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Weeknight style Crispy Chipotle Sweet Potato Tacos with Lime Crema. Sweet potatoes seasoned with a smoky chipotle chili spice mix. Then stuffed into hard shell tacos, topped with cheese, and oven-baked. These tacos are crunchy on the outside, but spicy and cheesy inside. Serve each taco with a creamy, cooling lime crema sauce, spicy cilantro, and avocado. These come together easily and are so delicious…the perfect weeknight dinner that’s vegetarian and naturally gluten-free too.
In my family, tacos have to be one of the most requested dinners. We’ve loved them since we were kids and my dad would make them at least once or twice a week. Even back then, when they were just beef tacos, we somehow never got sick of them.
Tacos are just always delicious, especially my dad’s.
He’d bake the meat in hard taco shells with cheese on top. They’d come out extra crispy with gooey melted cheese. Simple, and yet totally delicious.
Now I’m the one who is making tacos all the time. And with the crispy, cheesy shells, they’re everyone’s favorite. But I love to switch up the fillings. I’ve made sooo many tacos over the years. Way, way back when I will still living at home, I made a sweet potato taco that we all loved.
I stole that idea and recreated it with these. And wow, they’re even better than I remember!
The details – make the sweet potatoes
So, this really is so simple, easy, and hands-off.
Pick up some sweet potatoes, toss them with my favorite homemade taco seasoning mix, and then roast them until they’re perfectly tender in the middle, but charring on the edges. When you pull the pan out of the oven, toss the potatoes with some black beans.
Doesn’t get any easier, but yet this is a dinner that everyone loves.
I do have a few little secrets though that make these tacos better than the rest…my seasoning mix and those crispy shells.
The crispy shells
I make mine at home, but the shells aren’t technically a part of the recipe. However, I’m including it in the notes for anyone who has extra time and wants to make homemade shells. I will say, homemade is so much better.
If you choose not to use store-bought hard taco shells and go the semi-homemade route, here is how. I like to take corn tortillas, stuff them with the sweet potatoes and cheese, then oven bake them until the tortillas are crispy. I rub each tortilla with olive oil, then flip them halfway through cooking. This is the key to getting the tacos extra crispy on both sides.
For serving, I mixed up a simple creamy lime crema, mashed avocado, and spicy cilantro.
The lime crema is the perfect sauce to dollop onto each spicy, cheesy, crunchy taco. Simple, healthy, and honestly so delicious. Everyone loves these.
Looking for more simple Mexican recipes? Here are a few favorites:
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema.
Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Healthier Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Lastly, if you make these, Crispy Chipotle Sweet Potato Tacos with Lime Crema, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crispy Chipotle Sweet Potato Tacos with Lime Crema
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 700 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
- 2 teaspoons chipotle or regular chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, use to your taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained
- 8 grain-free hard shell tacos (if preferred) (see notes for homemade option)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded, if desired, and chopped
- mashed avocado, for serving
Salted Lime Crema
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- zest of 1 lime
- sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt. Add the poblano and toss to combine. Arrange in an even layer. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and beginning to char on the edges. Remove from the oven and stir in the black beans.3. Meanwhile, make the crema. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake or stir until creamy. 4. Line the taco shells up on a sheet pan or in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Transfer to the oven and bake 5 minutes. Evenly divide the sweet potatoes among each taco shell and top with cheese. Bake 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted.5. Mix the cilantro and jalapeño in a small bowl. Serve the tacos topped with crema, avocado, and the spicy cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
For Easy Homemade Hard Shells: Warm 8-12 corn tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave, until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Lay each tortilla flat and then layer evenly with cheese and potatoes. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, gently pushing to adhere (see above photo). Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp.
This is the second time in 2wks that I made these for dinner! We are not vegetarian but trying to find healthier options for dinner and these hit the spot! I have made these with corn tortillas and flour tortillas and they are both good! We do prefer the corn tortillas though. So happy I stumbled on this recipe!
Hi Sarah,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
10/10 absolutely loved these! I’m a vegetarian and have tried many taco recipes and this is by far the best one I’ve tired. Will definitely be on my dinner rotation.
Hi Kennedy,
Perfect! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
These have become one of my go to recipes for a delicious vegetarian meal! The lime cream is everything.
Hey Sarah,
Amazing! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have a great Monday! xTieghan
Wow.. okay this is definitely a favorite and I love that it’s made with such simple ingredients that I usually have on hand. I made these for some family, none of which are vegetarian, but no one missed having meat! The crema is to die and I made extra to use on everything throughout the week 🙂 I didn’t have greek yogurt on hand but plain full-fat yogurt with a squeeze of the lime juice worked really well.
Hi Melanie,
Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
Can these homemade hard shells be made with flour tortillas?
Hi Suzi,
The flour tortillas won’t get as crispy as corn tortillas but you could use them! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Quick Q:
Sweet potatoes peeled before baking or leave them on while cooking?
Hey Angela,
You can peel the sweet potatoes before cooking:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Made these exactly per the recipe and my carnivore husband absolutely loved them! He has already requested them again! (YAY!) Definitely going to keep them in the regular rotation for a delicious, easy, and meat-free dinner!
Hi Katie,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for trying it out! ☀️xxT
6/17/22 Made these tonight and they were a big hit with my family. Just the right amount of heat. Really enjoyed the hard shell taco, usually make a soft shell and loved the crunch along with the roasted veggies.
Hey Jill,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Have a great weekend:) xx
These were really good! My family loved them! I loved them lime zest/crema. Instead of plain avocado I made a quick guac with cilantro, tomatoes, lime juice, and salt. These were bomb with a touch of salsa
Hi Norma,
I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try and sharing your review:) xxTieghan
Made it exactly by the recipe. Used the homemade suggestion for the tortillas. My family LOVED them. The flavor was perfect and the lime creama and toppings were just the right fit. Will definitely be making again!
Hey Robin,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best week:) xxT
I love these tacos! I actually make them with your cilantro lime ranch and found its even better than the creama. I’ll be making these many times in the future.
Hey Megan,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled to hear that it was a winner! Have the best week!? xT
The seasonings were spot on! So delicious
Hey Andrea,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it. Have the best week:) xx
Hi! Could the homemade hard shells be done with flour tortillas instead of corn? Our family doesn’t eat corn tortillas 🙁
Hi Jordan,
You can certainly use them, they just won’t turn out as crispy:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
So easy and so good! We don’t eat much meat and these fill the craving for filling, cheesy, crunchy, and satisfying. Really love the idea for the “homemade” hard shell tacos. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to make tacos without doing that step again.
Hi Molly,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! xx
Omg these are SO good! We have been trying to cut out how much meat we eat lately and these really hit the spot. My husband said this is possibly one of the best meals I have made for him. We used the leftover potato filling to make rolled tacos and got them crispy in the air fryer. They were so good dipped in the lime crema and some homemade guacamole. We will be making these often!
Hey Angela,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xx
These are amazing. We’ve made them 4 times now and they never disappoint. Good job girl!
Hey Tifanie,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Happy Wednesday:)
Wow! I didn’t know what to make for lunch, and I was craving tacos. Good thing I had sweet potatoes on hand! This recipe is amazing, everything is exploding with flavour! The only thing I changed is that I put everything on a bed of rice since I didn’t have taco shells. It still turned out amazing, thank you so much!
Hi Miranda,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xx
My husband and I really enjoyed these tacos. The only change I made was to add chopped onions to the spicy Cilantro for a little crunch. Didn’t think we could ever like a vegetarian taco. Boy were we wrong. Your recipes never disappoint. Thanks Tieghan.
Hey Patt,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan