Sheet Pan Sweet Potatoes and Black Bean Bowls

Name: Sheet Pan Sweet Potatoes and Black Bean Bowls
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup brown rice (uncooked); 3 cups sweet potatoes, chopped into 1” pieces; ½ red onion, chopped into 1” pieces; 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained, rinsed and towel-dried; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp cumin; ½ tsp onion powder; ½ tsp garlic powder; ¼ tsp salt; Freshly ground black pepper to taste; Plant based sour cream, regular sour cream or Greek yogurt; Avocado; Pickled jalapenos; Pickled red onions; Salsa; Hot sauce; Cilantro; Lime wedge

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Sheet pan sweet potatoes and black bean bowls is an easy, healthy meal that's sure to become a new favorite! This dish is simple yet delightfully tasty. I love being able to roast everything on one baking sheet. It certainly makes for an easy clean up!

White bowl of sweet potatoes and black beans over a bed of rice with sour cream. — Add whatever additional toppings you would like!

My friend Ashley gave me her recipe for this dish and thankfully gave me permission to write a blog post about it! Ashley is just as much of a foodie as I am, perhaps even more so because she has a degree from the Culinary Institute of America! If that doesn’t convince you how amazing this dish is, I don’t know what will.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Step by Step Instructions
Tips and Tricks
Substitutions and Variations
Storing and Reheating
Frequently Asked Questions
Other Recipes You'll Love
Sheet Pan Sweet Potatoes and Black Bean Bowls

Why You'll Love This Recipe

It consists of simple healthy ingredients you’ll already find in your pantry!
It’s super easy to modify with different variations of the recipe.
Sheet pan recipes make for easy cooking and clean up!
This is perfect for vegan or vegetarian meal-prep lunches!
This meal is budget friendly!

Equipment

Medium saucepan with a lid
Kitchen towel - to dry the beans
Baking sheet
Parchment paper (optional)

Ingredients

Brown rice - I like to use minute rice or parboiled brown rice to make this a quick meal!
Sweet potatoes
Black beans
Red onion
Spices - cinnamon, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Optional Toppings:

Plant based sour cream, regular sour cream or Greek yogurt
Avocado
Pickled jalapenos
Pickled red onions
Salsa
Hot sauce
Cilantro
Lime wedge

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cook the rice according to package directions. Parboiled rice such as Minute rice or Uncle Ben’s is a great way to cut down on cooking times. You may also use regular brown rice.

3. Dry the black beans using a kitchen towel (just like you would for roasted crispy cannellini beans). Add the sweet potato, red onion, black beans, spices and olive oil to a large mixing bowl. Toss until they are evenly coated.

Chopped sweet potato, red onion and black beans mixed in a bowl with spices.

4. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking.

Sheet pan of roasted sweet potatoes, onion and black beans.

5. Serve: layer the rice on the bottom of the bowl, pile it up with roasted potatoes and black beans, and add the optional toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

Roasted sweet potatoes and black beans over rice in a white bowl.

Tips and Tricks

Keep the red onion in larger chunks so it doesn’t get too crispy!

Remember to dry the black beans with a kitchen towel. This will ensure they get crispy when they are roasted!

Look for parboiled rice in the grocery store to keep cooking times low. Parboiled rice such as minute rice only takes about 10 minutes to cook, while regular brown rice could take up to 40 minutes!

If you choose to use regular brown rice, think about making it ahead of time so the meal is easier to put together during the week!

Substitutions and Variations

This recipe will work well with any grain of your choosing (farro, quinoa, barley, etc). White rice can also easily be substituted for brown rice. You can also make the grain of choice ahead of time.

Substitute black beans for your bean of choice such as cannellini beans, kidney beans, pinto beans or garbanzo beans! They will all yield slight flavor variations of this dish.

You can also turn this meal into a salad (substitute lettuces for the rice), tacos, burritos or even nachos (I would omit the rice for the nachos)!

Keep this recipe vegan by using a plant-based sour cream as a topping instead of regular sour cream. Alternatively, if you are not vegan, feel free to use the creamy topping of your choosing such as non-fat Greek yogurt!

Three bowls of sheet pan sweet potatoes and black bean with toppings.

Storing and Reheating

Store any leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can always make extra rice and save it to make crispy fried rice later in the week!

Store the roasted veggies and beans in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

You can also meal-prep this dish by making individual portions and keeping them in separate containers for an easy grab and go lunch.

To reheat, simply microwave the leftovers in a microwave safe tupperware or bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do sweet potatoes pair well with?

Black beans and other vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts and cauliflower.

What should I make with sweet potatoes and black beans?

Sweet potatoes and black bean bowls are the perfect dish to make. You can also turn this dish into a salad, tacos, a burrito or nachos!

Are black beans healthy?

Black beans (also called turtle beans) are filled with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are also a great source of plant based protein! You can read more about the health benefits of black beans on Web MD.

Other Recipes You'll Love

Watermelon Margaritas pair nicely with this dish.
BBQ Cauliflower Tacos are a fantastic easy vegan taco recipe.
Tofu and Potato Breakfast Salad is the perfect way to start the day.