If you're looking to level up taco night and sneak in some extra veggies, these Sweet Potato Foil Packet Tacos are a total win. I’ve been sharing family-friendly recipes for nearly two decades, and this one never fails me—it even won a contest a while back!

The natural sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes plays so well with bold taco flavors, and the foil packets? They’re not just clever—they’re customizable, kid-friendly, and practically mess-free. Whether you're baking them in the oven or tossing them on a campfire, they show up for you.

Bonus: this is the kind of meal that invites everyone to get involved—building their own little packets feels like an activity and a dinner solution. After feeding four kids over the course of 18 years, I’ve learned that assembly type dinners equals more happy comments at the dinner table.

How to make Foil Packs - Sweet Potato Tacos

• Start with a (roughly) 12-inch piece of aluminum foil. If you're concerned about cooking on foil, stick a piece of parchment on top to line it. If you're baking these in the oven, you can just use parchment and skip the foil.
• Pile some sweet potato cubes in the middle. I like to put a little dab of butter and a pinch of salt to add more flavor to them.
• Add chopped spinach/kale and a few spoonfuls of cooked taco meat. And some grated cheese, if you're into it.

• Fold the sides into the center, crease, then bring the top and bottom ends together and fold them down, creasing the sides to seal.

• Bake for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are soft. You could also toss these on a grill over medium-low heat or over some campfire coals.

Can I make these Foil Packet Tacos ahead of time?

Foil Packet Sweet Potato Variations

There are so many ways you could adapt these! Here are a few ideas:

Make them meatless! Swap out the ground beef for a can of black beans mixed with some taco seasoning or salsa.

Use white potatoes if you don't care for sweet potatoes. You may have to cook them longer, though.

Change up the vegetables. If you don't want to use greens, add diced bell peppers, zucchini, corn kernels, or any other small, quick-cooking vegetable. 

Seasoning Suggestions

This recipe calls for taco seasoning. Have you tried my Homemade Taco Seasoning? It's pretty fantastic.

However, you can use any Mexican or Southwest-inspired seasoning blend you like. A few of my favorites for this recipe are Smoky Chipotle Taco Seasoning, Chipotle Chorizo Seasoning, and Sweet Potato Fry Seasoning. 

You could even take these in a Smoky BBQ direction by using some Homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning and a little BBQ sauce to the packets!

My favorite toppings for these foil packet tacos are some avocado slices, a dollop of sour cream, and some hot sauce. You can top them with whatever you like!

If you like this recipe, try another one of my tex-mex family favorites! This Stacked Enchiladas recipe has been a fan favorite for over a decade.SaveSave

If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

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Sweet Potato Foil Packet Tacos

Yield: 6 servings

My little ones loved assembling these foil packet tacos and sweet potatoes make a great base for a taco! You can even take these camping!

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Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 2-3 Tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning
• ½ cup tomato sauce (4 ounces)
• 2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 6 cups total)
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• salt
• 1 ½ cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
• sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole for garnish
• 6 12-inch long pieces of aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Brown ground meat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Set aside.
3. To assemble packets, spray the foil with non-stick spray. Place 1 cup sweet potato cubes in the center of each piece. Top with a small piece of butter (about 1 tsp) and a pinch or two of salt. Sprinkle some chopped spinach over the sweet potatoes, followed by about ⅓ cup of taco meat and sprinkle of cheese.
4. Fold the sides in, then bring the top and bottom ends of the foil together in the center and fold, sealing the packet. Repeat with remaining ingredients, placing the packets on a rimmed cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender. Serve with your favorite taco toppings: sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.

Notes

Nat's Note: Feel free to swap out part or all of the ground meat with beans, using 1 can of drained beans for every 8 oz of meat.

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