Black Bean Tacos
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Get ready for your new favorite meatless meal, these Crispy Black Bean Tacos are easy to make and packed with flavor! Creamy black beans are seasoned to perfection, tucked into tortillas with plenty of cheese, and baked until golden and crispy on the outside, while staying warm and gooey on the inside. This taco recipe comes together in just 20 minutes, making it perfect for a quick vegetarian weeknight meal.
Why you’ll love this recipe
In my house, tacos are their own food group. Over the years, I’ve shared dozens of taco recipes on the blog. From vegan tacos, to steak tacos, to slow cooker pork tacos, just when you think I’ve shared every taco recipe out there, I’m here sharing a new recipe!
When I told my husband I was making crispy black bean tacos, he wasn’t very excited, then after one bite he said, “I could eat these every week!” Don’t sleep on this taco recipe, it tastes so delicious and here’s why I know you’ll love it!
- It’s so easy! You only need 5 ingredients and 20 minutes to make these tacos. Seasoning the black beans with taco seasoning and salsa helps the filling come together in no time!
- It’s so flavorful! Using my homemade taco seasoning and your favorite salsa adds a ton of flavor to the black beans, which are like a blank slate for flavor.
- The textures are perfect. Crispy tortillas on the outside, creamy, cheesy beans on the inside, the combination of textures in this taco recipe are perfection!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this black bean tacos recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Black beans – you’ll want to use a can of black beans for this recipe, not dried beans.
- Taco seasoning – click the link for my homemade recipe. It’s made with a delicious combination of pantry staple spices like chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion and garlic powder, and salt. You can also purchase a premade seasoning mix on the spice aisle at the grocery store.
- Salsa – feel free to use your favorite jar of salsa, or if you have an extra 10 minutes, make my restaurant-style homemade salsa.
- Flour tortillas – you’ll want “fajita size” tortillas that are 6 inches in diameter. If you’d like to make this recipe gluten free, use corn tortillas instead of flour.
- Monterey jack cheese – to spice it up, use pepper jack cheese instead. To make this recipe vegan, omit the cheese, or use vegan cheese.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare the black bean filling. Drain and rinse a can of black beans, then add them to a large bowl with taco seasoning and salsa. Stir to combine everything. Use a fork to gently smash some of the beans, so you still have a nice, chunky texture.
- Assemble the tacos. Spray a parchment-lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Place six tortillas on the greased parchment paper. Spread the black bean mixture in the middle of each tortilla, leaving about an inch of space around the edges of the tortilla. Top the beans with shredded cheese.
- Melt the cheese in the tacos. Place the tortillas, topped with beans and cheese, in the oven for 2 minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Remove them from the oven and use a spatula to fold each of the tortillas in half over the bean and cheese mixture.
- Bake the tacos. Place the tacos back in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the tacos and cook for another 5-7 minutes. If any of the filling slides out when you flip the tacos, use the spatula to gently push the filling back inside the tortillas. Remove the tacos from the oven when the outside of the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.
What to serve with the tacos
When the crispy black bean tacos come out of the oven, you can open them up and fill them with any of your favorite taco toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, pickled onions, or fresh cilantro. Lime wedges can be served on the side to squeeze fresh lime juice over the tacos.
You can also serve the tacos with a variety of sauces and salsas on the side. Dip the tacos and tortilla chips into the salsas for a flavorful meal!
- Sauces: chipotle sauce (pictured above – recommended), cilantro lime sauce, poblano sauce
- Salsas: tomatillo salsa verde (10 minute recipe), salsa macha, corn salsa, creamy avocado salsa
- Sides: Mexican pickled vegetables, guacamole, Mexican street corn, cilantro lime rice
Storage and reheating
Store any leftover baked black bean tacos in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
To reheat them, I recommend using the stove or an air fryer to achieve the same crispy texture on the outside and creamy texture on the inside.
If reheating them on the stove, spray a large skillet with cooking spray and turn the stove up to medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the tacos and cook for 2-3 minutes per side.
If reheating the tacos in the air fryer, I recommend preheating the air fryer to 400°F, then adding the tacos. Air fry at 400°F for 2 minutes per side, or until the outside is crispy and the filling inside is hot.
More vegetarian taco recipes
Try these other delicious, meatless taco recipes. They’re perfect for Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday!
Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning, click link for my homemade recipe
- ¼ cup salsa
- 6 flour tortillas, “fajita size” – 6 inches in diameter
- 1 ½ cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the black beans, taco seasoning and salsa. Use a fork to gently mash some of the beans, so they still have a nice, chunky texture.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray, then add the tortillas to the baking sheet.
- Spread the black bean mixture in the middle of each tortilla, leaving about an inch of space around the edges of the tortilla. Top each one with about ¼ cup shredded cheese.
- Place in the oven for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and use a spatula to fold the tortillas in half over the cheese and black bean filling.
- Place back in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip and cook for another 5-7 minutes. If any of the filling slides out when you flip the tacos, use the spatula to gently push the filling back inside the tortillas. Remove the tacos from the oven when the outside of the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.
- Optional: serve with chipotle sauce, sour cream, salsa, or guacamole on the side for dipping.
Notes
- This recipe makes 6 tacos. I recommend 2-3 tacos per person. You can easily double the recipe to make 12 tacos, but you will need to bake the tacos on two separate large baking sheets.
- To spice up the recipe, add 1 teaspoon hot sauce to the black bean mixture and use pepper jack cheese instead of Monterey jack cheese.
- To make this recipe gluten free, replace the flour tortillas with corn tortillas.
Nutrition Facts
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