This vegetarian black bean taco recipe will even satisfy meat eaters. (Yes, really!) Fresh ingredients like corn, onions and bell peppers mingle with a can of black beans and taco seasoning for a quick weeknight meal.
As the only other component in this recipe is taco shells, this is an easy recipe to bring to a gathering. Keep the taco mixture warm in a slow cooker or heat it up just before meal time. Scoop a dollop of sour cream on top for a refreshing layer. There are also several ways to customize this recipe to your palate, whether you want it spicier or with more lime flavor. This black bean recipe is a good base to get you started on adding tacos to your weekly rotation.
Ingredients for Black Bean Tacos
- Onion: Use a yellow onion, not a white onion. Yellow onions add flavor and brightness to the palate—and sweetness, once caramelized—without overpowering the rest of the ingredients.
- Green Pepper: The slight bitterness of a bell pepper adds not only color to the recipe but also delightful crunch.
- Red Pepper: Slightly sweeter than a green bell pepper, red bell peppers go a long way to inject bright color.
- Black Beans: Sold in a can at the grocery store, typically the only other ingredient apart from black beans is water. However, you can also find cans of seasoned black beans with onion powder, garlic powder and other spices.
- Tomatoes: With so many varieties available, try to find ones with less water content, such as Romas.
- Shredded Cabbage: What cabbage does is add crunch to the recipe, as well as serve as a healthy ingredient because it’s high in fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K.
- Corn: Corn kernels add both texture and color, along with a little bit of sweetness.
- Reduced Sodium Taco Seasoning: Sold in a small pouch in the Mexican-foods area of grocery stores, it contains salt, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano and paprika.
- Lime Juice: The best method for extracting lime juice is to halve a fresh lime and then squeeze the juice into a small bowl or ramekin, making sure seeds don’t make their way into the recipe.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves that are minced help distribute the garlic throughout this recipe so it’s fresh and intense, but not as sharp in flavor.
- Brown Rice: Compared to white rice, the only two differences are that brown rice takes longer to cook and it’s higher in nutrients.
- Taco Shells: Hard taco shells are a classic way to “hold” the taco filling and provide lots of texture and crunch.
- Reduced-Fat Mexican Cheese Blend: A typical blend of Mexican cheeses—sold pre-shredded at grocery stores—includes Monterey Jack, cheddar, asadero and queso quesadilla.
- Reduced-Fat Sour Cream: You won’t taste the difference by turning to reduced-fat sour cream. A dollop of sour cream balances out the subtle spices in the tacos and lends a refreshing, creamy flavor.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the taco filling
Finely chop the onions and peppers. In a lightly oiled, large non-stick skillet, sauté the onions and peppers until they are crisp-tender. Add the black beans after they have been rinsed and drained, as well as two large seeded and chopped tomatoes (or four smaller tomatoes, such as Romas). Shred the cabbage and add this to the mixture, too, along with corn kernels, taco seasoning, lime juice and minced garlic.
Editor’s Tip: Roasted corn tastes amazing but takes a long time to prep as you need to remove kernels from the cob, preheat the oven and roast the corn. Instead, buy a bag of frozen roasted corn kernels and heat up in a small frying pan with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Step 2: Cook the taco filling
Stirring over medium heat, cook the taco filling until the vegetables are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Next, stir in the brown rice and heat the mixture all the way through.
Editor’s Tip: Looking for tips on how to mince garlic quickly and effectively? Here are six of our favorite ways to mince garlic.
Step 3: Serve
Warm the taco shells in the microwave on high for 45 seconds or until warm. Spoon the taco mixture into each taco, top with sour cream and shredded cheese, and serve.
Black Bean Tacos Variations
- Go crispy: What makes a taco crispy is increased frying time in a skillet. But you can’t use hard taco shells. Instead, spoon the taco mixture on one half of an open tortilla, fold in half, and fry with oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat, until golden brown and crispy.
- Amp up the spice: By adding chili powder, cumin and cayenne, the taco filling will be spicier. Play around with the amounts of each that work best for you and the people you are serving. Don’t have a packet of taco seasoning on hand? It’s easy to make your own using this recipe for homemade taco seasoning mix with ingredients you likely already have in the pantry or spice cabinet.
How to Store Black Bean Tacos
Storing black bean tacos is easy breezy. As long as it’s in a covered container, and in the fridge, it’s all good. Then, when it’s time to eat, reheat either in the microwave or in a medium skillet on the stovetop.
Can you freeze black bean tacos?
Weeknight meals are even easier when all you have to do is pull pre-made black bean taco filling out of the freezer, de-thaw, heat up and spoon into a hard-shell taco. Just make sure the filling is stored in a reusable freezer bag or air-tight container.
How long do black bean tacos last?
Because there isn’t any dairy or seafood in the black bean taco filling, it will be good for three to five days after you make it, so long as it’s stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
Can you make black bean tacos ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! This also saves time for the day when you’re ready to eat these, as the bulk of the labor is in making the black bean taco filling. After it’s been cooked, this will keep in the fridge for up to two days.
How do you reheat black bean tacos?
All you have to do is pop the black bean taco mixture in the microwave or reheat on the stovetop, in a sauce pan or skillet, until it’s cooked all the way through.
Black Bean Tacos Tips
Can I use pinto beans instead of black beans?
Sure, why not? Most people prefer the taste of black beans to pinto beans but using pinto beans won’t destroy your recipe. Pinto beans are creamier and taste earthier than black beans.
What if I want to add meat?
While we consider this black bean taco recipe one that appeals to both vegetarians and meat eaters, if you’re really craving some meat all you have to do is swap out the beans for chicken, turkey or beef. Try to keep the same proportions as the beans. Or, you could also reduce the black bean mixture by half and include meat for the other half.
