Sweet Potato Burrito with Avocado Salsa Verde

Sweet potato burritos with black beans, smothered in a simple but flavorful avocado salsa verde sauce. These vegetarian burritos are easily made vegan.

Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 23, 2026

61 Reviews
228CommentsJump to recipe
sweet potato burrito with avocado salsa verde
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I love how Mexican cuisine has a different word for every traditional incarnation of tortillas and fillings. Burritos, tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, enchiladas, tlayudas… I’m only scratching the surface.

I’m not exactly sure how to label this recipe. It’s a lightly baked “burrito” of modest size—a borderline enchilada, really. It’s stuffed with a few of my favorite ingredients, including roasted sweet potatoes, roasted red peppers, black beans, and zesty avocado sauce. I wanted to incorporate as much sauce as possible, so I poured it all over.

At that rate, eating the burrito required a fork, so why bother tucking in the sides of the tortilla? Might as well sprinkle the inside with cheese and bake it for a few minutes so it all sticks together. I published this recipe in 2012, and it’s still one of my favorites, so I’m sharing it again today with new photos!

“I made this for lunch today and my husband could not stop raving the entire time he was eating it! He said it was so good that it ALMOST made him decide to be a vegetarian.

I can’t say enough about how good this is. It’s simple to make and absolutely delicious. I’ll definitely be making this again.”

Featured Review by Winnie

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sweet potato burrito ingredients
roasted sweet potato and bell pepper

You’ll Fall in Love with Avocado Salsa Verde

I considered making homemade salsa verde, but all the tomatillos I could find were subpar this late in the season. I skipped over to the salsa aisle with an excuse to take a shortcut (who doesn’t like a good shortcut?).

At home, I blended the avocados with the salsa, fresh lime juice, cilantro and garlic. The end result is bright, bold and super fresh tasting despite the jarred salsa. It reminds me of the sauce covering my go-to burrito at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. Top it with a dollop of sour cream, and it’s sublime.

Maybe we don’t need a word for this super fresh burrito-enchilada hybrid after all. It’s good; let’s leave it at that.

Avocado Sauce Tips

  • The taste of the avocado sauce is dependent on the type of salsa you use. I recommend a mild salsa verde made with tomatillos. I like Herdez brand.
  • The avocado sauce will keep well in a jar in the fridge for a few days. If you find that the surface is browning over time, cover the surface with plastic wrap to minimize contact with air.
  • If you have leftover sauce, it doubles as a stellar salad dressing on romaine lettuce.
burrito filling
burritos before baking

Recipe Prep Tips & Notes

  • For a quick weeknight meal, roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time and warm them slightly before assembling the burritos.
  • You could also bake a batch and wrap them up for later, reserving the avocado sauce and toppings for the last minute.
  • You don’t necessarily need to bake these burritos (the warm tortilla, black beans and sweet potatoes should melt the cheese), but I prefer the faintly crunchy exterior of the baked burrito.
  • You can easily make this burrito vegan by omitting the cheese and sour cream. Still delicious, I promise!
avocado salsa verde
sweet potato burrito recipe

Serving Suggestions

If you’re making a feast, add any of these options!

Please let me know how your burritos turn out in the comments. I love hearing from you.

sweet potato burrito interiors
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Sweet Potato Burrito Smothered in Avocado Salsa Verde

  • Author: Kathryne Taylor
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 45 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 4 burritos
  • Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 61 reviews

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Sweet potato burritos with black beans, smothered in a simple but flavorful avocado salsa verde sauce. Recipe yields 4 to 6 burritos, depending on the size of your tortillas and how full you stuff them.

Ingredients

Burritos

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or chipotle powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne (omit if sensitive to spice)
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 4 to 6 whole wheat tortillas
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 to 2 cups shredded Jack cheese or cheddar cheese

Avocado Salsa Verde

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1 cup mild salsa verde, homemade or jarred
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • ¼ cup packed cilantro leaves
  • Up to 2 tablespoons water, to thin as necessary
  • Salt, to taste

Toppings

  • 1 ½ cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • ½ small red onion, finely chopped
  • Sour cream, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Scrub and peel the sweet potatoes (or leave the skin on to save time). Slice them into large, bite-sized chunks, about 1 to 1 ½-inches wide/long and ½-inch deep. Cut the bell pepper into 1-inch wide strips.
  2. On the prepared baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes and bell pepper with the olive oil, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Arrange the veggies evenly across the pan. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway, until they are golden and caramelized around the edges.
  3. Make the avocado sauce: Scoop the avocado into a food processor or blender. Add the salsa verde, garlic, and lime juice. Blend. Add the cilantro and blend again. Add water to thin out the sauce if desired; the sauce should glop easily off a spoon. Taste and blend in some salt or add another squeeze of lime if necessary. This sauce should taste like a real kick in the mouth; you’ll know you’re done when you can’t stop going in for another spoonful.
  4. Make sure the oven is still on at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your tortillas on another baking sheet lined with parchment paper. In the middle of each tortilla, put down a few strips of roasted red pepper, then pour ⅓ cup black beans down the center and top it all with ⅓ cup roasted sweet potato chunks. Sprinkle ¼ cup or more of cheese on top. Pull one edge of the tortilla over to the center of the burrito, then pull the opposite edge over to overlap a bit. Gently roll the burrito over. Repeat with remaining burritos.
  5. Bake your burritos for about 5 to 7 minutes on the middle rack, until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are lightly crisp. Carefully transfer each burrito to a plate. Smother it in avocado sauce, sprinkle with ample romaine lettuce, some chopped red onion, and a dollop of sour cream if you’d like. Enjoy. Leftover burritos keep well with sauce stored separately in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days.

Notes

Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the cheese and optional sour cream, or substitute vegan sour cream.

Make it gluten free: Substitute gluten-free tortillas, like Siete brand. They will be more delicate, but I believe you will have good results.

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

  • Category: Main
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Mexican

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