Spicy Quinoa Sweet Potato Tacos
Here’s a healthy taco recipe with a Spicy Quinoa and Sweet Potato filling. A great alternative to traditional meat tacos.
Tired of the same old taco recipes? If you are then you must try this Spicy Quinoa Sweet Potato Tacos recipe. A delicious healthy alternative to the traditional meat filled tacos.
Benefits of Quinoa
Quinoa has fewer calories and carbs than rice.
It has more protein than rice.
Quinoa they say keeps you full for longer than rice.
It can help with weight loss.
Another benefit of using quinoa is simply how easy it is to make. For this taco recipe, all you are going to do is combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and let it cook. From start to finish it should take about 30 minutes.
I recommend dicing the sweet potatoes on the small side as this will help them cook a little faster and be tender when the quinoa is ready. Make sure you use a sharp knife as they can be hard to cut.
How Hot Are the Peppers
The Scoville Scale is the measurement that tells you the spiciness of a given type of pepper.
| Pepper Type | Scoville Rating (Heat) |
|---|---|
| Bell Pepper | 0-0 |
| Banana Pepper | 0-500 |
| Poblano Pepper | 1000-1500 |
| Jalapeño Pepper | 2500-8000 |
| Serrano Peppers | 10,000-25,000 |
| Manzano Pepper | 12,000-30,000 |
| Tabasco & Cayenne | 30,000-50,000 |
| Habanero Pepper | 100,000-300,000 |
| Ghost Pepper | 855,000-1,000,000 |
| Carolina Reaper | 1,500,000-2,300,000 |
The spicy part of this recipe comes from the jalapeños. If you are not a fan you can always leave it out or substitute for green bell pepper. If you like your tacos especially hot you can add more jalapeños to taste.
Recipe Variation
If you want to infuse a little more flavor into the quinoa and sweet potato mixture you can use an equal amount of chicken broth instead of the water. Makes a nice subtle difference.
Recipe Tip
To make the sweet potato a little easier to cut, I HIGHLY recommend you zap the sweet potato for about 1-2 minutes in the microwave. This will make it so much easier to cut.
If you are not familiar with Mexican Crema, it looks very much like Sour Cream but not sour. If you can’t find Mexican Crema at your local grocery store, you can either use my Super Easy Garlic Lime Crema recipe or make your own by combining 1 Cup of Heavy Cream, 2 tablespoons Buttermilk, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt.
If you are a Taco lover, you need to check out our Top 5 Taco Recipes.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Spicy Quinoa Sweet Potato Tacos recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Quinoa, Fresh Jalapeño, Red Onion, Sweet Potato, Salt and Flour Tortillas. Optional toppings include: Crema, Fresh Cilantro and Fresh Lime Juice.
How to Make Spicy Quinoa Sweet Potato Tacos
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the quinoa, salt, jalapenos, onion, sweet potatoes and water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook until the quinoa is tender and the water has been fully absorbed about 20 minutes.
- Let the quinoa cool slightly, and then fluff with a fork. Add the quinoa filling to the tortillas.
- Optionally garnish each taco with crema, cilantro and/or fresh lime juice.
Spicy Quinoa Sweet Potato Tacos
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Quinoa, uncooked
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 Fresh Jalapeño, diced
- ¼ Cup Red Onion, diced
- 1 Sweet Potato, diced
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 16 Flour Tortillas
Toppings (Optional)
- Mexican Crema
- Fresh Cilantro
- Fresh Lime Juice
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the quinoa, salt, jalapenos, onion, sweet potatoes and water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook until the quinoa is tender and the water has been fully absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- Let the quinoa cool slightly, and then fluff with a fork. Add the quinoa filling to the tortillas.
- Optionally garnish each taco with crema, cilantro and/or fresh lime juice.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
This sweet potato taco is superb.