Crispy black bean tacos are a ridiculously easy pantry meal, meatless, and super cheap. They are great for lunch or dinner.
Why a meatless taco?
My family eats a moderate amount of meat, but for budget purposes I like to keep a growing list of frugal meatless dinner ideas in my back pocket to add balance in my frugal meal plan.
We also like to increase fiber and plant diversity in our diet for good gut health according to Dr. B from the Plant Fed Gut, and black beans are a great source of fiber.
These crispy black bean tacos are a meatless dinner that my whole family eats with gusto! They are simple and made with just a few pantry ingredients. Don't let the simple ingredients fool you though. That crispy shell makes them surprisingly addictive.
Crispy black bean tacos step by step
Place a couple of tortillas in a hot oiled skillet.
Flip over and fill half with a small amount of smashed beans. If you are adding cheese, now would be the time to add it.
Fold over and smash down with a spatula or spoon.
Cook until browned and flip over to brown second side.
Working in batches like above can be helpful to get the job done in a timely manner.
Stuffing the tacos
These tacos are crispy but are still pliable enough to open to stuff with fillings. Here are some tasty fillings to try.
- chopped red onion
- guacamole
- sour cream
- shredded lettuce
- salsa
- hot sauce
Crispy black bean tacos
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked black beans
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 10-12 corn tortillas
- 2 tbsp oil avocado, olive, coconut, etc.
Instructions
- Drain liquid from beans and place in a bowl.
- Stir in salt, chili powder, and cumin and smash beans slightly.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- When oil is hot, place a tortilla in skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Flip over to the other side and fill with a small amount of beans. Fold over half of the tortilla and smash with a spatula.
- When first side is brown and crispy, flip over to brown the second side. Remove from pan and place on plate to drain. Repeat with remainder of tacos.
Notes
susan
If you smash it and fry it, how do you "top" it with the salsa etc.?
Tara Buss
The shells are crisp, but you can still open them a little to add toppings inside. We also sometimes just dip them in salsa, guac, or sour cream.
Theresa
Hi would air frying work instead of pan frying?
Tara Buss
I don't own an air fryer so I can't say for sure. My guess is though that they would work great.
Stephanie
These look amazing and I've gotta pull some black beans from the freezer and try this. Quick and fast lunch on the run is what I'm thinking of. Thank you for posting.
Tiffany
Found this recipe on Pinterest. Sooo good! For my family of four I do two cans of black beans and an 8oz block of pepper jack and a few TBS of minced red onion. With prices of meat so high due to covid, this recipe has been a game changer. And for the question above about stuffing the tacos with toppings, it can be done. I usually opt to dip in hot salsa though.
Tara Buss
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Carol
Easy and delicious. I’ll definitely make these again. I used a bit of cheese in mine. Served with salsa. Yum
Tara Buss
I'm so glad you enjoyed them, Carol. Thank you for the review!