These crispy black bean tacos are the ultimate easy and delicious weeknight meal. With a spicy, vegetarian black bean filling these tacos are oven baked to get super crispy and then served with your favourite toppings to create a satisfying and easy dinner.
For more easy vegetarian tacos, make sure to also try these air fryer cauliflower tacos.
I love tacos so much, they are such a staple dinner in my house when I don’t know what to cook, but what I love the most about these tacos in particular is just how quick and simple they are. They are surprisingly filling and will satisfy your tastebuds with a spicy, flavourful and crunchy texture that you really can’t beat.
Honestly, I keep a stack of canned black beans in my pantry for this recipe specifically, they are that good. And it’s easy! Did I mention that?
You have two steps here, a simple one pot black bean filling which then gets put into some corn tortillas and baked until the outside is golden and crispy. That’s it!
Now alongside the black bean filling, I’ve snuck in a little cheese which is 100% optional. Usually when I make these it’s because I am scraping for a meal with pantry staples and I don’t happen to have any dairy free cheese in my fridge and that is ok, these really don’t need it and they are certainly just as filling and delicious without.
But just a little bit of cheese does make it a little bit more yummy and some of that cheese will ooze out and help create more crispiness and that’s just delicious.
Also if you skip the cheese (because vegan cheese especially is so expensive!) then these vegetarian tacos become a very cheap budget-friendly recipe which I think we all need more of at the moment.
For another easy and cheap dinner using those cans of black beans, make sure to also check out my vegan black bean burger or my vegan sweet potato and black bean enchiladas.
Key Ingredients
This is a super forgiving recipe with the ingredients being flexible to make things as easy as possible so you can get dinner on the table in no time.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Black beans – canned black beans work well here, drained and rinsed.
- Onion and garlic – adding in flavour to the beans. If you don’t have any, you can skip and just add in a ½ teaspoon of both garlic and onion powder instead which will still get the job done.
- Tomato paste – gives the beans a rich, tomato base.
- Chipotle sauce – I am using the La Costena Chipotle Sauce which is so delicious and full of flavour. It’s a staple in my fridge for any Mexican food I am making. You can adjust the amount depending on how spicy you like things.
- Spices – I am using a combo of cumin, smoked paprika, chilli powder and dried oregano to create my own easy taco seasoning. You can also substitute with a store bought taco seasoning as well to keep things super simple.
- Corn tortillas – I use the Old El Paso Street Market White Corn Tortillas and find them to be very pliable and easy to work with, not to mention taste delicious and keeps this recipe gluten-free. You can use any tortillas you prefer however or substitute with flour tortillas.
- Cheese – completely optional but adds a little extra. Use your favourite vegan or dairy free shredded cheese, otherwise a regular or lactose-free melty cheese will work.
Step-By-Step Instructions
We are keeping things very simple when making these vegetarian black bean tacos.
Start by making the black bean filling. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan or frying pan over medium heat and add the onions and saute until translucent. Add in the garlic, tomato paste and chipotle sauce and continue to cook for another minute or two. Things should start to smell quite good.
Add in the cumin, paprika, chilli and oregano and continue cooking for another minute or two until very fragrant before adding the black beans to the pan along with the water. Mix to combine and cook for a few minutes to heat the beans through.
Using a fork or potato masher, gently mash the beans until a chunky mixture is formed. If you find the mix drying out at all, add in an extra splash of water. Taste and season with salt and pepper before setting aside to cool slightly.
Drizzle the olive oil over a large baking tray and place the tortillas down, ensuring they are coated in the oil. Place a spoonful of the filling on one half of each of the tortilla and top with a little of the cheese if using. Press the other half of the tortilla over the filling to form a taco and repeat until all of the tortillas or beans have been used.
TIP! If you’re finding your corn tortillas are fragile and hard to work with without breaking, then wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds to steam them. This will help make them more pliable.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Carefully flip each taco and continue to bake for another 8-10 minutes or until the tacos are golden. The tacos will continue to crispy up as they cool slightly on the tray for about 5 minutes.
You can serve your crispy black bean tacos with any toppings you like but I prefer to keep it simple with an easy smashed avocado or guacamole and some shredded lettuce which adds crunch and freshness that balances the spicy filling. And of course, a big squeeze of fresh lime.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can! I have two preferred ways of doing so, the first is using the air fryer. A few minutes on each side should be enough to not only warm up the tacos but also ensure the outside is super crispy. The second way is in a frying pan. Again heat for a few minutes on each side at a lower temperature until the filling is hot and the outside crispy.
If using corn tortillas and a vegan cheese (or omitting the cheese) then these tacos are vegan, gluten free and dairy free.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More vegan weeknight meals:
Vegan Vodka Pasta
Turmeric Fried Rice
Kale and Walnut Pesto Pasta
5 Minute Sweet and Spicy Noodles
Crispy Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chipotle sauce
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 x 420 gram cans black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 10 white corn tortillas
- 1 cup cheese vegan or regular (optional)
To serve,
- Avocado
- Lime
- Lettuce shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C or 425°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan or frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent.
- Add in the garlic, tomato paste and chipotle sauce and continue to cook for another minute or two. Add in the cumin, paprika, chilli and oregano and continue cooking for another minute or two until very fragrant.
- Add the black beans to the pan along with the water. Mix to combine and cook for a few minutes to heat the beans through.
- Using a fork or potato masher, gently mash the beans until a chunky mixture is formed. If you find the mix drying out at all, add in a splash of water. Season with salt and pepper to taste before setting aside to cool slightly.
- Drizzle the olive oil over a large baking tray and place the tortillas down, ensuring they are coated in the oil. Place a spoonful of the filling on one half of each of the tortilla and top with a little of the cheese if using. Press the other half of the tortilla over the filling to form a taco and repeat until all of the tortillas or beans have been used.
- Place the tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Carefully flip each taco and continue to bake for another 8-10 minutes or until the tacos are golden. Let the tacos rest for a few minutes on the tray to crisp up completely.
- Serve with shredded lettuce, smashed avocado (see notes) and lime wedges.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Prestine Menighan says
So freaking good.
Sally says
Happy you think so!