Tender and full of flavor, these oil-free roasted sweet potato cubes with cumin, chili powder and other spices are delicious in tacos, burrito bowls or enchiladas. Or, use them as toppings for nachos, tostadas or salad.
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These flavorful little smoky TexMex sweet potato morsels are whole food plant-based no oil, gluten-free and nut-free.
🎙 What people say about this recipe
"I've roasted sweet potatoes many times but this recipe is by far the best tasting I ever had. I couldn't stop eating them. And my dog loved them too! I will make them this way every time from now on."
- Steve A.
🧄 Very useful ingredient notes
- Sweet potatoes - Look for sweet potatoes that are firm, without a lot of blemishes or indentions on the surface (these indicate the sweet potato may be old or bruised and going bad).
- Chili powder - a blend of spices used to make Texas Chili and other TexMex-inspired recipes. Not to be confused with chile powder (with an "e"). Chile powder is typically one type of chile pepper, dried and ground.
- Ground cumin - Cumin seeds ground into a powder is a key aromatic and warm spice in TexMex cuisine.
📋 Substitutions and variations
Here are some suitable substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:
- Sweet potatoes - instead of sweet potatoes, you can use butternut squash or summer squash (these may roast faster, so watch them) or even white or yellow potatoes
- Chili powder - instead of chili powder, you can use taco seasoning (reduce the salt if using this, since taco seasoning is already salted), smoked paprika or sweet paprika. You can also use ancho chile powder, chipotle pepper powder or other chile pepper powder you have, but may want to reduce the quantity since these will produce a spicier result since they are 100% hot chiles.
- Dried parsley or cilantro - use finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro instead and use ¼ cup instead.
Switch things up with these variation ideas!
- Spicy - add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to increase the spice level
- Russets - Make this other recipe on my site using russet potatoes and onions with the same seasonings of cumin, garlic and chili powder.
- Italian-inspired - make these to go with an Italian meal by using an Italian blend of herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, parsley) and garlic
- Greek-inspired - make these to go with a Greek meal by using Greek oregano, onion powder, garlic powder and finishing them with a drizzle of red wine vinegar or lemon juice
🔪 Instructions
Step by step instructions for how to make roasted sweet potato cubes without using oil in the oven.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Add diced sweet potatoes to a medium bowl, along with the chili powder, ground cumin, granulated garlic, salt and dried cilantro/parsley. Toss to coat the sweet potatoes in the spice mixture. Spread the sweet potato on the lined baking tray in a single layer. Use two trays if they don't all fit in a single layer on one tray.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from oven and add to tacos, tostadas, nachos, burrito bowls or salads.
🥡 Make ahead and storage tips
These TexMex sweet potatoes can be made ahead or meal-prepped and then stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen in an airtight bag or container for up to 3 months.
👨👩👦👦 Serving suggestions
These diced roasted sweet potatoes go well on loaded vegan tostadas (pictured below). You can also use them as a filling for tacos or burritos.
❓ FAQ
When roasting cut sweet potatoes in the oven, line the sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent them from sticking to the pan. This is an easy way to prevent stuck-on sweet potato without having to use oil. (It also reduces clean up time!)
🗺 Cultural influences
This recipe is inspired by my mixed ethnic background and heritage as a native of Houston, Texas, where the flavors of this dish (chili powder, ground cumin, garlic and cilantro) are abundant and common. The spice combination is based culturally in Mexican cuisine and Southern or Texan cuisine.
See About for more information on my cultural influences and how I attribute recipes.
Love this recipe?
Please rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment below, so I know which recipes you like the best. This helps me know what to make more of!
📖 Recipe
Oil-free Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes with Cumin and Chili Powder
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potato diced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro or parsley or fresh cilantro
- fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Add diced sweet potatoes to a medium bowl, along with the chili powder, ground cumin, granulated garlic, salt and dried cilantro/parsley. Toss to coat the sweet potatoes in the spice mixture.3 pounds sweet potato, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon dried cilantro or parsley
- Spread the sweet potato on the lined baking tray in a single layer. Use two trays if they don't all fit in a single layer on one tray. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from oven, drizzle with fresh lime juice and add to tacos, tostadas, nachos, burrito bowls or salads.fresh lime juice
Steve A. says
I've roasted sweet potatoes many times but this recipe is by far the best tasting I ever had. I couldn't stop eating them. And my dog loved them too! I will make them this way every time from now on.
Abi Cowell says
Steve, I'm thrilled to hear how much you loved this sweet potato recipe!
All the best,
Abi