10 Minute Vegan Black Bean Tacos

By Alexandra Caspero on February 28, 2018
Try these vegan black bean tacos for a simple weeknight meal.
Makes 4 tacos

If you are looking to serve a plant-based taco for dinner, take a look at this recipe for vegan black bean tacos! In just 10 minutes, you can have a healthy, yet satisfying meal ready to serve with a punch of flavor and protein. This black bean taco recipe will knock your socks off!

I know it’s because I’m a new mom, but I’ve been thinking more and more about my own health ever since Van’s birth. It’s not that I thought I was invincible beforehand, but having the amazing responsibility of having a child really puts your own life and mortality in perspective. Obviously, so much of that is out of my hands, but I am focused on what I do have control over: diet and lifestyle to prevent chronic disease and exercise to maintain quality of life.

Therefore, I’ve been digging into the research on longevity and wow, it’s pretty fascinating!

Of course, so many characteristics play into a person’s life expectancy but diet seems to play a larger role than others when it comes to increased longevity and decreased disability.

I’m a big fan of assessing the “Blue Zones”, areas of the world where longevity is the norm. People may get lucky in living to 100, but populations do not. Therefore, looking at common characteristics of these blue zones allows us to unlock key habit choices that make living to 100 a possibility.

It’s like a reverse hack—identify the groups of people who can do this, then study everything about them.

What is different there compared to our life here?

Let’s start with the diet.

10 Minute Black Bean Tacos

 

Everything About The Blue Zones

In all five Blue Zones, most of the diet is made up of pulses, greens, grains, and nuts. Makes sense, right? It’s one of the reasons I’m so into a mostly plant-based diet– not only does this way of eating make me feel my best. Blue Zones also fall in line with my ethics and has the benefit of decreasing chronic disease risk and mortality.

It’s like a diet jackpot!

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.

For every 20-gram increase in daily pulses intake, they found a 7 to 8% reduction in mortality hazard ratio.

Why Black Beans Are Great On A Plant-Based Diet

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.

One more tidbit: 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.

Friends, I’m not saying that you need to become a full-on vegetarian or vegan to see the benefits, but I do there is enough evidence to support replacement a few animal-based meals a week with beans.

Well, there is a reason why these 10-minute black bean tacos are my go-to weeknight dinner!

They couldn’t be simpler. 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 (or shredded lettuce) and top with your favorite toppings.

If you are looking for more ways to add beans to your diet, try making these tacos!

Note: For a complete list of ingredients and instructions on how to make this black bean taco recipe, keep scrolling down until you see the recipe card! 

10 Minute Black Bean Tacos

 

Tips On How To Make 10 Minute Black Bean Tacos

Are you excited to try out these tasty, 10-minute tacos for yourself? I hope you are! I love a good taco, especially since they are so easy to throw together and are hard to mess up. I’ve found that tacos almost always taste amazing, no matter what you fill them with.

These vegan black bean tacos are delicious and oh-so-filling. 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!

Here are some helpful tips that will guarantee your tacos to be a hit!

  • If you don’t have a lot of spices, you can use a taco seasoning blend! This will have all of the spices that you need and then some.
  • If you don’t have cabbage or don’t like cabbage, 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 tortillas or hard tortillas. Both are delicious and work well, or you could fry soft tortillas on an oiled pan for a soft yet crispy taco!
  • 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 and are equally tasty!
  • 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.

10 Minute Black Bean 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 delicious and full of flavor! They are even healthy and easy to make as well. They 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!

You could even serve them with a side of guacamole and vegan queso dip with some tortilla chips.

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! 

10 Minute Black Bean Tacos

 

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. That tends to be the biggest complaint I hear from clients- besides baked beans, soup, or chili, they aren’t quite sure how to eat them.

Let me know what you think!

More Vegan Taco Recipes:

Looking For More Recipe Ideas?

If you are looking to dive deep into starting a healthier lifestyle, I just released a new 7-day email course on “The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Protein” with 40 new recipes- and it’s FREE! >>>LINK<<< You’ll learn everything there is to know about plant-based protein options and how to incorporate them into your everyday recipes.

 

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Black Bean Tacos

10 Minute Vegan Black Bean Tacos

  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 3 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 tacos 1x
  • Category: dinner, main
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: mexican, american, vegan, vegetarian
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

10 Minute Black Bean Tacos! Want a quick weeknight meal!? Try these vegan black bean tacos. Super healthy and delicious.


  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 3 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 tacos 1x
  • Category: dinner, main
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: mexican, american, vegan, vegetarian
  • Diet: Vegan
  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 3 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 tacos 1x
  • Category: dinner, main
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: mexican, american, vegan, vegetarian
  • Diet: Vegan
Scale

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
  • 1 (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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

This recipe can easily be doubled! Now that I have two toddlers eating along with us, I double the recipe using 2 cans of black beans. 


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 taco with lettuce, avocado and salsa
  • Calories: 268
  • Sugar: 1 g
  • Sodium: 589 mg
  • Fat: 7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 43 g
  • Fiber: 8 g
  • Protein: 9 g

did you make this?

Tag @delishknowledge on Instagram and hashtag it #delishknowledge

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge. I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

Vegan Black Bean Tacos

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Meet Alex Caspero

Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Chef, and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.

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    1. Ali
      July 30, 2023 AT 11:58 am

      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!






    2. Stephanie Nirenberg
      July 8, 2022 AT 11:29 pm

      Made this and it was my first meat free recipe
      Thank you So very much
      Love, Stephanie and my son Nicholas






    3. Jen
      April 26, 2022 AT 6:48 am

      Just made camping breakfast burritos with this scrambled egg and cheese yum.

    4. Donna
      March 2, 2022 AT 5:55 pm

      This was sooo good &really fast to make!






    5. Shawon Blythe
      July 1, 2020 AT 4:34 pm

      It’s so delicious and quick to make!






    6. Lara S
      April 9, 2020 AT 5:27 am

      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.






    7. Paige
      November 7, 2019 AT 2:38 pm

      Very flavorful and easy to make. These took me about 15 minutes, but still a great weeknight recipe.






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