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Taco night, but cozier. Think caramelized chorizo, tender sweet potatoes, and a bright black bean–corn salsa—all finished with a smoky poblano avocado crema. It’s a weeknight skillet situation with big flavor and a little heat, easy to scale for a crowd or game day.
Make the salsa and crema while the potatoes soften, then pile everything into warm tortillas and shower with melty cheese. Dinner’s done—and it’s a good one.
Ingredients Notes:
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Sweet potato: 1-inch chunks cook evenly; look for firm, dry flesh. Doneness cue: fork-tender with lightly caramelized edges.
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Mexican chorizo (raw/ground): Choose fresh Mexican-style (not cured Spanish); turkey or chicken chorizo works too, but will brown a little drier.
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Cheese: Pepper jack + sharp cheddar = melt + tang. Monterey jack works for milder heat.
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Tortillas: Corn for classic texture; flour for soft, foldable tacos. Warm until pliable.
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Black beans: Canned, drained and rinsed is perfect; cook your own for firmer bite.
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Corn: Grilled ears are ideal; in off-season, use thawed fire-roasted frozen corn for similar char.
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Poblano: Mild-to-medium heat; char to blister-black for smoky depth before peeling.
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Greek yogurt: Adds tang to the crema; swap with sour cream or go dairy-free
Step-by-Step Tips:
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Sauté sweet potato: Medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally until just tender; edges should look glossy and spotty-golden before adding chorizo.
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Brown the chorizo: Crumble with a wooden spoon; cook until deep reddish-brown with crisp bits and no visible pink. If excess fat renders, spoon off to keep filling from turning greasy.
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Char the poblanos: Broil skin-side up until fully blackened (check every 2–3 minutes), then steam in a covered bowl 10–15 minutes; peel most of the skin for a smoother crema. Grill or gas-burner works too.
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Crema texture: Process until silky; adjust with lime juice for brightness or a splash of water to thin.
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Salsa: Toss just before serving so tomatoes stay juicy and corn keeps its pop.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat:
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Make-ahead: Crema keeps best 1 day (press plastic wrap directly on surface). Salsa can be mixed 1 day ahead; add tomatoes and lime just before serving for freshness.
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Store: Keep components separate in airtight containers in the fridge 2–3 days.
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Reheat: Warm sweet potato–chorizo mixture in a skillet over medium until hot; add a splash of water if dry. Steam tortillas in a damp towel in the microwave or warm on a dry skillet.
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Freeze: Filling (sweet potato + chorizo) freezes up to a month; thaw overnight and re-crisp in a skillet.
FAQ:
Can I use Spanish (cured) chorizo?
Not for the filling—Spanish chorizo is firm and won’t crumble. Use fresh Mexican-style chorizo (or turkey/chicken chorizo) so it browns and mingles with the sweet potatoes.
How do I char poblanos without a broiler?
Use a gas burner or outdoor grill, turning with tongs until skins are blistered and black. Steam in a covered bowl before peeling for that smoky-sweet flavor.
What if my sweet potatoes are still firm when the chorizo is done?
Add a splash of water, cover, and let them steam a few minutes; they’re ready when a fork slides in easily and edges look lightly caramelized.
How can I make these ahead for a party?
Cook the filling and prep the salsa/crema a day ahead; rewarm filling in a skillet and set up a taco bar with warmed tortillas. Assemble to order so tortillas stay soft and the salsa stays bright.
Sweet potato + Chorizo Tacos with Black Bean Salsa and Roasted Poblano Avocado Crema
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 1222 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Tacos
- 1 sweet potato, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 pound ground mexican chorizo
- 1 clove garlic minced or grated
- 4 ounces pepper jack cheese grated
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 6-8 corn or flour tortillas warmed
Black Bean Corn Salsa
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 2 ears grilled corn
- 1 cup grape tomatoes quartered
- 1 jalapeno seeds removed and chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1 lime juiced
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
Poblano Avocado Crema
- 1 avocado skin and pit removed + chopped or sliced
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1 poblano pepper
- 2 teaspoon hot sauce I use Franks
- 2 limes juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add garlic and sweet potatoes and stir. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until sweet potatoes are just softened. Crumble in the chorizo and cook until browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. I like to really grind up the meat with a wooden spoon to make sure the meat gets cooked and browned evenly.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking make the roasted poblano crema, remove the core and seeds from peppers and slice in half. Lay on a baking sheet and preheat the broiler on your oven. Place under the broiler skin-side up until skins are completely charred and black – this took about 5 minutes for me, but sometimes is can go faster or shorter. I like to check them every 2 or 3 minutes and rotate if needed. Immediately remove peppers from oven and using kitchen tongs, quickly place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (obviously being sure to not let plastic wrap touch peppers). Set aside for 15 minutes. Or you can grill the peppers directly on the grill until charred.
