Crispy Black Bean Tacos
Crispy Black Bean Tacos an easy and cheap weeknight meal that comes together quickly. These tacos are stuffed with a delicious seasoned chipotle black bean filling and baked until crispy and golden.
I am grateful that one of my favorite foods also happens to be really easy to make, cheap and delicious. So enter vegetarian tacos, but more specifically these Crispy Black Bean Tacos. They’re versatile and at their core a nutritious and balanced meal that will keep you feeling satisfied even in this economy.
And if vegetarian tacos are a favorite for you too, you may also love:
Why You’ll Love These Crispy Black Bean Tacos
- Budget-friendly. Uses pantry staples and canned foods like beans to make an affordable, yet delicious meal.
- Easy to put together. No complicated ingredients or steps. This meal is very straight forward and comes together quick!
- Versatile meal prep option. The filling used for the tacos can be used in various ways to keep meals during the week fun and delicious. Look for the notes below for other meal ideas you can use the filling in.
- Nutritious. This meal is loaded with protein, fiber, iron, and antioxidants. It will leave you feeling satisfied and nourished.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Black Beans: To make this really easy, use canned black beans. You can also swap for pinto beans, red kidney beans or white beans if desired.
- Seasoning: This includes smoked paprika, ground coriander, dry thyme and dry oregano. Feel free to adjust or change out seasonings as you desire.
- Chipotle Peppers: Make sure to use the ones that are canned in adobo sauce. If you don’t like spicy food, feel free to swap for 2-3 tablespoons of just the adobo sauce from the can.
- Aromatics: This includes both onion and garlic. Feel free to adjust for more or less of either ingredient based on preference.
- Vegetable Broth: Use a good quality vegetable broth to add additional flavor to your filling. I personally love to use Better Than Bouillon paste mixed in water or the brand Pacific Foods if using boxed vegetable broth.
- Corn Tortillas: This will make these tacos gluten-free and crisp up the best.
How to Make Crispy Black Bean Tacos
Preheat oven to 425F. To a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of oil and brush to evenly coat.
Heat up a medium sized sauté pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan to warm through. Add the onions along with a pinch of salt and sauté until softened. Stir in the garlic, sauteing until fragrant.
Sprinkle in the paprika, coriander, oregano, and thyme and stir to combine. Add in the black beans and chipotle peppers and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable broth and with a potato masher or the back of a large cooking spoon, lightly mash your beans until the mixture starts to bind together then remove from heat. If the mixture is loose, cook for an extra 2-3 minutes and allow to sit for a few minutes to thicken. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Wrap the stack of tacos in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds to steam them. Take each taco and place on the greased baking sheet, giving a flip to coat both sides in oil. To each tortilla, spread about 2-3 tablespoons of the mashed black beans over half a tortilla and fold it over. To make sure your taco stays closed after folding, carefully flip the taco over so the filling placed on the bottom of the taco is weighing down on the other side.
Arrange the folded tortillas on the greased baking sheet in a single layer with space between the tacos. Place in the oven to bake for 8 minutes, then carefully flip the tacos and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes until nice and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes to allow them to crisp up more and enjoy served with extra lime and salsas of choice.
Expert Tips
- Warm your tortillas up before stuffing. You can warm them through for a few seconds in a skillet or wrapped in a moist paper towel in the microwave for 15 seconds to help make them more pliable.
- Adjust spice level to preference. If not a fan of spice, use less chipotle peppers or just use the adobo sauce from the can.
- Avoid overstuffing. Just 2-3 tablespoons of filling is enough for the average sized tortilla. Overstuffing can make the tortilla more likely to rip.
- Prep all your ingredients before cooking. This recipe comes together quick, so making sure that you have things pre-measured and ready to add to the pan quickly will help make sure that everything cooks appropriately.
- Make sure the tortillas are coated well in oil. This will help make the tortillas crisp up without drying out when baking.
- Try different add-ins. Sauté some bell peppers with the onions for extra vegetables. If you want a gooey filling, add some vegan cheese shreds to your tacos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make sure to purchase good quality tortillas and warm them up before using. You can warm them up for a few seconds in a skillet or in the microwave wrapped in a moist paper towel for 15-30 seconds. This will help make them more pliable.
If using corn tortillas, these tacos are gluten-free. You can also use dedicated gluten-free tortilla brands like Siete for a corn-free option.
The mashed bean filling behaves the same way that refried beans do. Store leftover filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Use the leftovers to stuff in burritos, top over tostadas, use in rice bowls or enjoy with nachos.
How to Balance Your Meal
When prepared, these tacos provide protein, fiber and iron from the beans, whole grains from the tortillas, and healthy fats when you pair with the suggested cilantro lime sauce. While the aim for this meal is to maintain a minimal and budget-friendly ingredient list, you can absolutely add more to this meal to bulk it up and add extra nutrition.
Try adding a simple side salad, serve with your favorite salsas, or even add some diced bell pepper to the black bean mixture before adding to the tortillas. Adding extra vegetables can be a way to increase fiber and antioxidants, which can help with reducing chronic disease risk.
