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Home » Recipes » Dinner Ideas

Crispy Black Bean Tacos

Published Apr 18, 2023 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

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Crispy Black Bean Tacos are the perfect crunchy taco! With only a few ingredients, they're affordable, quick, and easy to make!

Crispy Black Bean Tacos are the perfect crunchy taco! With only a few ingredients, they're affordable, quick, and easy to make!

Crispy Black Bean Tacos are the perfect weeknight dinner! They only take a handful of ingredients (mostly from the pantry), and they are majorly delicious! Customize them with different meats or cheeses, or leave them in this healthy vegetarian style taco.

Pair these tacos with this delicious Creamy Jalapeno Ranch and a side of Instant Pot Salsa Rice along with a refreshing Strawberry Basil Margarita!

tacos inside cast iron skillet

Ingredients needed for crispy black bean tacos (see recipe card for exact amounts):

  • canned black beans - drained and rinsed, heated up
  • red onion - peeled and diced
  • From the pantry: ground cumin, paprika, chili powder, olive oil, salt, and pepper
  • fresh cilantro - rinsed, dried, and chopped
  • pepper jack cheese - freshly grated
  • corn tortillas
cooked tacos inside cast iron skillet

How to make the best Crispy Black Bean Tacos:

**scroll down for full ingredients list and printable directions**

  • Get all of the ingredients together and prepped. Making an assembly line will be the most efficient for making these black bean tacos.
  • In a medium bowl, add beans, red onion, cilantro, and all seasonings. Lightly mash all of the ingredients together (the beans will still be chunky). Add the grated cheese and fold in to combine evenly.
  • Using a cast iron skillet or frying pan, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, then heat over medium heat for a few second.
  • Add one corn tortilla at a time* and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add about ¼ cup of the filling to one half of the tortilla. Press down and even out with back of spoon or spatula.
  • Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.
  • As the first tortilla cooks, move it to the side and do a second one. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to get 2 or 3 tacos at once. If you have a griddle you can do even more at once.
  • Cook each taco for about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and crispy.
  • When flipping the taco to cook on the other side, use a spatula and flip the taco toward the fold so the filling doesn't fall out.
  • Serve tacos with toppings like hot sauce, salsa, avocados, and sour cream.
  • Note: Corn tortillas are resilient to heat. Don’t worry about burning them. They are very flexible. Just be sure to cook them on each side long enough to get them really crispy.

*PRO COOKING TIPS: Be sure to lay each tortilla down in the pan and heat for a few seconds before you put the filling inside.  I thought maybe it would be easier to make them on the counter, and then put them into the pan, but all of my corn tortillas broke in half at the fold. 

cooked tacos inside cast iron skillet

Toppings and garnishes to serve with these tacos:

  • Creamy Jalapeno Ranch for dipping is so tasty!
  • Sriracha Ranch Dip adds a creamy spicy kick to these crispy black bean tacos!
  • Sliced avocado
  • Sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • Pico de Gallo or salsa

Can I add meat to the tacos?

Yes. Use already cooked shredded chicken or shredded beef for an easy protein boost in these crispy black bean tacos!

cooked crispy black bean tacos inside cast iron skillet

If you like Mexican food as much as me, be sure to try these other delicious recipes from Domestic Superhero:

  • Taco Stuffed Burgers
  • Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizzas
  • Skinny Cheesy Enchilada Soup
  • Instant Pot Salsa Rice
  • Mexican Baked Eggs (One Skillet)
  • One Pot Cheesy Mexican Pasta
  • Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)

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5 from 9 votes
Print
Crispy Black Bean Tacos
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Crispy Black Bean Tacos are the perfect crunchy taco! With only a few ingredients, they're affordable, quick, and easy to make!

Course: Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Crispy Black Bean Tacos
Servings: 10 tacos
Calories: 141 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 cups black beans drained, rinsed, and heated up
  • ½ cup diced red onion
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder optional
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 TBS chopped cilantro
  • 5 ounces grated pepper jack cheese
  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • 10 corn tortillas
Optional Garnishes
  • hot sauce
  • 1 avocado sliced
  • salsa
  • sour cream or Greek yogurt
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, add beans, red onion, cilantro, and all seasonings. Lightly mash all of the ingredients together (the beans will still be chunky). Add the grated cheese and fold in to combine evenly.

  2. Using a cast iron skillet or frying pan, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, then heat over medium heat for a few second.

  3. Add one corn tortilla at a time* and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add about ¼ cup of the filling to one half of the tortilla. Press down and even out with back of spoon or spatula.

  4. Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.

  5. As the first tortilla cooks, move it to the side and do a second one. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to get 2 or 3 tacos at once. If you have a griddle you can do even more at once.

  6. Cook each taco for about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and crispy. When flipping the taco to cook on the other side, use a spatula and flip the taco toward the fold so the filling doesn't fall out. Repeat for all tacos.

  7. Serve tacos with toppings like hot sauce, salsa, avocados, and sour cream.

Recipe Notes

*Be sure to lay each tortilla down in the pan and heat for a few seconds before you put the filling inside.  I thought maybe it would be easier to make them on the counter, and then put them into the pan, but all of my corn tortillas broke in half at the fold.* 

**These photos were taken after the tacos were already cooked. You should only have 2-3 in the pan at a time as detailed in above directions.

