Get my newest recipe via email:

Vegetarian Bean and Potato Tacos

Recently I shared how to cook pinto beans using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. With all the gorgeous potato varieties at farmer’s markets and in the stores right now, I got to thinking about these bean and potato tacos. Hello taco Tuesday!

Purple Potato and Bean Tacos  arrange on white plate with condiments on the side

Soft golden corn tortillas, creamy smashed beans and steamed potato chunks.

Simplicity. Both the beans and potatoes are humbly seasoned with sautéed onions, salt and pepper, and salsa. The tortillas get sprayed with cooking spray and softened in the oven. Easy, nothing fancy.

You decide which hue goes in your tacos-any variety of bean and any color and kind of potato.

Click here to PIN Purple Potato and Bean Tacos.

Holy culinary crayons!! Taco potatoes can be orange sweet potatoes, Yukon yellows, new reds, or russets–a palette awaits. Today you’re seeing purple potato and pinto bean tacos, because I found the purple spuds at the farmer’s market and wanted to show them off.

Black beans, white beans, pink pintos, green lentils, you get to choose from the bean spectrum too. Today’s tacos feature pinto beans because I had some homemade and ready.

Vivid, versatile, and vegetarian. You can call them rainbow bean and potato tacos.

Color them with violet shredded cabbage and green avocado and dark green cilantro. Tomatoes and salsa—red, green, or both. Grated white cheddar or–dare I say it—orange cheddar? Again, you choose the colors.

cooked and peeled purple potatoes for Purple Potato and Bean Tacos
Assembling Purple Potato and Bean Tacos on a sheet pan

You will like my trick to softening the tortillas–use cooking spray. Mist both sides of the tortillas, arrange them on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for about a minute. While they’re soft, fill with the hot seasoned potatoes and beans.

Bean and potato tacos details:

  • You can steam the potatoes a day ahead. When they are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins.
  • Use canned or cooked-from-scratch beans.
  • Mi-Rancho corn tortillas are hands-down my faves. They taste like corn!
  • If you eat dairy, add grated cheese. I used white cheddar.
  • Purple potatoes are not your everyday tuber. Find them at farmer’s markets, and sometimes in Trader Joe’s or high-end supermarkets. If you grow a garden—you might want to plant some purple or blue potatoes.
  • Since we make tacos for dinner quite often, like most every taco Tuesday, I finally bought some of these functional stainless steel taco holders (Affiliate link) for molding the soft tortillas and serving at the table.

I made these tacos for friends a while back. When I described them, they gave me a wary eye–potato and bean tacos? They were blown away! Especially with the purple potatoes!

Purple Potato and Bean Tacos on plate square view

More vegetarian tacos:

To get my latest recipe posts and newsletters, subscribe here. (I hate Spam too and will never share your email with anyone.)

  • Follow me on Instagram!
  • Peruse my Pinterest boards for more vegetarian recipe ideas.
  • Find daily vegetarian and healthy living ideas on my Facebook page.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. When you purchase products via my links, it doesn’t cost you anything and I earn a tiny commission, which helps me continue to provide free content here on Letty’s Kitchen. Thank you for supporting Letty’s Kitchen!

If you like this recipe, I’d be grateful if you’d give a ✮✮✮✮✮ rating on the recipe card below.

26 comments

  • They’re certainly colorful. I’ve been enjoying potato tacos from Guerrilla Taco Truck here in LA. There’s nothing better than sitting on the curb eating one of these artful tacos. Except of course if you’re eating them in Baja. As I suspect you are. GREG Reply · 16 January, 2016

  • Purple potatoes are so beautiful! I have two potato taco recipes on my blog. People are always surprised that potatoes are good in tacos. I love surprising people-haha! These look great! Reply · 12 February, 2016

    • Thanks Linda. I’m making them with sweet potatoes and a tri-color bean mix tonight! So many possibilities. Reply · 12 February, 2016

  • Purple potatoes are so pretty! And I love a taco pretty much no matter what the filling. So yummy1 Reply · 12 February, 2016

    • Thanks Jenn–tacos are such an easy meal! Tostadas too. Same idea, different shape… Reply · 12 February, 2016

  • Well anything purple is my thing, so these tacos are a must make! Reply · 12 February, 2016

    • Yes, purple is one regal color and it tacos–surprise them! Reply · 12 February, 2016

  • Oh yeah… I love the idea of the different colored potatoes. What a gorgeous taco bar this would make! Reply · 12 February, 2016

    • Oh great idea–rainbow taco bar! Reply · 12 February, 2016

  • Oh my gosh, potatoes in tacos? I can’t believe I’ve never tried that before!! It sounds (and looks) SO good! I’ll be returning for this recipe ASAP. Reply · 14 February, 2016

    • Oh potatoes in tacos–all kinds! So easy too! Reply · 14 February, 2016

  • Oh I love these! That purple colour is so pretty, I think my little one would be sure to eat all her dinner up without a word if I served these up (obsessed with everything purple). I will have to keep my eye out at the farmers market today! Reply · 14 February, 2016

    • I hope you find them at your farmer’s market. Ask them to plant some for you! Reply · 16 February, 2016

  • Poatatoes are just the most awesome ingredient ever. I can’t believe that I have never tried them in tacos. i need to change that! Reply · 14 February, 2016

  • These look so beautiful! I pretty much always put potatoes in my tacos and burritos and all my recipes contain them too, to me, they make the taco so much more filling! These are just wonderful! Reply · 14 February, 2016

  • Yum! Love the color of these tacos. Really beautiful! Sharing now 🙂 Reply · 15 February, 2016

    • Thanks for sharing Vanessa! Reply · 16 February, 2016

  • These are GORGEOUS Letty! I’m like so many other commenters who haven’t tried taters in tacos yet but want to. YUM! 🙂 Reply · 15 February, 2016

  • Purple potatoes?? I need to try them! Wow, I didn’t know they existed. That looks soo cool! I’m stunned a little I have to admit, haha Reply · 15 February, 2016

    • Aren’t they the wildest? The color means lots of phytonutrients too. Reply · 16 February, 2016

  • These Taco’s look so delicious and I absolutely love using naturally colored ingredients in my recipes. The purple potato makes the dish so pretty. Reply · 16 February, 2016

    • Thanks Molly. The purple potatoes are so fun! Reply · 16 February, 2016

  • Jessica Shepherd

    Made these tonight, and they were amazing. Best tacos ever. Maybe my favorite. Thanks! Reply · 1 December, 2020

    • Thank you Jessica! I’m delighted you enjoyed the tacos. Coincidentally, I made these 2 nights ago with chickpeas as the beans. 😉 Reply · 2 December, 2020

Leave a Reply

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.