Delicious And Hearty Vegetarian Nachos with Sweet Potatoes

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I make a small commission.

Nachos aren’t just for Super Bowl parties! These sheet pan vegetarian nachos are loaded with delicious toppings, making them a fun meal or hearty snack for a crowd.

These vegetarian nachos are full of melty cheeses and some classic flavor combinations - including sweet potatoes and black beans - with a cilantro lime cream that’s bright and flavorful. Perfect for a Meatless Monday dinner or a weekend happy hour snack, sheet pan nachos go from the oven to the table where everyone can customize their nachos with their favorite toppings.

This recipe comes together faster than you might think. The oven does the work of roasting the sweet potatoes while you blend up the four ingredient cilantro lime cream and prep the nachos. Make the sweet potatoes during your weekend meal prep time and this recipe will come together quickly for a busy weeknight or game day.

Ingredients

Sweet potato
White or red onion
Extra virgin olive oil
Chili powder
Cumin
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Cilantro
Sour cream
A lime
Tortilla chips
Back beans
Corn
Monterey jack cheese
Tomato
Avocado

How to Make Meatless Nachos with Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes

Roast the Sweet Potatoes

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Spice mixture for the sweet potatoes in vegetarian nachos.

In a medium bowl toss diced sweet potatoes and onions with olive oil until all vegetable pieces are coated.

Sprinkle spice mixture over sweet potatoes and toss well to coat.

A bowl of diced sweet potatoes, onions, oil, and spices mixed together.

Place mixture on a sheet pan and spread out into a single layer.

Raw sweet potato mixture on a baking sheet.

Roast potatoes and onions in the oven for 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes begin to brown, tossing half way through the baking time. Remove from oven.

Make the Cilantro Lime Cream

Place cilantro, sour cream, lime juice and remaining ½ teaspoon salt in a food processor or high speed blender.

Cilantro Lime creme ingredients in a mini food processor.

Blend until mixture is smooth.

Pour into a small dish and refrigerate until ready to use.

Assemble Nachos

Heat oven to 350.

Spread chips out on a sheet pan. Sprinkle chips with 1 cup of shredded cheese. Top with black beans, corn, and roasted sweet potatoes. Cover with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Place nachos in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese melts completely. Remove from the oven.

Top nachos with diced tomatoes, and avocado.

Drizzle cilantro lime cream over top of the nachos.

Cilantro cream being dropped on to the nachos.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

A hand picking up a chip from a tray of vegetarian nachos.

Tips for Sheet Pan Vegetarian Nachos

Make the sweet potatoes and cilantro lime cream ahead of time. Both the roasted sweet potato mixture and the cilantro lime cream can be made up to 2 days before you want to serve the nachos and stored in the refrigerator. The cold, cooked sweet potatoes can be placed directly on the nachos - they’ll reheat great in the oven while the cheese melts.

Make your own tortilla chips. If you really want to take these meatless nachos to the next level, grab some corn tortillas and fry up your own chips. Follow my step by step instructions for making homemade tortilla chips!

Don’t have sour cream on hand? Swap it out for plain greek yogurt in the Cilantro Lime Cream.

Use a strong tortilla chip for nachos. Thin and light chips are delicious for snacking, but don’t hold up for nachos. Choose a thicker cut tortilla chip for this recipe.

Make this recipe your own by adding your favorite toppings. Pico de gallo, diced bell peppers, shredded lettuce, and/or thinly sliced jalapeño peppers are great options and would all make delicious additions.

This vegetarian nacho recipe uses Monterey jack cheese because of its creamy taste and how well it melts. If you can’t find or don’t like Monterey jack cheese, feel free to swap it out for your favorite cheese.

Drink Pairings

Frequently Asked Questions

If I wanted to add meat to this recipe, what should I use?

Cooked, shredded chicken or cooked ground beef is delicious on these nachos if you’re looking to add a little meat to the mixture. Add the chicken or beef along with the sweet potatoes, corn, and cheese before you put the nachos in the oven.

Do I have to cook the sweet potatoes separately?

Yes! You absolutely MUST take the time to roast the sweet potatoes before making these nachos. If you put the raw potatoes on your nachos, they will not have enough time to cook and you’ll be left with a greasy, crunchy, inedible mess. If you don’t want to roast the sweet potatoes (or forgot to do it ahead of time), just leave them off. This meatless nachos recipe will still be delicious.

What can I use instead of black beans?

Substitute canned pinto beans - drained and rinsed - for the black beans if you prefer. Pinto beans will give you a flavor more like refried beans.

What can you put on nachos besides cheese?

Literally anything you like! Nachos are the perfect customizable meal because you can put any toppings you want on them. Got lots of small containers of leftovers? Turn them into nachos! Chips + cheese + leftover roasted veggies, chicken, etc = Dinner!

How do you make nachos so they don't get soggy?

Adding a layer of cheese to the chips before you add any other toppings will help keep your chips crunchy and stop the moisture from other toppings from making your chips soggy.

Don’t Miss These Easy Recipes

Plate full of tortilla chips — Homemade Tortilla Chips

More Delicious Recipes You’ll Love

Print the Recipe

Sheet Pan Vegetarian Nachos with Sweet Potatoes

Print Recipe

Nachos aren’t just for Super Bowl parties! These sheet pan vegetarian nachos are loaded with delicious toppings, making them a fun meal or hearty snack for a crowd.

Author: Katy McAvoy
Prep Time: 40 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Total Time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American

Instructions

Roast the Sweet Potatoes:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl toss diced sweet potatoes and onions with olive oil until all vegetable pieces are coated. Sprinkle spice mixture over sweet potatoes and toss well to coat. Place mixture on a sheet pan and spread out into a single layer. Roast potatoes and onions in the oven for 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes begin to brown, tossing half way through the baking time. Remove from the oven.

Make Cilantro Lime Cream:

Place cilantro, sour cream, lime juice and remaining ½ teaspoon salt in a food processor or high speed blender. Blend until mixture is smooth. Pour into a small dish and refrigerate until ready to use.

Assemble Nachos:

Heat oven to 350. Spread chips out on a sheet pan or rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle chips with 1 cup of shredded cheese. Top with black beans, corn, and roasted sweet potatoes. Cover with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese. Place nachos in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted. Remove from the oven.

Sprinkle nachos with tomatoes, and avocado. Drizzle cilantro lime cream over top of the nachos. Garnish with cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately.