Air Fryer Black Bean Taquitos

Crispy black bean taquitos– made in the air fryer (affiliate)!

They’re healthier than store-bought and are made with only a handful of ingredients. I love making these black bean taquitos as an after-school snack for my kids or as a platter with a few salsas for game day or parties.

Inspired by my crispy vegan tacos, these black bean taquitos take only minutes to assemble. Combine the filling in a food processor (affiliate), spread onto tortillas, then roll and pop in the air fryer.

A delicious snack, appetizer, or dinner!

Black Bean Taquitos

Why I love this recipe

I adore my air fryer. This is the one I purchased a few years ago, and it’s been a favorite piece of equipment in my kitchen ever since.

In fact, I recently pulled it up from the basement to sit in the corner of our kitchen counter so I can enjoy my air fryer buffalo cauliflower wings and air fryer zucchini chips more often. 

Taquitos are typically deep-fried for the crispiest texture, but using an air fryer gives them the same crunch without the mess or additional calories of deep-frying.

My kids would choose to eat tacos almost every chance they get. Like mama, like kiddos, I suppose. They both ask for my lentil tacos weekly, so I wanted to create a simple taquito recipe that I could make in minutes whenever they ask for them!

Ingredients

  • Black Beans: I usually use canned black beans, but you can also use dried. The leftovers from my perfectly seasoned black beans are great here, especially if you make a batch.
  • Pico de Gallo: I prefer the fresh taste of pico de gallo over cooked salsa, so I use my homemade version for these taquitos, but store-bought works, too.
  • Taco Seasoning: Use whatever kind you like!
  • Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas are preferred as they are crispier than flour when placed in the air fryer. To roll them without breaking them, you will warm them slightly in the microwave first before adding your filling!

Substitutions

I have made these with canned lentils and canned pinto beans before and they work!

Canned lentils are a little more wet than canned black beans, so make sure that you drain them fully before adding to your food processor– and then you will add a little less pico de gallo so that the filling holds together but is not liquidy.

Pinto beans will be used the same way as black beans.

If you want to use flour tortillas over corn, you can. As flour tortillas are fairly soft compared to corn tortillas, you don’t need to warm them in the microwave first. You can also use a blend of corn and flour tortillas; both La Tortilla Factory and Trader Joe’s make a corn and flour tortilla that I love. It has the flavor of a corn tortilla with the pliability of a flour. 

As with almost all of my recipes, this one is customizable to what you like in your taquitos. You can completely skip the dairy-free cheese for a healthier option, or add in jalapeños or canned diced green chiles for more heat. 

Air Fryer Black Bean Taquitos With Guacamole And Tomatoes

How to Make Black Bean Taquitos

These black bean taquitos are a pureed filling of canned black beans, spices and salsa then rolled into warmed corn tortillas and air fry until perfectly crisp and golden.

Step 1: Make the Filling

Place the black beans, pico de gallo and taco seasoning in the base of a food processor and pulse until well combined. You can see in the photos below what the mixture is supposed to look like; it should be mostly creamy with a few pieces of whole beans remaining. 

Unlike more traditional beef or chicken taquitos, I love using beans here as they have a great meaty texture, are packed with plant-based protein, fiber and are naturally cholesterol free.

Step 2: Warm the Tortillas

Next, place the tortillas in a damp paper towel and warm in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until pliable and easy to roll. If you are using flour tortillas, then you don’t need to warm first. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F and set for 6-9 minutes.

Step 3: Assemble the Taquitos

Spread the black bean mixture onto the tortillas. If using the shredded cheese, add a tablespoon or two onto the black bean mixture then roll up until tight. If the tortilla doesn’t “seal” on its own, make sure there is a small amount of the black bean mixture on the end to glue the tortilla ends together.

Place the rolled taquitos seam side down in the air fryer basket and lightly spray with cooking spray or oil spray. Cook for 6 minutes, then flip and cook another 3-5 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Depending on how large your air fryer basket is, you may need to cook the taquitos in batches.

Air Fryer Taquitos

Oven Directions

This helps to give a crispy outer shell that’s classic to a taquito. Bake at 425 degrees F for 11-15 minutes until crispy, flipping once. 

If your taquitos split open while cooking, then I recommend inserting toothpicks on the ends, then removing them after baking! 

Black Bean Vegan Taquitos In A Bowl Topped With Pico De Gallo

Expert Tips

I like adding a little cheese to the filling before I roll them up. I usually use a little cheddar cheese, but you can use whatever cheese you’d like. If you want to keep these vegan, then my go-to dairy-free cheese brands are Violife and Chao.

How to Serve

Serve with your favorite toppings, like my homemade canning salsa, creamy jalapeño sauce, guacamole, thinned dairy-free sour cream, avocado and herbs.

Or, just eat them straight out of the fryer basket! You can enjoy taquitos the same way that you would tacos!

Air Fryer Black Bean Taquitos

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prevent my tortillas from cracking?

Warming the tortillas first is key. For ease, I do this in the microwave, but you can also do it on a hot skillet. This makes the tortillas more pliable and less likely to crack.

Do I need to spray the taquitos with oil?

A light spray of cooking oil helps the taquitos to crisp up in the air fryer, mimicking deep frying.

Can I cook these in the oven?

Yes! Detailed oven directions are above. Assemble the same way, then bake at 425 degrees for 11-15 minutes until crispy.

More Black Bean Recipes

Delish Knowledge

Black Bean Taquitos made in the Air Fryer

Crispy black bean taquitos made in the air fryer with just a handful of ingredients. 
Servings: 12 taquitos
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 14 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup pico de gallo, or other salsa
  • 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
  • 1/4 cup shredded dairy-free cheese, optional
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • Cooking spray, for cooking

Instructions

Make the Filling

  • Place the black beans, pico de gallo and taco seasoning in the base of a food processor and pulse until well combined.
  • Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F and set for 6-9 minutes.

Warm the Tortillas

  • Place the tortillas in a damp paper towel and place in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until pliable and easy to roll. If you are using flour tortillas, then you don't need to warm first.

Assemble and Cook

  • Spread the black bean mixture onto the tortillas. If using the shredded cheese, add a pinch onto the black bean mixture then roll up until tight. If the tortilla doesn't "seal" on its own, make sure there is a small amount of the black bean mixture on the end to glue the tortilla ends together.
  • Place in the air fryer and lightly spray with cooking spray for 6 minutes, then flip and cook another 3-5 minutes until crispy and golden brown.

Nutrition

Serving: 1taquitoCalories: 96kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 197mgPotassium: 150mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 26IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
Course: dinner, vegan
Cuisine: Mexican Inspired, Tex Mex

If you try these black bean taquitos, let me know! Come back to leave a rating and a comment. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Did you make this? Rate this recipe!




4 Comments

  1. Love these! Quick and delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe!!

  2. Made this a couple days ago and can’t stop thinking about it. Delicious, quick and easy to make. Do you know if these are good to freeze and cook/reheat later?

    1. Yes! I like them better fresh as the tortilla can break as it freezes, but OK to cook and reheat later. You will need to add a few minutes to the air fryer

  3. So delicious and so easy to make. great recipe!