Roasted Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowl

Published on April 08, 2024 This Roasted Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowl with Chipotle Lime Crema is satisfying, full of flavor, and perfect for meal prep. It’s also easy to customize and can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner. I also love them in these Roasted Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls. The bowls are filled with roasted sweet potatoes, spiced black beans, lettuce, rice (or quinoa), avocado, pickled red onions, cilantro, and crunchy pepitas. The flavors and textures are incredible, especially when topped with chipotle lime crema. YUM! These bowls are great for lunch, dinner, and can be made in advance, making them the perfect meal prep recipe! They are also easy to customize and packed with lots of deliciousness.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

First, roast the sweet potatoes! Roasting brings out the BEST flavor!

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the chopped sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss until the potatoes are evenly coated. Spread the potatoes in an even layer. Roast for 25 minutes or until the edges are browned, stirring once halfway through.

Black Beans

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, make the black beans.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the black beans, cilantro, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Stir until combined. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Add the lime juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Set aside.

Chipotle Lime Crema

Don’t skip the chipotle lime crema, it adds so much flavor to the bowls and it only takes a few minutes to whisk up.

To make the chipotle lime crema, in a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt (or sour cream), adobo sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, garlic, and salt.

Bowl Ingredients

The roasted sweet potatoes and black beans are the main ingredients, but we don’t stop there. These bowls are loaded with goodness. Here are the other ingredients you will need to build the perfect bowl!

Lettuce– I use chopped romaine, but spring mix, kale, butter lettuce, or arugula will also work. Use your favorite greens. Rice or Quinoa– I love adding a grain to make the bowl super hearty. Avocado– a must! Pickled red onions– I always have a jar in my fridge! Cilantro– so fresh! Pepitas– for sprinkling on top. I love the salty crunch.

Assembling the Bowls

To assemble the bowls, add the sweet potatoes, black beans, lettuce, rice or quinoa, avocado, pickled red onions, cilantro, and pepitas to a bowl. Top with the chipotle lime crema and serve.

Variations

I love making bowls because they are so easy to customize! If you want to mix things up, here are some ideas!

Protein– add chicken, steak, shrimp, carnitas, or barbocoa. Beans– instead of black beans, you can use pinto beans or even refried beans. Guacamole– instead of avocado add a big scoop of guacamole. Pico de Gallo– so fresh!! Salsa– add traditional salsa, mango salsa, pineapple salsa, or corn salsa. Dressing– serve with creamy cilantro lime dressing or cilantro lime vinaigrette. Grain-Free– omit the rice or quinoa and make a salad bowl. Cheese– add shredded cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, or pepper jack cheese. A sprinkling of queso fresco or cotija cheese would also be good. Jalapeño– add jalapeño slices for a little kick. Onion– if you don’t like pickled red onions, you can use regular red onion or green onion…or no onion at all!

Make In Advance

This is a great meal prep recipe. You can make the sweet potatoes, black beans, and crema in advance.

Sweet Potatoes: Roast the sweet potatoes and let them cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the air fryer, oven, or in a skillet. You can reheat in the microwave, but they will get a little soggy. Beans– Let the beans cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pan on the stovetop or in the microwave. Chipotle Lime Crema– Store crema in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. Whisk before serving. Grain– cook the rice or quinoa ahead of time. Let cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Pickled Red Onions– store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.