These crispy and cheesy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Taquitos are lightly pan fried for the ultimate crunch! We love them as an appetizer to share with friends or as a vegetarian taco night main dish with lots of sauces for dipping and drizzling.
Have you had taquitos yet? If yes, you know the deliciousness you’re in for and, if not, you’re about to have your taste buds blown.
They’re essentially rolled tacos with taco/bean/cheese/veggie filling rolled into corn tortillas and lightly pan friend until crispy on the outside (love that CRUNCH!) and hot and melty on the inside.
They’re DELIGHTFUL and one of my favorite snacky recipes to make in advance and freeze for later. I make a few for my face and a few (dozen) for the freezer and love knowing that I can whip up crispy taquitos whenever I want them!
You can serve them up as an appetizer or snack *OR* simply make a taco night of the whole ordeal and make a tray as the main dish with a side of yellow rice and lots of sauces for dipping.
These cheesy black bean and sweet potato taquitos have a delicious blend of black beans, sweet potato, cheese, jalapeño and corn seasoned to perfection.
I can’t wait for you to try them!
Sauces and Dips for Taquitos
One of my favorite things about taquitos is how easy they are to dunk in a variety of tasty dips and sauces. I like a little of everything so I’ll typically serve them with 3-4 options like guac, cheese dip, sour cream, and salsa verde.
- Guacamole
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Queso
- Salsa Verde
- Restaurant-Style Salsa
- Hummus (my taco hummus is amazing!)
- Buttermilk Ranch
- Creamy Cilantro Cucumber Dip
- Chipotle Black Bean Dip
- Jalapeño Dip – spicy and deeeeelish!
Tasty Taquito Recipes
Taquitos (and flautas – their tasty cousins) can be made with so many different filling options. Here are a few of our favorites:
Cheesy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Taquitos
The ingredients for these tasty taquitos are simple and probably things you already have on hand! I love that they’re made with mostly pantry staples so I can whip them up whenever the craving strikes
Taquito Ingredients
- corn tortillas
- sweet potato
- corn
- jalapeño pepper
- grated cheese
- cream cheese
- salsa
- spices: cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper
- oil for frying
For the pepper you can choose any color bell pepper for a more mild taquito, or get a little spicy by snagging a jalapeño or Serrano pepper. Skipping the cayenne pepper and using a mild salsa will also make these taquitos more mild or you can go in the opposite direction and make them seriously spicy – anything goes!
I like to use extra-thin yellow corn tortillas but white corn tortillas or even homemade tortillas will work too.
Let’s get cheesy! For the grated cheese you can use whatever cheese you enjoy! I’ve used sharp cheddar, pepper jack cheese, spicy habanero pepper jack, and also grabbed a bag of Mexican blend cheese in a pinch and it was delicious too.
Ready to get your recipe on? Let’s do this!
You can make as many of these bad boys as you like, simply double or triple the recipe as desired. No need to cut the recipe in half as you can freeze some for later! Woot!
Freezer Friendly Frozen Taquitos
These taquitos freeze beautifully so feel free to make a large tray and squirrel some away for later.
To freeze taquitos, first pan fry via instructions in the recipe card, then allow them to cool fully on paper towels. Next place them spaced on parchment paper on a plate or small baking sheet in the freezer (whatever fits) and freeze for an hour or so. Once they’re set, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container of choice and write the date on it. They should be good for 1-3 months.
The frozen taquitos can be reheated in the oven or air fryer and cook up beautifully.
Cheesy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Taquitos
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 cup black beans (drained + rinsed)
- 1 cup corn
- 1 jalapeño pepper, minced (seeds in for spicy – removed for mild)
- ¼ cup salsa verde (or your favorite salsa)
- ½-¾ tsp cumin
- ½-¾ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 oz softened cream cheese
- 4-6 ounces freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 20 thin yellow corn tortillas
- avocado oil as needed for frying
EASY HOMEMADE QUESO
- 1 TBSP butter
- 1 TBSP all purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 oz cream cheese
- 4-5 oz freshly grated pepper jack cheese off the block
- ¼-½ tsp ground cayenne pepper to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- After washing, poke a few holes in the sweet potato with a knife or fork. Wrap in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave on high for about 6-8 minutes until soft and fluffy.
- While you wait, combine corn, jalapeño, black beans, and cream cheese and season with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and salsa.
- Once sweet potato is tender and cooked through, fluff the inside with a fork and transfer (minus skin) to the black bean mixture. Mix thoroughly.
- Season with salt, pepper, and any additional seasoning to taste.
- Next, working in small batches of 3-4 tortillas, wrap corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave on high for 30 seconds until warm and pliable. The goal here is to steam the tortillas so they roll easily without breaking or cracking.
- To each tortilla, add 2 TBSP of veggie filling about ⅓ of the way up from the bottom of the tortilla, shaping into a little log.
- Top it off with a layer of cheese (as much or as little as you want!) and tightly roll the tortilla while it's still warm. Place seam side down on a large plate or baking sheet. Secure each with a toothpick if needed.
- Repeat steps 5-7 for remaining tortillas and filling.
- In a high-sided frying pan, heat about ¼ inch of oil over medium-high heat. Use tongs to carefully place 4 taquitos in the oil, seam side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. If you have a larger pan you can cook more at once but it will require more oil. I typically use one of my smaller pans and work in batches.
- Remove from the pan and place on a stack of folded paper towels to drain. For even crispier results, place the paper towels atop a wire cooling rack.
- Enjoy hot with a variety of dips for dunking. See blog post for recipes if you need them. xoxo
OPTIONAL HOMEMADE QUESO
- Freshly grate cheese. (avoid using bagged shredded cheese) Warm your milk in the microwave for 30-40 seconds and set aside. Heat a small sauce pot and add your butter. Once melted, add flour and whisk into butter vigorously until they become bubbly and foamy. Continue to cook and whisk constantly for about a minute to cook off the flour taste.
- Add warm milk and whisk vigorously into flour mixture. Allow milk to come to a simmer, whisking occasionally as it thickens. Once it has thickened, turn off burner and remove pot from heat. Add cream cheese and whisk until melted. Next add grated cheese in 2-3 batches, stirring it in until the cheese is fully melted. I like to keep the pot off the heat here so the cheese doesn't overheat and get gritty. If you work quickly the milk should be hot enough to melt the cheese. Season with cayenne pepper and salt. Adjust spices to taste and you're good to go!
Notes
Nutrition
Hungry for more?
- Vegetarian Bean Tostadas
- NEW! Quick Pickled Red Onions
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos
- Crispy Chickpea Taco Salad
- Loaded Tater Tot Nachos
If you get a chance to try these cheesy black bean and sweet potato taquitos, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Made these little rolls of heaven tonight. Didn’t even have time to add dips, and they didn’t need anything extra anyway :), but I did add a lb of ground beef. Thank you!!
Ahhh yay! So glad they were a hit!
This was fun to make! Packed with flavor, colors, a real wow! recipe. Homemade queso is a must.
Thanks Kevin!