Sweet potato bowl: easy to make, packed with bold flavors, and perfect for a satisfying, meatless meal.
Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl
Almost a year ago to date, I posted these sweet potato burrito bowls and today I’m bringing you a variation on those: sweet potato taco bowls!
Out of all the dinner recipes on my blog, those sweet potato burrito bowls are the most frequently made meal in my home. I make them for dinner often and even more so, I’ll make a double batch on Sunday and that will be our lunches for the week. It’s a meal that everyone in my family loves AND -bonus- its pretty healthy.
Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes: Make sure to chop the potatoes evenly to make sure they cook uniformly.
- Black Beans & Corn: Drain and rinse the beans well to remove extra sodium and improve flavor. Look for fire-roasted sweet corn for extra flavor!
- Avocado: To find a ripe avocado, gently press on the skin with your thumb. If it gives slightly without feeling mushy, it’s ripe and ready to eat.
- Cilantro-Lime Rice or Quinoa: This serves as a flavorful base that absorbs the dish’s juices and makes it more filling.
- Spices & Seasoning: First, mix the spices in a small bowl so they spread evenly when you season the dish.
- Sauce: It’s a tangy, creamy sauce with a bit of heat that ties all the flavors together. Adjust the spice mix in the sauce to match your preferred level of heat.
- Toppings: Use these toppings to customize the dish to your liking, adding as much or as little as you prefer.
How To Make Sweet Potato Bowls
- Preheat Oven: Set to 425°F.
- Mix Spices: Combine all spices in a small bowl.
- Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Peel, chop, toss with oil and spices. Roast for 30-35 minutes, tossing halfway.
- Add Beans & Corn: After roasting, add beans, corn, and more spices. Toss to warm.
- Cook Rice/Quinoa: Prepare rice or quinoa. Stir in lime juice, zest, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
- Make Sauce: Mix sour cream, lime zest, juice, hot sauce, and remaining spices.
- Assemble: Layer rice/quinoa, sweet potatoes, beans, and corn. Add sauce, avocado, and toppings.
- Serve: Squeeze lime over and enjoy!
Topping Ideas
- Black beans
- Fire-roasted canned corn (love the flavor of fire-roasted)
- Cherry tomatoes (or a diced Roma tomato) or pico de gallo
- Sliced avocado or fresh guacamole
- Fresh Lime
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Diced Green Chiles
Storage
Leftover Sweet Potato Taco Bowls?
Store the sweet potato mixture and sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge. They will last up to 4 days.
Reheat the sweet potatoes before assembling with fresh toppings and sauce.
More Bowl Recipes
Sweet Potato Taco Bowls
This Sweet Potato Bowl is easy to whip up and loaded with bold flavors! Roasted sweet potatoes bring a natural sweetness, while black beans, avocado, and fresh veggies add layers of texture and taste. Drizzle it with a zesty dressing or your favorite sauce for a delicious, meatless meal.
Equipment
- large sheet pan,
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 to 3 large sweet potatoes peeled and chopped, about 4.5 to 5 cups
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted sweet corn drained
- 1 to 2 large avocados
- Toppings as desired see note 1
- 1/2 cup sour cream I use fat free
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce like Cholula
- 2 limes plus more for serving if desired
Cilantro-Lime Rice or Quinoa
- 1 cup rice or quinoa
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth or water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large lime
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare seasoning mixture: In a small bowl, add chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, paprika, ground cumin, seasoned salt, and pepper. Stir.
- Peel sweet potatoes and chop into bite-sized chunks. Toss potatoes with olive oil and 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mixture. Toss together with your hands until well coated, then bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven, toss around, and cook another 15 minutes. Remove, toss around, and if needed, cook another 5–10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. Remove and add drained and rinsed black beans, drained corn, and 1 more teaspoon of the seasoning mixture. Toss everything on the tray to warm beans and corn.
- Meanwhile, make cilantro lime rice or quinoa: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in butter and rice; return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is cooked through and tender. Stir in 1 teaspoon lime zest, 2 tablespoons lime juice, cilantro, and salt/pepper to taste.
- Make the sauce: combine sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon lime zest, 3 tablespoons lime juice, hot sauce, and 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of remaining spice mixture (or add to personal preference; see note 2). Whisk until smooth.
