10 Minute Vegan Black Bean Tacos
These vegan black bean tacos really do take just 10 minutes to make, thanks to canned black beans and prepared pico de gallo.
I call these my lifesaver plant-based tacos as they are healthy, satisfying, and take just minutes to assemble.
In just 10 minutes, you can have a healthy yet satisfying meal with 11 g of protein and 13 g of fiber per serving. I turn to these vegan black bean tacos on the busiest of weeknights and they are always a crowd favorite.
Why I love this recipe
These black bean tacos are really easy to cook. Along with my 20-minute easy vegan pasta, they are one of my go-to weeknight dinner recipes. I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand, which means they work whenever the mood for tacos strikes.
They make the perfect lunch on a day when you don’t have much time to eat or a great main course for a Mexican-inspired dinner spread!
Open a can of beans, add to some sautéed onions, and season with chili powder and cumin. Mash just a few for added texture, then pile into a tortilla and top with your favorite toppings. That’s it!
With enough fiber and protein to satisfy, these tacos are an easy way to add canned beans to your diet.
Ingredients
- Chili powder and cumin: These are what gives the tacos their flavor! I have also used taco seasoning in place of the spices. If you do this, sub in 1 1/2 tablespoons of taco seasoning.
- Black beans: A can of black beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups of cooked black beans. If you don’t have black beans or prefer other beans, you can always replace them. Pinto, chickpea, and kidney beans are all great options.
- Pico de gallo or salsa: I use pico de gallo, either my homemade pico de gallo or purchased. Canned salsa can also be substituted.
- Tortillas: I almost always use flour tortillas, though corn tortillas can also be used.
- Toppings: I almost always add a dollop of my guacamole if I have it, along with extra pico de gallo or salsa and shredded lettuce.
How to Make
Step 1: Cook the Onion
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and salt. I start with about 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Step 2: Add the Beans
Add the black beans to the skillet, then cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 3 minutes or so until warmed through.
While the beans are cooking, I warm the tortillas and prep any toppings: thinly slice the lettuce or the cabbage and slice the avocado.
Remove the lid from the beans and gently mash some of the beans with the salsa, taking care to leave some of the beans whole.
Step 3: Assemble
Add the black bean tacos to the tortillas and top with preferred toppings of choice.
For restaurant worthy tacos, mash avocados with a little garlic powder, lime juice and salt. Toss cabbage with lime juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Char the tortillas over an open gas burner, then fill with mashed avocados, cabbage slaw and beans.
Tips for Success
I love these vegan black bean tacos, especially because they are so easy to throw together and hard to mess up. Though, I firmly believe that tacos almost always taste amazing, no matter what you fill them with.
- If you don’t have the chili powder or cumin, then you can use a taco seasoning blend instead.
- If you don’t have cabbage or dislike it, you can replace it with lettuce. This will create a similar effect and won’t mess with the flavors of the tacos too much.
- You can use either soft or hard tortillas. Both are delicious and work well. Alternatively, you could fry tortillas on an oiled pan or in the air fryer for a crispy taco, similar to how I make my crispy vegan tacos.
- If you want to make these tacos ahead of time, you can simply prepare the filling and store it in the fridge in an airtight container. When ready to serve, heat the taco filling up and assemble the tacos.
How To Add Variety To These Vegan Bean Tacos
To switch things up, you could add other ingredients as well such as:
- Rice (regular or cauliflower)
- Vegan chorizo
- Potatoes (or sweet potatoes)
- Lentil and walnuts
- Vegetables (like tomatoes and bell peppers)
What To Serve With Black Bean Tacos
These 10-minute black bean tacos are so filling that they could easily be a meal all by themselves, but you could also add sides for a heartier meal.
These tacos would be delicious if served alongside a hearty helping of Mexican rice or even Mexican cauliflower rice. I like them with my guacamole, but they also take great with other salsas, like my creamy jalapeno salsa, mango salsa, or my salsa roja.
Or try my vegan queso dip with some tortilla chips for a cheesy side.
Nutrition Notes from a Dietitian
It’s hard to find a more perfect food than beans. They are an excellent source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and complex carbohydrates. They’re also very low in fat, almost sodium-free, and extremely inexpensive, especially compared to fresh meat!
A single cup of beans contains roughly 16 grams of fiber, which increases satiety and helps to lower cholesterol levels.
Many of the longest-living populations in the world are lovers of pulses, the umbrella term for dried peas, beans, and lentils. Blue Zones researchers found that legumes were the most important dietary predictor of survival among the elderly, regardless of their ethnicity.
Swapping out meat for plant protein is associated with a lower risk of death from all causes. A recent observational study published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed a 34 percent drop in mortality rate when participants swapped out processed red meat for plant protein, and a 19 percent decrease when they replaced eggs.
I’m not saying that you need to become a full-on vegetarian or vegan to see the benefits, but there is enough evidence to support replacing a few animal-based meals a week with beans. These black bean tacos are an easy (and delicious) place to start.
Watch Me Make Black Bean Tacos On Fox 2 News!
I was on Fox2 News a few weeks ago sharing this exact same message. The idea is that adding in more beans helps to lower the risk of some cancers and exactly what to do with those beans.
Let me know what you think!
More Vegan Taco Recipes:
- Potato and Chorizo Tacos
- Vegan Fish Tacos
- Lentil Tacos with Roasted Cauliflower
- Vegan Tofu Migas Tacos
- Vegan Lentil Tacos
10 Minute Vegan Black Bean Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons pico de gallo or salsa
- 4 tortillas
- 1 cup cabbage slaw or shredded cabbage
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- Salsa
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the beans.
- Cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook for 3-4 minutes until warmed through. Remove the lid and gently mash some of the bean with the salsa, leaving some of the beans whole. Fill the tortillas with the black bean mixture and top with toppings of choice.
- For restaurant worthy tacos, mash avocados with a little garlic powder, lime juice and salt. Toss cabbage with lime juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Char the tortillas over an open gas burner, then fill with mashed avocados, cabbage slaw and beans.
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy these vegan black bean tacos as much as we do. If you try it, make sure to come back, leave a comment and rate it. Your feedback helps others and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
Looking For More Recipe Ideas?
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These black beans are now a go-to for me whenever I want to make burritos. So good, so simple and easy. I usually double the recipe. My two and a half year old loves these beans too! To cut the spice a little for the little, I sometimes sub in some tomato paste in lieu of the full amount of salsa and works like a charm. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
I love that tip, thanks for sharing!
Fantastic and easy.
I have made this recipe so many times now! As a vegetarian, this is my go to when I’m feeling in the mood for tacos. Even my meat-eater friends love it! So simple to make and tastes amazing!
Made this and it was my first meat free recipe
Thank you So very much
Love, Stephanie and my son Nicholas
Just made camping breakfast burritos with this scrambled egg and cheese yum.
This was sooo good &really fast to make!
It’s so delicious and quick to make!
So glad to have found this perfect black bean taco recipe! It has just enough heat and spice but I am sure it could be adapted in either direction to suit tastebuds. I left out the salt entirely and didn’t miss it at all.
Thank you! This will be a frequently served meal.
Very flavorful and easy to make. These took me about 15 minutes, but still a great weeknight recipe.