Black Bean Tacos

Black Bean Tacos make good use of pantry staples and are topped with a creamy citrus-cilantro sauce, avocado, and saucy cabbage. Make delicious vegetarian tacos that can also be vegan.

Use extra black beans in this Mango Black Bean Salsa, Black Bean Bowls, or this Quinoa Black Bean Salad.

Black Bean Tacos

This site may have an abundance of taco recipes, but there’s always room for more. Packed with protein, bursting with flavor, and loaded with healthy ingredients, you really can’t have too many taco recipes.

Black Bean Tacos are uniquely served with a zesty cilantro sauce that’s both rich and creamy, yet remarkably without the need for any mayo or sour cream. The magic ingredient? Half an avocado, lending the same lush texture and depth of flavor as it does in our Kale Avocado Salad dressing. This avocado-based sauce elevates the tacos with its creamy texture and vibrant taste.

Ingredients In Black Bean Tacos

Black Beans Mixture:

• Olive oil: For cooking onions and garlic.
• Diced yellow onion and minced garlic: Sautéed for flavor base.
• Cumin, chili powder, and paprika: Spices added for flavor.
• Black beans: Main ingredient of the mixture. 
• Vegetable broth (or chicken broth/water): Added to beans for cooking.

Tacos:

• Corn or flour tortillas: Used as the taco base.
• Green cabbage: Mixed with sauce for taco filling.
• Queso cotija cheese and lime wedges: Used as toppings. Use extra cotija cheese in these BBQ Chicken Sweet Potatoes.

QUICK TIP

If you have leftover cooked black beans (cooked from their dried state) you can use them in this recipe. One can of black beans is 15 ounces, and the equivelent amount of cooked-from-scratch black beans is a skimpy two cups. (Two cups is 16 ounces.)

How To Make Black Bean Tacos

1. Sauce: Blend ripe avocado, cilantro, lime and orange zest and juice, garlic, honey, jalapeño, and water. Season with salt and pepper, blend until smooth, then chill.
2. Black Beans: Heat olive oil in a skillet, cook diced onion and minced garlic until soft. Add cumin, chili powder, paprika, and black beans. Mix in vegetable broth and mash the beans slightly. Simmer until thickened.
3. Cabbage: Toss shredded cabbage with some of the sauce and refrigerate.
4. Prepare Tortillas: Prepare tortillas as preferred, like charring over a gas flame.
5. Assemble Tacos: Fill tortillas with cabbage, bean mixture, slices of avocado (left from the sauce), and drizzle with sauce. Add toppings like cheese, cilantro, jalapeños, and a squeeze of lime. Enjoy your black bean tacos!

More Vegetarian Recipes

• Vegetable Curry with sweet potato and cauliflower
• Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie saucy veggies baked with mashed potatoes on top
• Lentil Soup loaded with veggies
• Vegetarian Chili reader favorite recipe!
• Vegetarian Enchiladas with black beans and corn

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Black Bean Tacos

4.80 from 5 votes

- Review this recipe

Black Bean Tacos make good use of pantry staples and are topped with a creamy citrus-cilantro sauce, avocado, and saucy cabbage. Drizzle some fresh lime and a sprinkle of cheese over these tacos for the best vegetarian tacos ever! These tacos can also be made vegan.

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Black Bean Tacos

4.80 from 5 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Black Bean Tacos make good use of pantry staples and are topped with a creamy citrus-cilantro sauce, avocado, and saucy cabbage. Drizzle some fresh lime and a sprinkle of cheese over these tacos for the best vegetarian tacos ever! These tacos can also be made vegan.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican, Vegetarian

