These crispy vegan black bean tacos are fast, flavorful, and wildly addictive. A smooth, creamy black bean filling with lime, garlic, jalapeño and cilantro gets tucked into tortillas and pan-friend until golden and crunchy. Ready in under 20 minutes, it's the kind of easy dinner that disappears the second it hits the table.
Try this fried taco recipe for Taco Tuesday or your next taco night! We love Mexican recipes as part of our rotation of flavor-packed vegan main dishes because they are so easy to customize. Each of us constructs our own meal with our desired toppings!
The inside of these delicious fried tacos consists of a simple layer of creamy garlic black bean filling that can then be topped or dipped with classics such as guacamole, salsa fresca, vegan sour cream or my personal favorite, this tangy cilantro lime sauce.
The result is a nutritious taco that seriously feels like you are indulging in street food. It's quick, ultra-crispy and offers a completely different vibe than these equally delicious sheet-pan black bean tacos with veggies!
Ingredients
It doesn't take much to make these black bean tacos as they use simple ingredients you likely already have on hand.
I use a can of low-sodium black beans but you can certainly use home-cooked black beans as well.
For the flour tortillas, I prefer small gluten-free tortillas made from almond flour.
How to Make Fried Black Bean Tacos
1. Prepare the black bean filling.
2. Fill the tacos.
3. Fry the tacos for about 5 minutes per side.
4. Season, garnish and enjoy!
Taco Frying Tips
Make sure both the pan and oil are hot before frying. If the pan isn't hot enough, the tacos may stick to the pan, making them difficult to flip and potentially causing the black bean filling to leak out.
Don't overstuff the tacos. It may feel tempting to pack a lot of the black bean dip into each tortilla, but keeping them thin prevents them from getting messy or breaking the tortillas. Thin, crispy tacos are what we're going for!
Flip the tacos just once for best results. Leaving the tacos undisturbed as each side fries ensures a crispier sear, in addition to reducing the chances of the filling falling out. The trick is to wait until the edges of the tortilla are golden brown before flipping. If you are worried about burning, turn the heat down rather than flipping too early.
Make these Tacos Your Own!
This black bean filling isn't the only way to enjoy these delicious fried tacos. I definitely encourage you to stuff your tortillas with any of these other nutritious fillings:
- Refried beans
- Walnut taco meat
- Sheet pan veggies
- Vegan mozzarella cheese (or any shredded cheese)
Can Fried Tacos Really be Nutritious?
Yes! These black bean tacos are loaded with nutrients. While frying certainly involves a good amount of oil, this easy recipe consists entirely of wholesome ingredients, specifically black beans and garlic. I like to use a lot of olive oil for crispy flavorful results but you can certainly scale back on the oil and lightly pan fry if you prefer.
Black beans are a wonderful source of nutrients. They are full of dietary fiber, iron, folate and protein. Iron is particularly difficult to get from plant-based foods and one ½ cup serving of black beans contains roughly 13% of the daily recommended value (source). This makes it especially appealing for those following a vegan diet.
I hope you enjoy this pan-fried black bean taco recipe. The crispy tortilla seriously takes these them to a whole new level. And don't skip that creamy cliantro lime sauce!
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Crispy Fried Vegan Tacos with Black Bean Filling
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These crispy vegan black bean tacos are fast, flavorful, and wildly addictive. A smooth, creamy black bean filling with lime, garlic, jalapeño and cilantro gets tucked into tortillas and pan-friend until golden and crunchy. Ready in under 20 minutes, it's the kind of easy dinner that disappears the second it hits the table.
Ingredients
- 8-10 small tortillas
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 can low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 lime, juiced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- ½ large jalapeno
- large handful cilantro
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
Serving Suggestions:
- Creamy cilantro lime sauce (highly recommended!)
- Guacamole
- Salsa fresca
- Vegan sour cream
Instructions
- Prepare the black bean filling. Place all black bean filling ingredients into a mini food processor and purée until smooth with no grittiness.
- Fill the tacos. Spread 1.5 tablespoons of the black bean purée on one half of each tortilla (leave a perimeter rather than stuffing to the edge) and fold shut.
- Fry the tacos. Pour olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat (I like it to be about ¼ high to get a nice pan fry). Fry the tacos for about 5 minutes per side until crispy and golden brown all around. Use multiple skillets if possible to fry all tacos at once.
- Season and garnish. Sprinkle with salt and finely minced cilantro.
- Serve immediately. Serve with guacamole, pico de gallo, vegan sour cream and/or cilantro lime sauce (each of these can be made in 5 minutes while the tacos are frying).
Notes
Store leftover tacos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. They are best served fresh and will tend to get a little soggy in the fridge, so I'd recommend re-frying them when reheating as opposed to using the microwave. The air fryer also works!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Happyandeasyfood says
This recipe is so simple yet very flavorful. We used Siete tortillas and the recipe for beans, no sides and still loved. Its so quick to make, we packed it for lunch box too!!
Elaine Gordon says
thank you so much! i'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the simplicity of this one so much! Thank you for taking the time to let me know and leave a five star review! Best, Elaine
Andrea says
I have made these delicious tacos twice. My family LOVES them! My husband has requested I make these every week! Thank you for the great recipe!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Andrea! I'ms o happy to hear that and thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
Plantbased says
Going to make tonight! Has anyone tried them in the air fryer instead of frying in a skillet in oil? Thanks!
Elaine Gordon says
Hi! That works but the flavor and texture is better on the stovetop. Still a great option though if you like the air fryer.