You’re going to love this easy-to-make vegetarian taco recipe. Filled with plant-based protein, sweet potatoes, and corn⎯ and finished with a fresh lime and tasty honey sauce.

Consider switching up the same old chicken or beef tacos with this whole food, plant-based recipe.

These meatless vegetarian tacos will leave you feeling full and satisfied.

You’ll be amazingly surprised at how delicious they taste. Plus they provide ample nutrition.

The beauty of this dish is that toppings are completely optional. I’ll share a couple of my favs but this dish can certainly stand on its own.

What Goes Into These Vegetarian Tacos?

I like how versatile tacos are in general. And these vegetarian tacos are no exception. Plus, most of the ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

Sweet potatoes (about 2 large or 1 ½ pounds)
Beans– Black and pinto (1- 15 ounce can of each)
Yellow Onion (1 small or 1 cup)
Corn, frozen or fresh (1 cup)
Garlic (2 cloves)
Cilantro (2 tablespoons)
Honey (2 tablespoons)
Lime Juice (1 lime or 2 tablespoons)
Olive oil (4 tablespoons, divided)
Spices– cumin, paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper
Whole wheat flour or corn tortillas
Optional Toppings: Red cabbage, romaine lettuce, feta cheese, avocado, tomatoes, or extra cilantro.

Vegetarian Taco Recipe Ingredient Notes

This vegetarian taco recipe is easy to throw together and packed with plant-based nutrition. Consider adding it to your monthly eating routine.

BLACK AND PINTO BEANS

Black and pinto beans are great sources of plant-based protein. About ½ cup of black beans contains 8 grams of protein with pinto beans not far behind at 7.5 grams. Plus, both add fiber and minerals such as magnesium and potassium. Black beans are also a great source of folate.

For this recipe, you’ll use one 15-ounce can each (or about 1 ¾ cup cooked) of black and pinto beans.

You can substitute pinto beans with cannellini or Great Northern beans.

SWEET POTATOES

Often used interchangeably with “yams” (and sometimes even marked as such at grocery stores), sweet potatoes are root vegetables with a thin, reddish-brown skin with either an orange, white, or purple fleshy center. For this recipe, I used the ones that are most commonly found that have an orange center when cut.

Also, you’ll need about 1 1/2 pounds of sweet potatoes. You can either weigh them at the store or at home if you have a food scale. Typically two large sweet potatoes weigh about 1 1/2 pounds. Although, sometimes it takes three.

CORN

You’ll need one cup of frozen or fresh corn. Both work. The fall season is the best time of year to find locally grown fresh corn. It’s also the best time to buy fresh corn in bulk and freeze the kernels for later use.

JALAPEÑOS

Same as corn you can use either a fresh jalapeño or a small can of diced green chilies. You’ll cook these with the onion at the very beginning.

CILANTRO

You’ll add cilantro to the dish at the very end and combine it with all of the other ingredients. This powerhouse herb is full of wonderful flavor that perfectly compliments the overall dish. Plus it’s a good source of Vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium.

Don’t have cilantro? Another substitute would be finely ground coriander seeds. Add about 1 teaspoon of ground coriander seed to the sweet potatoes before baking. Another substitute you can use is ¼ cup of fresh parsley just know the final taste will be much milder.

Lastly, keep your cilantro fresh longer with this simple hack.

HONEY LIME SAUCE

You’ll add the honey lime sauce at the end. The combination of these ingredients creates a perfect sweet and citrusy flavor.

Raw or Natural Honey. Over the years I’ve become a stickler when it comes to honey. Much of the honey you find in stores is mass-produced and is heated and processed essentially destroying its beneficial enzymes and nutrients.

When you can, purchase locally made honey. You can find it at your local farmers’ market. Or become brand aware and stick with a brand you know and trust. Always read the ingredient label.

Lime Juice. Fresh lime juice is the way to go for added citrusy flavor. The acidity of the lime brings another layer of depth to the final dish. If needed though, you can use lime juice from a bottle.

Tortillas And Toppings For Vegetarian Taco Recipe

Your choices with this taco recipe are endless. Here are just a few ideas.

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR OR CORN TORTILLAS

No matter if you prefer flour or corn tortillas, both work well with this recipe. If you choose flour, check out my easy homemade flour tortilla recipe (that doesn’t require a tortilla press!). After making homemade tortillas now for a few years I find that store bought have a weird aftertaste.

Want to eat without a tortilla? Go for it. Consider it a naked burrito like you might order at a fast food restaurant. The filling is great on its own.

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

These vegetarian tacos can certainly stand on their own without any added toppings. However, if you want to add a little something extra here are some ideas:

Avocado, sliced
Feta cheese
Red cabbage, thinly sliced
Romaine lettuce
Tomatoes
More cilantro

Storage Tips

This recipe makes about 10 servings so if you aren’t feeding a crowd, you’ll end up with some extra. You can eat the rest for lunch the next day, simply store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator. It will last in the fridge for about 3-4 days.

You can also freeze the leftovers. Allow the taco mixture to come to room temperature and spread out on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for about an hour and then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. This ensures everything has a chance to pre-freeze and not freeze together into one big clump. The cooked taco filling will keep for about 3 months in the freezer.

Give these a try during your next taco night. If you try them and love them, be sure to give a five-star rating to help other readers in the community.