Keyword Black Bean Tacos

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Chelsea Lords

Calories 489kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $6.71

Ingredients

Citrusy Cilantro Avocado Sauce

• ▢ 1/2 large fully ripe avocado (1/2 cup)
• ▢ 3/4 cup cilantro, packed
• ▢ 1 large lime (2 tablespoons juice; 1 teaspoon zest)
• ▢ 1 large orange (4 tablespoons juice; 1 teaspoon zest)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ 2 tablespoons honey
• ▢ 1 tablespoon jalapeño pepper, coarsely chopped(~1/2 jalapeño)
• ▢ Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
• ▢ 1/2 cup water

Black Beans

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup diced yellow onion (~1/2 of 1 onion)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic (~2 cloves)
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: ground chili powder and paprika
• ▢ 2 cans (14.5 ounces EACH black beans, drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1/3 cup vegetable broth or stock (or use chicken broth/stock if not vegetarian; water can also be used)

Tacos

• ▢ 10-12 small corn or flour tortillas
• ▢ 1/2 head green cabbage (~3 cups finely shredded)
• ▢ queso cotija cheese and lime wedges, for serving
• ▢ Optional: additional cilantro, additional jalapeños

US - Metric

USMetric

Instructions

• SAUCE: Add 1/2 cup ripe avocado and the 3/4 cup cilantro (it's fine to include stems; this will take most of a bunch) to a small blender jar, along with 1 teaspoon lime zest, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon orange zest, 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon jalapeño, and 1/2 cup water. Season to taste with salt and pepper; I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust any flavors to personal preference. Place in the fridge to chill while preparing everything else.
• BLACK BEANS: Rinse and drain the black beans. Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add in the 1/2 cup diced onion and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Stir until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Add in salt and pepper (1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute. Add in 1 and 1/2 cups of the beans along with 1/3 cup broth, stock, or water. Stir and then gently mash the beans with the back of a wooden spoon (or potato masher). Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the mixture reaches a simmer and thickens. Mash the beans again and then add in the reserved beans. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Stir occasionally while finishing everything else. Taste and adjust salt to personal preference; I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon here, but remember the cheese (if used) is salty as well.
• CABBAGE: Add cabbage to a large bowl and drizzle about half the sauce over it. Toss the sauce with tongs to combine and place in the fridge.
• TORTILLAS: See Note 1 for preparing the tortillas. I typically char them over a gas flame on my stovetop, but any method works.
• ASSEMBLY: Place a large scoop of cabbage down the center of the tortillas and then a few spoonfuls of the beans on top. Thinly slice the other half of the avocado (left from the sauce) and add it to the tacos. Add a generous drizzle of sauce and any other desired toppings such as cheese, additional cilantro, and/or jalapeños. If you aren't adding the cheese, you may want an extra sprinkle of salt to the tacos. Squeeze some fresh lime wedges over the tacos and enjoy immediately.

Recipe Notes

Note 1:Warming tortillas:

On the grill:

• Preheat a grill to medium-high (about 400-450 degrees F.). Generously oil the grill by drenching a rolled-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rubbing it over the grill grates.
• Spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray, lightly sprinkle with salt, and then place on the grates for 30-45 seconds. Flip and leave on for another 30-45 seconds. Remove and immediately fold into a taco shape and set aside to slightly cool.

On a gas stovetop:

• Spray the tortillas (both sides) with olive oil cooking spray and then place directly over the gas flames for a few seconds. Use tongs to flip until tortillas are lightly charred.
• Remove and immediately fold into a taco shape and set aside to slightly cool.

Skillet or microwave:

If you don't have a gas stove, I'd recommend heating the tortillas in a skillet or microwave.

• Skillet: Spray the tortillas (both sides) with olive oil cooking spray and then place in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Use tongs to flip until tortillas are lightly browned, about 20-30 seconds per side. Remove and immediately fold into a taco shape and set aside to slightly cool.
• Microwave: Put up to five tortillas on a microwavable plate and cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave in 30-second bursts until they are warmed through and then remove and immediately fold into a taco shape and fill.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings | Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 87.7g | Protein: 19.1g | Fat: 9.6g | Sodium: 956.2mg | Fiber: 23.9g | Sugar: 19.3g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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