Nutritional information per serving (1 taco): 141 calories, 7 grams fat, 13 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams protein. - for the most accurate information calculate using your specific ingredients. 

Recipe first published in August 2013. Updated April 2023.

Related

« Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)
Portobello Philly Cheese Steaks »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. now at home mom

    August 04, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    🙂 your crispy tacos look delicious Allyson, I've had these at a 'vegi' restaurant and I've loved them ever since, so I've asked my mom to prepare us some, she did, they were really good too (my son loves them), your recipe sounds much healthier than my mom's, I will give it to her and I will try it out too this week (let me get those ingredients first) 🙂 thanks for the tip of how to add the beans inside and fold the tortilla while still in the pan! 🙂 & yep! I love cilantro too 🙂

    Reply
  2. cookingwithcurls

    August 04, 2013 at 4:17 pm

    My daughter will love these! Thank you so much for sharing Allyson 🙂

    Reply
  3. Melanie @ Just Some Salt and Pepper

    August 05, 2013 at 3:20 pm

    These look delicious! I also love Mexican food.

    Reply
    • Andie

      April 18, 2023 at 3:43 pm

      5 stars
      These were so good. My whole family loved them; they are such a great addition to our weeknight rotation.

      Reply
  4. pamasaurus

    August 05, 2013 at 9:32 pm

    Yum! This would be perfect for my meatless monday routine 😉 Thanks for sharing!!

    Also, to the cilantro haters out there: If you add a little mint in with your fresh cilantro, it mellows out the flavor. I learned that from Rachael Ray, and it's really helped my hubby get over his cilantro aversion 😉

    Reply
  5. Katie

    February 09, 2014 at 5:23 pm

    I was wary of these but they are amazing! Even my 6 and 3 year-olds loved them! I used tongs to flip the tacos over so that I could pinch them shut, not letting anything fall out. Next time I'm going to make extras for lunches.

    Reply
    • Allyson

      February 09, 2014 at 5:32 pm

      Thanks, Katie! I am happy you tried them out and exceeded your expectations!

      Reply
  6. Brooke

    May 13, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    Making these tonight! I love me some Mexican food too, thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  7. angela

    October 04, 2014 at 10:32 pm

    Wow! I just made these and they were amazing!

    Reply
  8. vanillaextrachel

    November 15, 2014 at 8:38 am

    I just made these, subbed the corn tortillas for flour (corn are hard to find in Switzerland) and added sautéed zucchini and jalepeno, they were great!!

    Reply
    • Allyson

      November 15, 2014 at 10:57 pm

      I am sure they were delicious with flour! So glad y'all loved them!

      Reply
      • Alicia

        April 18, 2023 at 5:28 pm

        5 stars
        Wow! These were actually really easy, and I thought I would miss the meat but I didn’t at all! Thanks!

        Reply
  9. Tonilynn

    June 23, 2015 at 12:54 pm

    I always pre-heat my tortillas before filling them and frying them. That will make them pliable so they won't crack.

    Reply
  10. Melanie

    July 02, 2015 at 12:26 pm

    This is one of my new favorite recipes and I've made them three times in the last month alone! It's inspired me to try some add-ins - I just made them for lunch and mixed in corn, spinach, and sweet potato.

    Reply
    • Allyson

      July 03, 2015 at 7:55 pm

      Yummmmm!!! That sounds amazing!

      Reply
  11. Liz

    April 26, 2016 at 10:11 pm

    Yum - thank you.

    Reply
  12. April

    April 18, 2023 at 3:41 pm

    5 stars
    Looooove black beans! This is such a fun way to eat them that's outside of our norm. They're delish!

    Reply
  13. Beth

    April 18, 2023 at 3:58 pm

    5 stars
    This is perfect for me! I always load up my tacos with black beans. Might as well go all the way with it!

    Reply
  14. Amanda

    April 18, 2023 at 6:10 pm

    5 stars
    I love black beans on my tacos so this was absolutely perfect!

    Reply
  15. jess

    April 18, 2023 at 7:07 pm

    5 stars
    I love how fast these little tacos are and my vegetarian friends enjoy them so much. Thank you for sharing this recipe

    Reply
  16. Catalina

    April 19, 2023 at 5:32 am

    5 stars
    What a great idea to make these tacos crispy! I am so curious to try it!

    Reply
  17. Erin | Dinners, Dishes and Dessert

    April 19, 2023 at 10:25 am

    Looks absolutely fantastic! Can't wait to try this one!

    Reply
  18. Sandra

    April 19, 2023 at 3:57 pm

    5 stars
    I love how quick and easy this is!! Seriously amazing!!

    Reply
  19. Gammie

    April 27, 2023 at 6:58 am

    5 stars
    We enjoyed these tacos very much. I’ll be making these again.

    Reply
    • Allyson

      April 27, 2023 at 2:56 pm

      I am so happy to hear that!

      Reply

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