Sweet Potato Nachos

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These sweet potato nachos are loaded with black beans, tomatoes, cheese, jalapeño peppers and plenty of spices. They’re absolutely delicious, customizable and make for an awesome weeknight dinner or game day snack.

TBH, I’ve never been the biggest nacho fan, but I can totally see the appeal and I know plenty of folks who love to order nachos for their entrée at a restaurant… no shame in that! They’re filling and can be loaded with such delicious, relatively healthy ingredients!

That said, a base of tortilla chips can be a waste of nutritious space so I decided to swap the chips with something a bit more nutrient-rich, sweet potatoes. I’ve done it before with my cauliflower nachos, which are delicious btw, but these sweet potato nachos might be my favorite!

Sweet potato nachos topped with fresh avocado slices, jalapeño slices, and freshly chopped cilantro on a sheet pan.

Why You Need to Make This Recipe

  • Who doesn’t love nachos? My take adds in some extra veggies with the sweet potato base, but I promise they’re still so delicious!
  • These nachos are customizable! I love the version I’m sharing below but know your options are endless when it comes to toppings.
  • Enjoy these nachos as a fun weeknight dinner or share them as part of a game day spread or potluck.
  • All you need is one bowl + one sheet pan! Easy peasy.
Ingredients measured out to make sweet potato nachos: pepper, onion powder, cumin, salt, paprika, oil, chili powder, garlic powder, cheese, red onion, jalapeno, sweet potatoes, black beans, avocado, tomatoes and cilantro.

Ingredients Needed

  • sweet potatoes – look for sweet potatoes that are long and narrow rather than super wide! This is helpful since we are using sweet potatoes as the base of our nachos instead of chips.
  • olive oil or avocado oil – to coat the sweet potato rounds with the spices before roasting.
  • spices – garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder, sea salt and pepper.
  • black beans – I used canned black beans that were drained and rinsed well. Technically any bean could work here so use your favorite!
  • shredded cheese – I used Mexican cheddar cheese but you can use any cheese you’d like!
  • jalapeño – to add a little kick! You can omit or swap for a bell pepper if you don’t like spice.
  • tomatoes – I recommend using grape or cherry tomatoes because they don’t tend to release as much juice, but any chopped tomato will work!
  • red onion – add a zesty kick with diced red onion. Feel free to use a yellow onion or green onion if you prefer.
  • fresh cilantro – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: fresh herbs instantly elevate a recipe! I love the addition of fresh cilantro to these nachos.
  • avocado – technically this is an optional ingredient but is avocado ever really skipped?! I love the creaminess avocado adds to nachos, not to mention the healthy fats!
Collage of 6 photos showing the steps to make sweet potato nachos: spraying a sheet pan with oil, slicing the sweet potato into rounds, tossing the slices with spices, laying on a roasting pan, roasting the potatoes and then adding nacho toppings.

How to Make Sheet Pan Sweet Potato Nachos

First things first, we have to make some crispy sweet potato “chips”! Slice the sweet potatoes into ¼ inch thick rounds. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with the oil and spices and toss to coat. Make sure each round has some oil and spices on it! Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with oil. Bake at 400ºF for 25 minutes, tossing halfway. The sweet potatoes are ready for the next step when they are tender and starting to brown.

After the sweet potatoes have browned, remove the pan from the oven and carefully push the sweet potatoes to the center of the pan. Top with the black beans, sprinkle with cheese and add the jalapeño slices to the top. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the beans have been heated through and the cheese has melted – about 6-7 minutes.

The last step is to add all of the toppings! I love topping my nachos with tomato, red onion, cilantro and avocado but feel free to get creative. Serve directly from the sheet pan, transfer to a platter or portion into bowls.

tip!
Make sure your sweet potatoes are spread out on the baking sheet for the first round of baking. If they are too crowded they won't crisp up. 
A hand scooping up a sweet potato round topped with black beans, cheese, avocado slices, and fresh cilantro.

How to Customize

  • Add protein – can’t go wrong with adding some protein! Grilled chicken, shredded chicken, ground turkey, tempeh or tofu crumbles or sofritas would all be delicious additions.
  • Add greens – nachos with greens? I would 100% do this! Shredding the lettuce or greens of your choice is recommended for the best ratio in every bite. I think romaine lettuce would be ideal for the crunch factor.
  • Swap veggies – don’t love all of the veggie toppings I listed below or want to add more veggies? Go for it! Add corn, olives, pickled red onions, and/or bell peppers… have fun with it!
  • Swap beans – I love black beans in this recipe, but refried beans or really any bean would work well.
  • More toppings – you can never have too many toppings, am I right?! Add lime slices, Greek yogurt or sour cream, green onions, guacamole… the options are endless!
  • Dairy-free – need these nachos to be dairy-free? Skip the cheese or use a vegan shredded cheese!
A sheet pan with sweet potato nachos and toppings. A hand is adding fresh chopped cilantro.

