These Sweet Potato Nachos are a fun twist on traditional nachos! They're made with crispy sweet potato chips topped with seasoned black beans, melty pepper jack, and all of your favorite nacho toppings!
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
I'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
This post may include affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
When I originally wrote this recipe I topped it with my citrus shredded beef and dairy-free avocado sauce. But feedback from readers is they wanted a vegetarian nacho option and real cheese. So after retesting this recipe in May of 2023, I came up with a new version. I hope you enjoy the update!
📖Why My Recipe Works
- Crispy Chips- Most sweet potato nacho recipes use baked sweet potato wedges. But even if you air-fry, they are going to be soggy after you add the toppings. I always use sweet potato chips, preferably the ones cooked in coconut oil or avocado oil because they stay so crispy!
- Ready in minutes- They're ready in 15 minutes from start to finish!
- Flavor- You get the subtly sweet flavor of sweet potatoes, the tangy citrus flavor of lime, and the spicy creaminess of pepper jack cheese...it really is the perfect combination of flavors.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Sweet Potato Chips - I use a bag of store-bought sweet potato chips to keep this recipe extra easy.
- Black beans - You'll need one can of black beans, drained. You can also use pinto beans or refried beans.
- Seasonings - We're seasoning our beans with a simple mix of lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. Feel free to add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes if you like a little extra heat.
- Cheese - The creamy texture and slightly spicy flavor of shredded pepper jack is perfectly melted over sweet potato chips. You can also use Monterrey jack, cheddar cheese, or a Mexican cheese blend.
- Toppings - I like to finish these nachos off with avocado, cilantro, red onion or pickled onions, and sour cream. You can combine the avocado and sour cream and make a simple avocado crema to drizzle on top. Chopped tomatoes and homemade salsas are also options.
For a meat option, you can use asado chicken or BBQ beef on top.
💭 More Nacho Topping Ideas
Some of my favorite nacho toppings include sliced avocado, cilantro, fresh or pickled jalapenos, diced tomatoes, bacon, guacamole, black olives, green onions, sweet peppers, BBQ sauce, fresh salsa, or a fruity pico de Gallo.
⏲️How to Make Sweet Potato Nachos
This recipe only requires a simple assembly/ Here are a few tips to ensure perfect nachos!
- Combine the black beans, lime juice, and spices in a mixing bowl. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.
- I generally don't salt the beans because the chips are always plenty salty.
- Spread the sweet potato chips on a parchment-lined baking sheet to prevent sticking.
- Be sure to spread the chips in a single so they cook evenly. Top the chips with the beans, then layer with shredded cheese.
- Properly preheat your broiler.
- Cook the nachos for 3-6 minutes, checking at 3 minutes, then adding time as needed. It is super important that you watch them carefully so as not to burn the cheese or chips!
- I cook them on the lowest rack to ensure the bits and pieces do not burn!
- Once the cheese is melted, pull the nachos out of the oven, layer on all your favorite toppings, then serve immediately!
🥗What to Serve with Nachos
These nachos are plenty hearty to be enjoyed all on their own. However, you can totally serve them as part of a larger meal. Serve with Fajita Veggies and Salmon with Pineapple Salsa.
As part of a game day snack bar, I like to serve other vegetarian appetizer recipes like spicy mango salsa, warm or cold cream cheese stuffed peppers, and grilled corn ribs.
And, of course, you can't go wrong with a vodka lemon lime margarita or mezcal grapefruit paloma to sip on!
Homemade Sweet Potato Chips
Want to make your own sweet potato chips? Use a mandolin slicer or a sharp knife to give yourself very thin sweet potato rounds. Be sure you slice them as evenly as possible so they all cook at the same rate.
Once the chips are cut, toss them in a little bit of oil and salt, spread in an even layer on a baking sheet, and bake at 300ºF for 1 ⅕ hours or until the chips are nice and crispy!
From there, you can assemble your nachos immediately or let the chips cool and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
🥗More Nacho Recipes
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
What is the secret to crispy nachos?
The first step is to create a barrier between the crispy chips and the wetter nacho toppings such as salsas or creams. Melted cheese in particular separates the toppings from the chips just enough that they stay crispier for longer.
It is unavoidable that nachos get soggy as they sit. So, the real and true secret to crispy nachos is to just serve them immediately after assembling them!
What are the best chips for sweet potato nachos?
My two favorite brands of sweet potato chips are Jackson's Chips, which I used for these photos, and Terra Chips. Terra makes a beet and sweet potato chip which is a fun option.
📖 Recipe Card
Crispy Sweet Potato Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 bag sweet potato chips
- 1 cup black beans drained
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ cup pepper jack cheese shredded
- 1 avocado diced
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- optional toppings- jalapenos, tomatoes, sour cream, scallions
Instructions
- Pre-heat broiler. Line sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Arrange sweet potato chips in a single layer.1 bag sweet potato chips
- Mix together the black beans, lime juice, and spices in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 to 2 minutes in the microwave, stirring halfway through.1 cup black beans, 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Top the sweet potatoes with the beans and top with the shredded cheese. Broil for 3-6 minutes. Keep a close eye, don't let the chips burn.1½ cup pepper jack cheese
- Top with the avocado, cilantro, onion, and sour cream or other toppings as desired.1 avocado, ¼ cup cilantro leaves, optional toppings- jalapenos, tomatoes, sour cream, scallions, ¼ cup red onion
Carol says
The beef that is on this recipe is absolutely delicious. I would make that again on its own. Using sweet potato chips made this recipe fast and easy. Would make again, next time maybe with a cashew cheese.