Crispy Black Bean Tacos
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Enjoy these Crispy Black Bean Tacos – a perfect combination of crunchy tortilla shells filled with seasoned black beans, fresh veggies, melty cheese, and zesty toppings. This culinary experience will truly satisfy your cravings for a delicious and wholesome meal.
Black Bean Tacos
When it comes to Tex-Mex, I’m all in. I love ANYTHING wrapped in a tortilla and so this recipe just makes sense. The key to making these tacos crispy is to use a cast iron skillet to grill them and use plenty of oil.
We love using our Restaurant Style Refried Beans in so many recipes. So it just makes sense to substitute black beans for the pinto beans in this restaurant-quality recipe. The nice thing about using refried beans in grilled tacos is that it acts as the “glue” to hold the tacos together.
Why This Recipe Works:
- SIMPLE TO MAKE – You’ll need to make some refried black beans and then it’s simply grilling the tacos. I suggest making the beans ahead of time and then taco night is a breeze.
- PERFECT MEATLESS MEAL – We try to eat meatless meals at least two times per week. Trust me – you won’t miss the meat in these tacos on busy weeknights!
- TEX-MEX FLAVORS – We love Mexican food! The key to flavor is adding the diced veggies (don’t skip the jalapeño!) and seasonings. We love ground cumin but you can try other seasonings too.
Ingredients Used:
These crispy tacos use pantry staples that you can easily find in your local grocery store.
- Veggies – onion, jalapeno, and minced garlic
- Canned Black Beans
- Seasonings – ground cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper
- Butter – adds richness to the refried beans
- Lime – freshly squeezed lime juice
- Tortillas – We prefer flour tortillas for these but corn tortillas would work too.
- Cheese – We use sharp cheddar cheese but any cheese works great. Try some Monterey Jack, cheddar jack, smoked gouda, or creamy havarti.
- Avocado Oil – The low smoke point works great for frying these tacos.
NOTE: If you want to add meat to these vegetarian black bean tacos, you can add ground beef, smokey brisket, or shredded chicken.
How to make Crispy Black Bean Tacos:
Step 1
Sauté veggies. Add some olive oil to a large skillet; when hot, add the onions and jalapenos. Cook until the veggies are soft, about 5-6 minutes. Then add the garlic and seasonings and stir for a minute.
Step 2
Add black beans. Then add the rinsed black beans and stir. Cook for a few more minutes or until hot.
Step 3
Add bean mixture to food processor. Add the bean mixture to a large food processor. Add butter and lime juice.
Step 4
Puree. Pulse until the mixture is well pureed. If needed to thin, add a little water or vegetable broth.
Step 5
Add beans and cheese to the tortillas. Spread the refried beans on one side of the tortillas. Then add some sliced cheese. Fold the tortilla over.
Step 6
Grill. Add avocado oil to a large cast iron skillet. When hot, add two folded tacos in a single layer. Cook on one side until golden brown, then flip to cook the other, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 7
Serve. Serve bean tacos with a variety of sides. I highly recommend sliced avocado and spicy pickled onions.
NOTE: If you’re using corn tortillas, you may need to warm up in a damp paper towel before folding over. Corn tortillas tend to break easily.
Other Taco Toppings:
Add other toppings of choice to these crunchy black bean tacos!
- Add a dressing like Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce, Chipotle Ranch Dressing, or Avocado Crema.
- Top with some Cowboy Caviar with Avocado or Chunky Guacamole.
- Add salsa – try our Grilled Salsa or Homemade Salsa Verde.
What to serve with Crispy Bean Tacos:
- Add a side of Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice or Spanish Rice and Beans.
- Serve with some Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe or Mexican Quinoa Salad.
- Gotta have a margarita! Try our Watermelon Margaritas, Frozen Pineapple Margaritas, or Blood Orange Margaritas!
Other Taco Recipes:
Here are some other favorite recipes for Taco Tuesday.
- Taco Crunch Wraps
- Walking Taco Casserole
- Turkey Taco Soup
- Blackened Fish Tacos with Slaw
- Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Recipe FAQs:
To make these tacos crispy, make sure you use plenty of oil and cook in a cast iron skillet.
Yes, instead of flour tortillas, you can use corn for a gluten-free meal.
You can prep the refried black beans ahead of time which makes these very quick to make on a weeknight meal.
Experiment with different spices like cumin, paprika, garlic powder, or chili powder to tailor the seasoning to your taste preferences.
Yes, you can add a coating of oil to a large rimmed baking sheet and coat both sides of the tortillas before you bake tacos. This will result in a crispy tortilla shell as well.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Crispy Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
For the beans:
- 1/2 medium yellow onion – chopped
- 1 medium jalapeno – diced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 30 oz. black beans – rinsed and drained
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 large lime – freshly squeezed
- water to thin if necessary
Other ingredients:
- 6-8 oz. cheddar cheese – freshly shredded
- 6 medium carb balance flour tortillas
- 1/4 cup avocado oil – for frying
Instructions
- Saute veggies. Add some olive oil to a large skillet; when hot, add the onions and jalapenos. Cook until the veggies are soft, about 5-6 minutes. Then add the garlic and seasonings and stir for a minute.
- Add black beans. Then add the rinsed black beans and stir. Cook for a few more minutes or until hot.
- Add bean mixture to food processor. Add the bean mixture to a large food processor. Add butter and lime juice.
- Puree. Pulse until the mixture is well pureed. If needed to thin, add a little water or vegetable broth.
- Add beans and cheese to the tortillas. Spread the refried beans to one side of the tortillas. Then add some sliced cheese. Fold the tortilla over.
- Grill. Add avocado oil to a large cast iron skillet. When hot, add two folded tacos in a single layer. Cook on one side until golden brown, then flip to cook the other, about 3-4 minutes.
- Serve. Serve bean tacos with a variety of sides. I highly recommend sliced avocado and spicy pickled onions.
Notes
- NOTE: If you’re using corn tortillas, you may need to warm up in a damp paper towel before folding over. Corn tortillas tend to break easily.
- You can prep the refried black beans ahead of time which makes these very quick to make on a weeknight meal.
- To make these tacos crispy, make sure you use plenty of oil and cook in a cast iron skillet.