How to Store Leftover Sweet Potato Nachos

All nachos are best eaten fresh but if needed you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, heat oven to 350°F and place nachos on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes until heated throughout. Alternatively, you can warm the nachos up in the microwave, but they will probably lose some of their crispiness.

More Appetizers Ideas

Need more inspo? Be sure to check out all of the sweet potato recipes and my full collection of healthy game day snacks.

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4.87 from 22 votes

Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos

These sweet potato nachos are loaded with black beans, tomatoes, cheese, jalapeño peppers and plenty of spices. They're absolutely delicious, customizable and make for an awesome weeknight dinner or game day snack.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 32 minutes
Total Time: 47 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients  

  • 2 sweet potatoes, look for ones that are long and narrow, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
  • 2 Tablespoons olive or avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
  • ½ cup black beans
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheddar cheese
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced
  • ½ cup grape/cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • ¼ cup red onion, diced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 avocado, sliced or chopped (optional)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a large baking sheet with olive oil or avocado oil cooking spray.
    A sheet pan being sprayed with oil.
  • Slice sweet potatoes into ¼ inch rounds
    Two hands, one holding a sweet potato and the other using a knife to cut the sweet potato into thin, evenly sized rounds.
  • In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, oil, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder and sea salt and gently toss to coat. Place seasoned sweet potatoes on baking sheet, spacing out the pieces so that they roast instead of steam. Bake 25 minutes, tossing halfway until sweet potatoes are tender and starting to brown.
    Seasoned sweet potato rounds evenly distributed on the prepared sheet pan.
  • Remove the pan from the oven; push sweet potatoes together in the center of the pan. Top with black beans, sprinkle with cheese and add jalapeño slices on top. Return to the oven and bake until the beans are heated through and the cheese has melted, about 6-7 minutes.
    Sweet potato rounds topped with black beans, sprinkled with cheese and topped with jalapeño slices.
  • Top sweet potatoes with chopped tomato, red onion and cilantro. Add avocado (if using) and serve directly from the sheet pan. You can also transfer to a platter for serving or portion into bowls.
    A sheet pan with sweet potato nachos and toppings. A hand is adding fresh chopped cilantro.

Notes

  • Spices: For a shortcut, use 2 Tablespoons of a taco seasoning blend instead of the garlic, onion, paprika, cumin and chili powder. 
  • Black beans: Any bean works as a substitute. 
  • Shredded cheese: You can use any cheese you’d like! If you need a dairy-free option, use a vegan shredded cheese. 
  • Jalapeño: If you’re not a fan of spice, feel free to skip or swap with a bell pepper.
  • Red onion: Feel free to use a yellow onion or green onion instead. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of recipe | Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 521mg | Potassium: 634mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sweet potato nachos
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
Chicken fajita filling on a sheet pan with a wooden spoon. Tortillas are resting on the bottom of the sheet pan.
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Recipe Rating




13 Comments

    1. Woo! So glad your 3 year old loved this recipe! Thank you for coming back to leave a review and star rating, it really means the world to me!

  1. 5 stars
    I made this tonight and it was bomb! Didn’t have the jalapeños on hand but made tofu taco crumbles to have along with. That combo was so flavorful and goes to show how yummy a healthy meal can be. Thanks!

    1. I’m so glad this recipe turned out for you, Devon! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. It means the world to me!

    1. Yay! I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Sophie. Thanks for making it and coming back to leave a review and star rating!

  2. 5 stars
    These were so delicious!! Such a perfect way to make nachos healthy, yet still crispy and full of flavour. I even added chicken to increase the protein. Thanks so much !

  3. 5 stars
    O . . M . . .G . . .! These were AMAZING!! SO delicious. We are definitely making these again. These would also be delicious with an over easy egg on top.

    I have yet to find a recipe of yours I don’t like.

  4. 5 stars
    Love this recipe! The sweetness of the potatoes is a great partner to the spiciness of the other vegetables and seasonings. Using non-dairy cheese, I’ve made it twice so far and not just as a party snack – it makes a pretty healthy mid week meal for two after a long day.

    1. Yay! So glad it was a hit, Kathy. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and review, I so appreciate it!

    1. YUM! Love this so much, Emma. Glad to hear you are loving this recipe. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!