If you’ve ever felt left out by the lack of quality vegan options at a BBQ, consider those days over! Introducing the smoky, sweet, spicy flavors of BBQ in a sweet potato chickpea taco with cabbage, lime, and chipotle crema. It’s a plant-based winner worthy of sharing with friends!
Satisfying, nourishing, and ready in just 30 minutes! Grab your tortillas — let’s make tacos!
These tacos begin with roasting chickpeas and cubed sweet potatoes in a BBQ-inspired spice mixture of smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne! Avocado or olive oil helps all the spices stick and encourages caramelized edges.
While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are in the oven, we transition to preparing the smoky SAUCE! It’s a simple vegan chipotle crema that comes together by blending soaked cashews, chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, maple syrup, garlic, and salt.
Chop some cabbage and limes and get ready for those sweet potatoes + chickpeas to come out of the oven!
Then we’re ready for assembly! Add the sweet potato chickpea filling to warmed tortillas, add some crunchy cabbage, and give it all a big squeeze of tangy lime to bring everything together!
We hope you LOVE these sweet potato chickpea tacos! They’re:
Smoky
Savory-sweet
Satisfying
Easy to make
& SO delicious!
They’re a great meal for taco season (a.k.a. every day of the year!) and come together effortlessly, making them perfect for weeknight cooking! Our Fresh Strawberry Margarita (5 Minutes!) or Sparkling Hibiscus Orange Mocktail would be amazing pairings with these tacos.
More Plant-Based Taco Recipes
- Smoky BBQ Bean Tacos
- Quinoa Taco Meat
- Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Chipotle Romesco
- Portobello Fajitas with Chipotle Pecan Pesto
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
BBQ Sweet Potato Chickpea Tacos
Ingredients
SWEET POTATOES & CHICKPEAS
- 1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 medium sweet potato is ~400 g or 3/4 lb)
- 1 (15-oz. / 425 g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or sub ~1 ¾ cups homemade)
- 2 Tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder blend
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
CHIPOTLE CREMA
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1 whole chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (just 1 pepper, not the whole can!)
- 2/3 cup water (plus more for soaking)
- 1 ½ tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 medium clove garlic
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
FOR SERVING
- 1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
- 8 lime wedges (NOT optional)
- 8 (~6-inch each) tortillas of choice (we like corn tortillas or Siete almond flour tortillas)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add cashews to a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water by at least 1-2 inches. Soak for at least 15 minutes.
- SWEET POTATOES & CHICKPEAS: Meanwhile, add the cubed sweet potatoes and drained and rinsed chickpeas to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Add oil, maple syrup, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper (optional), sea salt, and black pepper and toss to coat. Bake for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the chickpeas are slightly browned. Everything should be slightly caramelized but still soft. You don’t want it to dry out too much.
- CHIPOTLE CREMA: Meanwhile, drain your cashews and place them into a high-speed blender with the rest of the sauce ingredients (chipotle pepper, water, maple syrup, garlic, and salt). Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- TORTILLAS: To heat your tortillas, place a skillet over medium-high heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and heat on each side for 10-15 seconds until warm, then repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- TACOS: Place ~1/3 cup of the sweet potato chickpea filling into the center of each warmed tortilla, top with a couple tablespoons of shredded cabbage and 1-2 tablespoons of chipotle crema, and serve each taco with a lime wedge. Squeeze the lime over each taco and enjoy!
- If you have any extra crema, you can use it in taco bowls, on salads, or even as a dip for chips! Taco components will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator when stored separately in airtight containers. Reheat sweet potato chickpea filling in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Not freezer friendly.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with corn tortillas.
Sheila says
Any ideas for a nut free crema sauce?
Hi Sheila, we’d suggest making a chipotle crema with dairy-free sour cream or silken tofu. Otherwise, maybe raw sunflower seeds or avocado, but we aren’t certain the flavors will be complementary!
Tammy Tittel says
so good! had most ingredients on hand and this was a quick and easy recipe! subbed cilantro for cabbage and was delish! will try with both next time.
Lovely! Cilantro sounds perfect with these tacos. Thank you for sharing, Tammy! xo
Ann says
This was so yummy and I almost always have these or comparable ingredients on hand. I didn’t have chipotles & was too lazy to mess with the cashews & blender, so I made a sauce with vegan mayo, lime juice & sriracha and it worked very well. This will be a dinner staple.
Amazing! That sauce sounds great. Thank you for sharing, Ann! xo
G Bell says
Just made this. Thank you for another fantastic recipe. Thought I would dislike it, for many reasons, but turned out to be the best one yet from your site, and that is aying a lot!
Thank you!
Amazing! We’re so glad it was a pleasant surprise. Thank you for the lovely review!
Jackie says
This was very easy to make and super tasty. Thanks for a great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed, Jackie! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Leslie says
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! These tacos are the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, tangy, creamy! I agree that the squeeze of lime is NOT optional. I will be making these tacos again and again! I made crispy taco shells in the air fryer which made them over the top delicious.