More Easy Vegan Weeknight Dinners
- Gochujang Potatoes and Chickpeas
- Roasted Gnocchi with Caramelized Cauliflower
- Tofu Cabbage Stir Fry
- Tahini Pasta
- 15 Minute Mushroom Fried Rice
Crispy Black Bean Tacos
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 tacos 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Crispy Black Bean Tacos an easy and cheap weeknight meal that comes together quickly. These tacos are stuffed with a delicious seasoned chipotle black bean filling and baked until crispy and golden.
Ingredients
- Avocado oil for cooking
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp dry oregano
- 1/4 tsp dry thyme
- 2, 15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 chipotle peppers from a can packed in adobo sauce, minced
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 8–10 corn tortillas
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lime wedges for serving
- Avocado slices or Cilantro Lime Sauce for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. To a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of oil and brush to evenly coat.
- Heat up a medium sized sauté pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan to warm through. Add the onions along with a pinch of salt and sauté until softened. Stir in the garlic, sauteing until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the paprika, coriander, oregano, and thyme and stir to combine. Add in the black beans and chipotle peppers and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and with a potato masher or the back of a large cooking spoon, lightly mash your beans until the mixture starts to bind together then remove from heat. If the mixture is loose, cook for an extra 2-3 minutes and allow to sit for a few minutes to thicken. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Wrap the stack of tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds to steam them. Take each taco and place on the greased baking sheet, giving a flip to coat both sides in oil. To each tortilla, spread about 2-3 tablespoons of the mashed black beans over half a tortilla and fold it over. To make sure your taco stays closed after folding, carefully flip the taco over so the filling placed on the bottom of the taco is weighing down on the other side.
- Arrange the folded tortillas on the greased baking sheet in a single layer with space between the tacos. Place in the oven to bake for 8 minutes, then carefully flip the tacos and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes until nice and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes to allow them to crisp up more and enjoy served with extra lime and salsas of choice.
Notes
Warm your tortillas up before stuffing. You can warm them through for a few seconds in a skillet or wrapped in a moist paper towel in the microwave for 15 seconds to help make them more pliable.
Adjust spice level to preference. If not a fan of spice, use less chipotle peppers or just use the adobo sauce from the can.
Avoid overstuffing. Just 2-3 tablespoons of filling is enough for the average sized tortilla. Overstuffing can make the tortilla more likely to rip.
Prep all your ingredients before cooking. This recipe comes together quick, so making sure that you have things pre-measured and ready to add to the pan quickly will help make sure that everything cooks appropriately.
Make sure the tortillas are coated well in oil. This will help make the tortillas crisp up without drying out when baking.
Try different add-ins. Sauté some bell peppers with the onions for extra vegetables. If you want a gooey filling, add some vegan cheese shreds to your tacos.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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These were outstanding! Adjusted the flavors to meet my families needs and they were a hit with everyone! Super easy and we will definitely make these again!
Delicious! I somehow managed to rip every single tortilla but that was my own fault lol. Super easy and will definitely be making again!
I’m still so glad you enjoyed them even though they ripped. Thank you so much for the kind review. Means so much. 🙂
These were delicious and super easy to make. Will probably top with shredded lettuce and tomatoes next time. Definitely versatile to suit personal tastes.
Love to hear that Julia! And yes, really do agree, having some shredded lettuce and tomatoes to enjoy with it would add some extra freshness. Thank you so much!
Made this week and WOW! Instant family fav. Easy to put together and tasted phenomenal. I expect these will freeze well, so I intend to double the batch next time!
Thank you so much Kate! I’m so glad that you can the family enjoyed these so much. Always means so much to hear. And yes, they do freeze well. 🙂
These are so delicious, flavorful, and crisp. Best part is they come together so easily (less than 15 minutes really + cook time).
I used bigger tortillas and about 4 of them instead. This also worked well with similar cook times.
The oven technique is so much better than pan, thank you! These will be on repeat.
What brand(s) of corn tortillas do you I like to use. I made this tonight and it had good flavor, but the tortillas were not pliable and did not stay together at all.
Sorry, didn’t see this comment while I was away. Surprisingly Trader Joe’s has really great tortillas that when moistened and heated have really great texture and are more pliable. I also like the brand Mi Rancho if I can’t get fresh ones.
Any ideas on substitute for the chipotle peppers to add a bit of flavor back? My fam can’t do even a smidge of spicy
These were DELICIOUS!! They reminded me of my mother making homemade tacos from my childhood. I added pickled jalopenos (since this is what I had on hand) and they were an instant hit for the SuperBowl. I will have to double my recipe next time! THANK YOU!!
Truly made my day to hear this Meredith! This was also a core childhood memory for me too, so I’m even happier that it clicked with you too. You are so welcome and thank you for making these!
SO GOOD! Perfect to add to my collection of “lazy girl” meals lol I made a cilantro-avo-lime sauce and a birria sauce!
Thank you so much Keshea! Means so much to hear and that birria sauce sounds so good. Will have to try that the next time I make these. Thank you so much again!
Hands down one of the best new recipes I’ve made in a long time! I also love that all of the ingredients are affordable!
So glad to hear that Jordan! Thank you so much for making these and will definitely be sharing more recipes like this. 🙂
LOVED! Another great weeknight meal added to the rotation – can get creative with topping ideas too!