- While the peppers cool throw the salsa together. In a medium size bowl add the black beans, grilled corn, jalapeno, cilantro, green onions, lime juice and cumin. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Set aside
- Once the peppers are cool remove some of the charred skin (I like to leave some of the skin on, but that is up to you) and place the pepper, avocado, greek yogurt, lime juice and hot sauce in the bowl of a food processor. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and process until smooth. Taste and season to your liking.
- To assemble, place generous spoonfuls of the sweet potato + chorizo mixture in warm tortillas. Top with shredded cheese, then black bean and corn salsa and roasted poblano crema.
This post was originally published on July 30, 2013
Lol… I’d certainly give you an applause for this amazingly creative idea! I would never have thought to combine these ingredients but by the looks of your gorgeous pics it certainly looks like it works. Tacos are awesome. Can’t wait to make these for my husband (who’d eat tacos for dessert…oh, there’s an idea! 🙂
Thank you so much, Tina!!Oh and I already have a dessert tacos recipe. I told you we really like tacos!
Oh man, I could eat tacos every night for dinner and not be bored. Scratch that — I could eat THESE tacos every night for dinner. So yum!
Haha! Thank you, Stephanie!
I love sweet potatoes, fab taco idea!
Thanks so much, Laura!
I could eat tacos every day for ever. Ohhhh dayummm
Tacos rule! Thanks Megan!
There is so much happiness going on in these tacos.
Haha, I agree!
Wow, these look amazing! I love all the bright beautiful colors going on here. It’s so perfectly summer.
I love tacos, even though I’m pretty boring; meat, cheese, sour cream. Done. xD But that corn and black bean salsa looks outstanding, and it might just change my life.
Thank you for the great recipe!
Also, I have to take a minute to ask you about cameras. Lately I’ve been thinking seriously about investing in a really nice DSLR camera, but I really don’t know where to start. What kind of camera do you use? Because your pictures are swoon worthy.
Or, what kind of cameras would you recommend? Thanks! 🙂
I use a canon EOS 60D with a 50mm macro lens. I love my canon, but it is also the only camera i have ever had, so I do not have anything to compare it to. But I do love it! I think it is worth a little research though to find a camera that is right for you. One that is easy to use and beginner friendly, but then again I learned by trial and error and tons and tons of reading. Ugh, sorry I am such am bad advice giver. LOL!
Thanks for your kind words and let me know if you need anymore help!!
Yum. Yum. Yum. You are so creative and I love the flavors you combine! These look delish-i-o-soooo!!!
Thank you so much, Robyn!
Yum x 100. These look great. I love tacos and try to put a new spin on them so they don’t get boring. Definitely adding these to my taco queue 🙂
Not a huge fan of chorizo (I don’t eat pork), so I’ll probably find a turkey replacement.
I am sure turkey will be delicious! Thanks Crystal, I hope you love these!
Mexican food is my happy place. I can’t get enough of it. These tacos are so drool-worthy! Love the poblano avocado crema!! Must make this.
Oh yeah, mexican food is so my happy place! LOL!
Thanks Laura!
Me + Mexican food = Marriage and Happy Life
You can never go wrong with a good taco or anything Mexican related.
Agree! Thanks Meagan!
How much Greek Yogurt? Looks great.
1/4 cup and I fixed the recipe. Sorry about that!!
Hope you love these!
Thanks Lori!
I love tacos – especially beautiful ones like these! Chorizo is so awesome, I bet these are just flavor city!
Thank you so much, Jennifer!
Not only do I love sweet potatoes and chorizo, but I love them together…and LOVE tacos! The black bean salsa and avocado crema look amazing – this taco is PACKED with flavor!
Thanks Julia!
Yup – these definitely look and sound WAY better than plain old beef tacos!
Loving the sound of that black bean corn salsa! Beautiful pictures as always!
Thank you so much, Shashi!
These are gorgeous! The sweet potato and chorizo is making my mouth water.
Thank you so much, Jamie!