Carnitas Sweet Potato Tacos

A slow carb recipe

Roasted sweet potato “tacos”, topped with carnitas? Yes, please!

No, these are not traditional tacos with a flour or corn tortilla. They use roasted sweet potato slices as the base.

I’ve always liked to see vibrant food that stands out as I scroll through Instagram. However, when it comes to actually cooking what I’ve seen I usually pass. Why? Mostly because it looks too involved.

However, making food with complicated ingredients is a whole lotta nope in my book. I do it. Sometimes. Generally you’ll find me making a big batch of food and eating that for a few days.

So when it comes to suggesting food that requires a few steps with roasting and flipping and adding other food that takes time to cook, I’m a little hesitant. I know when I scroll through recipes I’d rather not spend my day in the kitchen.

Having said all that, this might change your mind. Honestly, if you make my carnitas recipe in the Instant Pot, you can let the Instant Pot do its magic and cook it for you. All you’ve got to do is prep it and then shred it at the end. (For Delicious Instant Pot Carnitas, the total recipe is 1hr and 15 minutes).

Sweet Potatoes

The star of this show is the sweet potato.

This is not a low carb recipe. But this is a slow carb recipe!

Sweet Potatoes are 24g Net Carbs for 1 cup

The reason I like to use sweet potatoes when I’m eating complex carbs is just that, complex carbs. This means that they take longer to burn and they provide a slow release of energy. However, upon further research – roasting sweet potatoes may increase the glycemic index. If blood sugar is a big issue for you, this may not be the best recipe for you.

On Roasting Sweet Potatoes

There is one food my daughter could eat every single meal if served to her. Yep. You guessed it. Sweet potatoes. I don’t think she’s found a sweet potato she doesn’t like. That’s a win for me, because sometimes it is hard to feed toddlers.

To make sweet potato boats, you’ve got to carefully slice sweet potatoes lengthwise. It takes a little bit of work, but if I can do it, you can too. The slices should be about 1/4″ thick. You want to try to make them as uniform as possible, so that they cook evenly.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a baking sheet, lay out either a silicone mat or parchment, to prevent the sweet potatoes from sticking to the sheet. Drizzle avocado oil over the sweet potatoes and sprinkle salt (to taste). Flip the pieces over to make sure all sides are coated with oil and a little bit of salt.

Each oven is different, so you’ll have to keep an eye on the sweet potatoes. I found baking for 15 minutes on the first side, flipping, then baking an additional 12 minutes made for golden-brown sweet potato slices.

I haven’t tried using the air fryer, but if you’re wanting to cook without added oil, this may be a good option! If you DO try it, let me know how it goes.

Topping Your Sweet Potato Tacos

When it comes to topping your sweet potato “tacos” you are welcome to use what ever you’d like. I’m not going to be mad if you choose other toppings. As with all of my recipes, you can alter them to your liking. I won’t be offended.

I chose to put julienned (match stick) radishes, sour cream, pickled red onions (recipe here), and cilantro on top. Of course it is finished with a squeeze of fresh lime.

You could try things like avocado, cheese, shredded cabbage, etc!

For Trim Healthy Mama friends — This is either an XO or E. It depends on how much oil you use to roast the sweet potatoes. If you use an air fryer, you can reduce the oil. Also, it depends on the toppings you use. If you use a fat-free sour cream you’ll be in the E category.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Sweet Potato Carnitas Taco

A “taco” made by roasting sweet potato slices and topping it with carnitas and your favorite toppings. 

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Main Course, Slow Carb, THM-E, THM-XO, Vegetable

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Carnitas, roasted vegetables, Slow Carb, Sweet Potato, THM-E, THM-XO

Servings: 5

Calories: 297kcal

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 lbs sweet potato peeled, and sliced
• 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
• salt to taste
• 2 Cup Carnitas shredded
• 4-6 Radishes julienned
• 4 tbsp pickled red onion
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 lime in wedges

Instructions

Sweet Potato Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 425°F
• Peel sweet potatoes and slice lengthwise into oval slices, 1/4″ thick. 
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
• Place sweet potato slices on the sheet, be sure they don’t overlap. Drizzle avocado oil over each and either rub it in or use a brush to coat it. Flip the slices and repeat. Salt to taste. 

Roast Sweet Potatoes

• Roast at 425°F for 15 minutes. Remove pan and flip sweet potatoes. 
• Return pan to oven for an additional 12 minutes or until golden brown. 
• Remove from pan and top with carnitas, sugar-free pickled red onions, sour cream, radishes, sour cream, and cilantro. Squeeze fresh lime juice on top. 

  Enjoy!!

Notes

Nutritional value includes the nutritional value of my Instant Pot carnitas recipe. 

Nutritional value can vary based on your toppings, so the nutritional facts are a general estimate. 

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