Ooo the crispy shells sound amazing, Leslie! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Ashley says
The whole family enjoyed this recipe! I followed the recipe as written and added some pico de gallo and avocado to the tacos when serving. These tacos will definitely be added into the dinner rotation.
Amazing! We’re so glad it was a hit with the whole family. Thank you for sharing, Ashley! xo
Bara says
I make this all the time. It’s a huge hit.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Bara. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Trish says
These Taco’s were delish! I followed the recipe the only thing I added was half a chopped red onion and sliced green beans, cauliflower would be good a well. Roasted the green beans and red onion with the sweet potato and chickpeas. Used the Costco fresh tortillas which we quickly fried in a non stick pan. My hubby loved these and said we have to make these again! Thank you for this delicious recipe! It is definitely a keeper!
Amazing! We’re so glad you both enjoyed the tacos, Trish. Thank you for sharing! xo
P.A. says
Already making these a second time! So good.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Jodi Friedman says
Soooo good!!! These tacos are delicious and could definitely be great as bowls or burritos too. Will add into my dinner rotation!
Ooo yes! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Jodi! xoxo
Jennifer says
There are no words to describe how good this is. I think my life just changed. Too dramatic? They’re *that* good. I also discovered Siete almond flour tortillas thanks to this receipe. I had to restrain myself and am already looking forward to leftovers.
Whoop! Not too dramatic. We can totally relate! Thank you for the lovely review, Jennifer! xo
Brooke says
Quick, easy and delicious. Another great recipe!
xoxo!
Val says
Daaaang! These are SO GOOD! Smoky, a little sweet ‘n spicy. This is only the the third minimalist baker recipe I’ve tried and all three have been freakin’ fantastic! Thanks!
Aw, YAY! We’re so glad you’re enjoying our recipes, Val. Thank you for the lovely review! xoxo
Jen Brueninghaus says
I feel like I could open a restaurant with this one recipe. It is that good!!! I can’t stop eating it. And it’s so easy to make. I did hold back a bit on the garlic, and I am wondering about the photos: It looks like you added cheese in the photos, but there’s none listed in the recipe. I ate it without cheese and was glad for that opportunity because almost everything I make has cheese. So, yaaay, no cheese needed. I mean, I love the stuff, but as a 99% of the time vegetarian, I feel like I’m always supplementing or topping something with cheese. So, thank you for this absolutely delicious cheese-free recipe!!! But, if you were to add cheese, what cheese would you add? Even without: Yumm. Yumm. Yumm.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Jen. Thank you for the lovely review! We didn’t use cheese in the photos, but the green cabbage does kind of look like shredded cheese 😀. Queso fresco would be delicious!
Kathy says
Hello, this recipe looks amazing but can you clarify the amount of sweet potato to use? My conversion calculator says that 400 grams is less than a pound, not the 1.75 pounds listed in the recipe. I apologize if I am interpreting the info incorrectly. Thank you in advance!
Ah, great catch! That’s an error. It should be ~400 grams or 0.75 pounds. We’ll get that updated!
Kelley H. says
These are absolutely amazing!! So, so good. I didn’t have black beans so I made this on a whim, and my husband and I loved it. The only modification I made was doubling the sauce and adding baked tofu crumbles. These are now on rotation in our house, thank you Dana and team!
Woohoo! Thank you for the lovely review, Kelley! xo
Andi Peinovich says
So, so good! I made the sweet potato/chickpea blend according to recipe but subbed the chipotle pepper with chipotle powder. And then I made an avocado crema instead of a chipotle crema. Served it with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Holy cow, I wish my stomach was bigger!!! This is a keeper. 😋
Love your modifications, Andi! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Quill says
Definitely good for BBQ fans. My partner gave it 10/10. I think it’s missing something, like maybe some ranch or sour cream. I’m not quite sure. I’m not a big BBQ fan so it may just be that.
Laura says
Yum! Made these tonight and we loved them!
My picky toddler slammed two tacos! Will definitely make again! Thanks :)
Whoop! We’re so glad the whole fam enjoyed them! xoxo
Shae says
My partner and I were blown away with this one! It was soooo good! I’m going to double the tacos next time so we can have more than 3 a piece ;-)
The sauce too! So so good! Thank you!!!
Yay! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Shae. Thank you for sharing! xo
Stephanie L says
These were so quick and easy and everyone loved. Even got my most picky 17yr old daughter to eat them and love them! I am so thankful. Although she’s been surrounded her whole life by quality, fresh, healthy and flavorful food that I prepare daily, she opts out due to ‘too many flavors or textures’. She kept the lime off, but took the cabbage shreds and chipotle crema. Exciting day for me. We added cilantro just because we love it. Perfect.