- In bowls, add rice (or quinoa) as a base. Top with sweet potatoes, corn, and black bean mixture. Add other desired toppings such as avocado, tomatoes, and additional cilantro. Drizzle sauce over or serve as a side. Squeeze on some fresh lime and enjoy immediately!
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Optional toppings: fresh cilantro, jalapeno, cherry tomatoes, and/or sweet peppers.
Note 2: You’ll likely have a bit extra of the seasoning mixture. I wanted to make sure you have more rather than less depending on how much you want to add.
Storage: Store sweet potato mixture and sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 495kcal | Carbohydrates: 72.6g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 18.9g | Cholesterol: 13.9mg | Sodium: 599.5mg | Fiber: 11.5g | Sugar: 9.7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m a 62 year old guy and made this tonight with my wife. Took us about 45 min. It was even better then I hoped. Can’t wait to have the leftovers tomorrow. Great for people that want a meal without meat.
So thrilled this was a hit! Thank you Steve 🙂
Oh my gosh, this is soooooo good. This recipe deserves awards! I made it the night before to take for lunch at my parent’s house. My mom said she could live off of it, and i agree! Followed the recipe almost exactly, except I left out the jalapeno and hot sauce because my toddler was eating it too. It didn’t even need the heat, it was so flavorful! Will be my go-to pot luck dish from now on and a staple “big batch” make ahead lunch. THANK YOU!
So thrilled to hear these were a hit! Thanks so much for the comment and review Carly 🙂
This recipe has become a staple in my kitchen! So delicious!!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks for your comment Jamie! 🙂
This recipe looks delicious, but can you suggest a vegan alternative to the sour cream used in the dressing? Thanks!
I’m sorry I haven’t tested the sauce any other way (and truthfully, not well versed in vegan alternatives). Wish I could be of more help but hopefully someone else can chime in!
You could use vegan sour cream. I’m going to make this for dinner tonight and I’m using tofutti vegan sour cream.
This recipe is SO delicious! I love the seasoning! thank you for sharing!!
Thanks so much Kendra! So glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Fantastic! Kids helped me cook this tonight! We love taco soup, so we only used 1/2 c. rice and cubed and sauteed Ancho Chile chicken breasts, that we added at the end! Sliced olives, cheese, avocado and organic salsa added at the end for a bit more kick! So yummy!????
My husband and I have been eating these taco bowls for the past couple nights, and I just want you to know how much we’re enjoying them! They’re so delicious and flavorful. I love meals that are so satisfying and don’t require meat (not that we’re vegetarians, but I don’t need to eat meat in order to feel satisfied). The sauce is really delicious and just brings it altogether so nicely. I used the full tablespoon of spices in the sauce, and did not think it was too “spicy.” These is definitely a recipe I’ll revisit again and again. Oh, BTW, since I had some leftover cotija on hand, I sprinkle a spoonful of that over the top, and it’s a great addition. Thanks for another great recipe, Chelsea!
What can I use instead of cholla hot sauce?
Personally I used siracha but i figure most basic hot sauces would probably work tho I’m not the author of this recipe
This looks amazing!! What kind of camera/lens do you use? Your pictures are excellent 🙂
Thanks April! I use a Canon 5d Mark III and a 24-70 2.8 mm lens!
Amazing! Just had this for dinner and i absolutely loved it.
Substitutes: green onions instead of jalapeño (didn’t have any at home); cooked quinoa in chicken broth and a little bit of butter; didn’t have chili powder, hot sauce, or sour cream; used Bolthouse Farms’ Cilantro Avocado yogurt dressing (from Whole Foods) – again just cuz I had it at home.
Super easy and very flavorful! Already shared this recipe with the family.
So happy to hear this was a hit! Thanks for the comment 🙂
My husband loves sweet potatoes and I think he would enjoy this. He hates cilantro he says it tastes like soap. Any suggestions for a substitute?
Thanks
It will be fine without cilantro! 🙂 You can add green onions instead if you’d like.
We love this meal and make it often enough that we have a permanent jar of seasoning mix made up!
I am so flattered and thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Kristen! 🙂