variation: Roast additional veggies alongside the sweet potatoes. I especially love crispy broccoli.
- If you like this recipe, you will also love our Roasted Sweet Potato Tabbouleh Bowl, Edamame Sweet Potato Bowl, or Mediterranean Loaded Baked Potatoes.
Why You’ll Love These Vegan Mexican-Style Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Delicious
- Nutritious
- Easy
- Versatile
- Wholesome
Mexican-Style Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potato - about 500 g total
- 1 cup (260 g) cooked black beans - cooked
- ⅓ cup (55 g) corn - cooked
- ½ avocado - diced
- 8 cherry tomatoes - chopped in half
- ¼ (25 g) red onion - finely chopped
- ¼ tsp (1.5 g) sea salt flakes
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice - divided
- 1 cup (70 g) red cabbage - shredded
- 2 tbsp (7 g) broccoli sprouts
Yogurt Cilantro Sauce
- ½ cup (120 g) dairy-free yogurt - I used soy
- ½ jalapenos
- ½ cup (8 g) cilantro
- 2 tbsp (20 g) hemp seeds
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 °F.
- Prepare the potatoes: Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Place the sweet potatoes face down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 45 minutes on the middle rack of the oven until tender.
- Prepare the filling: In a bowl, mix together black beans, corn, avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, salt, and ½ tbsp of lime juice.
- In a separate bowl, massage the red cabbage with ½ tbsp of lime juice until it turns bright pink.
- Prepare the Yogurt Cilantro Sauce: blend the yogurt, jalapeños, lime juice, cilantro, hemp seeds, and cumin until smooth.
- Assemble: Once the sweet potatoes are baked, flip them over and gently mash the insides with a fork.
- Top the sweet potatoes with the black bean mixture, massaged cabbage, and broccoli sprouts. Drizzle generously with the Yogurt Cilantro Sauce and enjoy!
Notes
Video
Per Serving/Portion
FAQ
Yes, feel free to substitute with your preferred beans, kidney or adzuki beans would be a great option.
It keeps well for 3 days. Keep the sweet potatoes separate to reheat. I like to use the air fryer to save time when reheating them.
This recipe is naturally nut-free.
The spice level is mild but can be adjusted depending on your preference by adding more or less jalapenos to the sauce.
This recipe has 24 g of protein per serving. To increase it, add some grilled tofu, more beans, or edamame . Or even blend some Tofu into the cilantro sauce.
Yes, it is naturally gluten-free.
It makes a delicious salad dressing, or a dip for roasted veggies or potatoes.
Skip the sauce and add extra lime juice and hemp seeds directly to the beans and veggie mix. A dollop of yogurt works for creaminess, and my easy pickled red onions are a great addition on top.
Pumpkin seeds are a great swap.
No, just drain them, rinse well, and add them straight to the dish cold.
Straight from your kitchens.
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Delicious, thank you for another winning recipe Sarah. This was so easy, minimal “cooking”, and the whole family loved it. Such a pretty colourful dish.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing Nicole 🥰
This was absolutely delicious, thank you!
Hi Laura, thank you for trying this recipe! I’m so happy you loved it x
I’m having a hard time understanding how a serving is 24 grams of protein, I think there is an error somewhere!
Hi Taylor, here’s a breakdown of the main sources of protein for the total recipe:
Black beans 15 g
Yogurt 9 g
Hemp seeds 7 g
Sweet potatoes 8 g
That’s already 19 g per serving; the rest comes from residual amounts in the vegetables. It adds up pretty fast 😊
Hope this helps 🙏
Thanks for responding! The error here is you’re attributing the total protein for the entire recipe to each serving (this recipe contains 2 servings).
There is no error. The total protein for the recipe is 48 g. Divided by 2 servings, that is 24 g per serving.
Main protein sources for the whole recipe:
Black beans, 15 g
Yogurt, 9 g
Hemp seeds, 7 g
Sweet potatoes, 8 g
15 + 9 + 7 + 8 = 39 g
Divided by 2 servings, that equals 19.5 g of protein per serving.
When you include the remaining protein from the vegetables, the total reaches 24 g per serving.
I hope this clarifies it. If you want to check the exact protein content of foods, using a government-approved database on Cronometer is a great free option.
It’s 15 grams of protein for black beans for 1 cup of beans. Each serving has half a cup. A sweet potato has about 3 grams of protein, depending on size. A tbsp of hemp has 3 grams of protein. I’m not sure where you get your information, but it may be giving you false information. The recipe is delicious though and still a great source of nutrients!
Hi Ana, I’m glad you thought the recipe was delicious. Let me break it down one more time with every single ingredient, per serving (the amount of food the recipe is written for one person to consume). I get my numbers from government-approved databases. Of course, there can be some variation depending on the brand you use. But this one is pretty much all whole foods, so the numbers should be accurate for anyone who follows the amounts suggested in the recipe (i.e., not any size of sweet potato, but a 500 g sweet potato split in 2 for 2 servings).
Protein per plate
1/2 cup black beans = 7.6 g
1/4 avocado = 0.65 g
2 tbsp corn = 0.5 g
1/2 cup cabbage = 0.5 g
1/4 cup yogurt = 4.75 g
1 tbsp hemp seeds = 3.5 g
1/8 onion = 0.2 g
4 cherry tomatoes = 0.6 g
Jalapeños = 0.5 g
1/4 cup cilantro = 0.1 g
1/2 tsp cumin = 0.2 g
Sprouts = 0.7 g
250 g sweet potatoes = 4 g
This works out to 23.8 g of protein per serving. I hope this helps!
This was absolutely delicious, thank you!
So happy you loved it! Thank you for sharing DC ❤️
Dear Sarah I would appreciate it if you explained how you make the yogurt sauce. Because you just name it in the recipe. I firstly thought that we just chop the cilandro in the yogurt but when I daw the green colour of the sauce then I figured out that it should probably be blended with the yogurt. And I would like to see it in the video. Another question i have is about the hemp seeds. Do we mix them with the other chopped veggies or blend them in the sauce?
Hey Maria, just blend all of the sauce ingredients together until nice and smooth. This is highlighted at step 5 in the written recipe and yes, the hemp seeds are part of the sauce. I totally understand wanting to see more of the recipe in the video. It can be really tricky to find the balance between showing enough and still having a video that captures people’s attention on Instagram. This is why I’m super excited to let you know that, on a little secret, we are starting to shoot long-form recipes on YouTube. You will be able to see me make the entire recipe from start to finish, step by step, without missing a single moment. I’m hoping we can start having some videos from March, so make sure to subscribe on Youtube! Hope you love the recipe. Let me know how you go. ❤️