Woohoo! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them, Stephanie. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Heather says
I made this tonight. Really good! I’m totally AMAZED at how creamy the chipotle cream is… and delicious! I had some chipotle chilis in adobe sauce in the freezer, so this recipe was easy to make in a short amount of time. I’m new to the vegan cashew crema world, but now having made 2-3 dishes that required it, I see no reason to go back to a milk-based crema for future recipes.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Heather. We are so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Laura says
Super easy, super yummy. I don’t normally cook on weeknights but will/can do this one. Mods: I found pre-blended chipotle in adobo (brand La Costena) and used ~2 tbsp of that, used the silken tofu hack because I just happened to have some (genius!), no cabbage so topped with avocado slices.
Whoop! SO glad to hear it, Laura. Thank you for sharing! xo
Dakota says
I made this last night and it was quick, easy & delicious!
Yay! Thank you for sharing, Dakota!
Elizabeth says
So delicious! Easy to make and it will definitely be one of my go to recipe this summer! Thank youX
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Elizabeth. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Nicole says
Loved these! I had black beans to use up and so used those instead (added them half way through the sweet potato baking time when I stirred them, since they’re smaller). The sauce was great.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Nicole! xo
Liz says
Can you substitute the chipotle pepper with a chipotle powder if that’s all I have on hand? If so, what would be the suggested amount? Thank you!
Hi Liz, it will be more spicy vs. smoky that way, but you could try it! We’d suggest ~1/2 teaspoon. Hope that helps!
Theresa says
These look delish! How can the crema be made without cashews? We have cashew allergies in our fam. Thank you!
Hi Theresa, we’d suggest making a chipotle crema with dairy-free sour cream or silken tofu. Otherwise, maybe raw sunflower seeds or avocado, but we aren’t certain the flavors will be complementary!
Sheila says
Ooo. I love the idea of avocado!
Gaby M says
I saw this recipe online and decided to make it as it looked easy and quick and I had all the ingredients. It was delicious!! The smokiness from the spices on the chickpeas and sweet potato complement the smokiness of the chipotle crema which has just the right amount of heat. I’m not vegan but try eat as much plant based as I can. My husband, who is a meat and potatoes type of guy, ate a taco too and said it was good. I’ll definitely make this again.
Whoop! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Gaby. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Mary says
It was very good! Just a heads up – if you double the recipe don’t double the crema part! I doubled the sauce and I still have SO much I don’t think I’ll be able to eat it all. I really liked the spice rub on the sweet potatoes and chickpeas :)
Gah, sorry that wasn’t more clear, Mary! We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe overall. You might be able to freeze some of the sauce!
Margot says
This was scrumptious ! We loved the combination of flavors and textures. Since I have a nut allergy, I had to substitute some sliced avocados to the tacos instead of the Chipotle Crema. Can you suggest a way to incorporate adobo chilies without the cashews? Will be making this Memorial Day weekend !
Hi Margot! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Another reader has had success using tofu in the crema instead of cashews! If you try this version we don’t think you would need the full amount of water. You also might be able to add the chipotle pepper to avocado and blend it. Although, we haven’t tried it with these variations and can’t guarantee results. We hope you enjoy!
Sarah says
Delicious! Made this tonight and didn’t have sweet potato, so used cauliflower instead. Such great flavor! We added avocado into the tacos and the creaminess was a great contrast. Will make again!
Yum, sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing, Sarah! xo
Alicia says
Made this — it was delish! I subbed the chipotle crema’s cashew base for silken tofu, but otherwise followed as is. Served with some store-bought avocado salsa. These were super tasty and something I will make again!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Alicia! xo
Jaclyn says
My son is incredibly allergic to cashews. What is a good sub? I always to make plant based recipes like this but can’t because of the allergy!
Hi Jaclyn, we’d suggest making a chipotle crema with dairy-free sour cream (if there’s a store-bought brand he can have). Another reader also had success using silken tofu. Otherwise, maybe raw sunflower seeds or avocado? Sunflower seeds won’t be quite as creamy/rich, but might work okay!
Dale says
Delicious! And, yes, the lime is essential.
Thank you for sharing, Dale! We’re so glad you enjoy them!
Diane P says
Hi!
These look and sound delicious. Can I leave out the oil in the sweet potato/chickpea portion. I like to keep my recipes oil-free when possible.
Thanks!
Di :-)
Hi Diane, they will be a little dry and not crispy/caramelized on the edges, but otherwise it would work! If the spices aren’t sticking well, you could try a little aquafaba instead. Let us know if you try it!
Diane P says
Ok, thanks for the quick reply! I’ll hit em with a spritz of avocado oil spray, hopefully that’ll help out a lil!!!
Keep on bustin’ out the recipes, I love em!!! ;-)
That should help! Thank you for your kind words, Diane! xo
Jennifer says
The combination of sweet potatoes and chickpeas was so crazy good! I made this per the recipe. I only adjusted the shredded cabbage and added a light dressing to it. The crema was a perfect topping and chip dip. Everybody loved this dish and it actually was super quick from start to finish!
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing, Jennifer! xo