Jamie Oliver Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

Jamie Oliver’s sweet potato and black bean tacos air-fry Cajun-spiced sweet potato chunks above black beans simmering in the drawer below, then pile both into warm tortillas with a watermelon salsa, crumbled feta and coriander. Vegetarian, serves two, 42 minutes, 614 kcal. The air fryer cooks both components at once without a separate pan.

The recipe is from Easy Air Fryer (2024), and it uses the same drawer-within-a-drawer technique as his teriyaki ribs: the beans, spring onions and Cajun seasoning go in the base of the drawer, the shelf goes back on top, and the sweet potato sits on the shelf. Everything cooks at 180°C for 30 minutes, the beans stewing below while the potato chunks roast above, then the tortillas warm through in the last 2 minutes.

The watermelon salsa is the surprise that ties it together. Diced watermelon, coriander, chilli, lime and olive oil make a cold, sweet, sharp salsa that cuts through the warm, starchy, spiced filling. It sounds unlikely on a taco, but the sweetness of watermelon and sweet potato are in the same register, and the lime and chilli stop it tipping into dessert.

Jamie Oliver Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

Recipe by Pinch Perfect

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Dinner, LunchCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

32

minutes

Calories

614

kcal

Total time

42

minutes

Jamie Oliver’s air-fryer tacos from Easy Air Fryer: Cajun sweet potato and black beans cooked simultaneously in the drawer, loaded into tortillas with watermelon salsa, feta and coriander. Vegetarian, one appliance, two servings.

Ingredients

• 2 spring onions

• 1 x 400g tin of black beans

• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning

• 2 sweet potatoes (250g each)

• red wine vinegar

• olive oil

• 4 regular flour tortillas

• 160g watermelon

• ½ a bunch of coriander (15g)

• ½ a fresh red chilli

• 1 lime

• extra virgin olive oil

• 30g feta cheese

Directions

• Set up the drawer:Trim and finely slice the spring onions, remove the air-fryer shelf and scatter the onions into the base. Add the beans with half their juice, mix in 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, then replace the shelf.
• Add the sweet potato:Scrub the sweet potatoes, chop into 3cm chunks and add to the drawer on the shelf. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon each of red wine vinegar and olive oil, add 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper, and rub together. Cook for 30 minutes at 180°C, shaking halfway. Add the tortillas to warm for the last 2 minutes.
• Make the watermelon salsa:Peel and finely dice the watermelon. Finely chop the coriander stalks (reserving the leaves), deseed and finely chop the chilli, squeeze over half the lime juice, add ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, toss gently and season.
• Mash and assemble:Remove the tortillas and sweet potato. Carefully take out the shelf. Roughly chop most of the coriander leaves and stir into the beans. Roughly mash the beans to a thick, saucy consistency and season. Spoon onto the tortillas, top with sweet potato and watermelon salsa, crumble over the feta and scatter with the remaining coriander. Serve with lime wedges.

FAQs

How do the beans cook below the shelf?

The same way the teriyaki sauce works in Oliver’s teriyaki pork ribs from the same book. The beans, spring onions and Cajun seasoning sit in liquid in the base of the drawer, the shelf goes back on top, and the sweet potato cooks above. The air fryer’s circulating hot air stews the beans below while roasting the potato above, so one drawer does two jobs.

After 30 minutes the beans have simmered into a thick, spiced mixture and the sweet potato is golden and tender. You mash the beans roughly for texture rather than blitzing them smooth, so the filling has body and holds together on the tortilla.

Watermelon on a taco?

It works because watermelon is more savoury than you expect. Diced, mixed with chilli, lime and coriander, it becomes a proper salsa rather than a fruit salad. The sweetness echoes the sweet potato, the chilli gives it heat, and the lime sharpens everything. It’s cold and juicy against the warm, starchy filling, which is exactly the contrast a good taco needs.

If watermelon is out of season or the idea doesn’t appeal, diced mango or pineapple give a similar sweet-sharp-tropical note. A classic tomato salsa also works, though it lacks the colour punch. Oliver’s zesty salmon tacos from 20-Minute Meals uses a blitzed sweetcorn salsa if you want a different approach entirely.

Can I make this without an air fryer?

Yes. Toss the seasoned sweet potato chunks on a baking tray and roast at 200°C/180°C fan for 25-30 minutes until golden and tender. Warm the beans and spring onions with the Cajun seasoning in a saucepan on the hob, adding a splash of water and simmering gently. Warm the tortillas in a dry pan or under the grill.

The oven version takes a little longer and uses an extra pan for the beans, but the flavours are identical. The air fryer’s advantage is cooking both in one drawer simultaneously, so it’s a convenience rather than a flavour difference.

Is this vegan?

Almost. Drop the feta and it’s fully vegan: the beans, sweet potato, watermelon salsa, tortillas and Cajun seasoning are all plant-based. A crumble of dairy-free feta or a dollop of guacamole replaces the salty, creamy element on top.

With or without the feta, it’s a high-fibre, high-protein vegetarian supper at over 20g of protein per serving from the beans alone. The 20g of fibre is impressive too, making it one of the more nutritionally balanced recipes in the entire Oliver set.

What Cajun seasoning should I use?

Any shop-bought blend works. Cajun seasoning is typically a mix of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, oregano, thyme and black pepper, and Oliver uses it as a shortcut to a complex spice profile in one scoop. Two teaspoons (split between beans and potato) gives a warm, peppery kick without being fiery.

Check the label for salt content, since some blends are heavily salted, and go easy on the extra salt if yours is. If you’d rather mix your own, equal parts smoked paprika, garlic powder and dried thyme with a pinch of cayenne gets you close.

What else from Easy Air Fryer pairs with this?

These tacos are a full meal for two, but for a bigger air-fryer spread, Oliver’s gochujang chicken burgers from the same book give you a meat option alongside, and both cook at similar temperatures so you could alternate batches. His sriracha corn from the BBQ book would be a quick side if you grill it while the tacos air-fry.

For a vegetarian spread entirely, pair with his tomato and feta lentils or pea paneer curry from 20-Minute Meals, both of which use a different spice profile but the same storecupboard instinct.