Crispy Green Chili Black Bean Tacos
Crispy Green Chili Black Bean Tacos, a tasty plant-based baked taco with a black bean and green chili filling. Easy to prep and big on flavor!
Love black bean tacos? Bake them in the oven! These easy tacos feature black beans, spicy green chilies, an array of spices, and are baked until crispy in the oven.
👉 Ready to learn how to make crispy black bean tacos? Let’s do it!
🫘 Ingredients
- Black beans: two cans of black beans, or about 3 cups of cooked black beans total if cooked from dry
- Green Chilies: a small 4-ounce can of green chilies
- Seasonings: garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper
- Tortillas: flour tortillas work best and become crispier compared to corn (gluten free flour tortillas are available)
- Broth or water: a small amount of liquid like broth or water to soften the taco filling
- Garnishes: limes, avocados, a pinch of salt, and any additional sauces
- Recommended tools: baking sheet, silicone baking sheet, large pan
🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Cook green chili black bean filling
First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (about 200 degrees Celsius) and prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and add chopped onion and cook until it begins to soften, about five minutes. Then add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more until it begins to brown.
Then add the green chilies and black beans, paprika, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the black beans begin to soften and become mushy.
Then add the broth or water, and stir the mixture until the liquid cooks down and the black bean mixture is very soft (without being watery).
2️⃣ Step Two: Fill tacos before baking
Drizzle the prepared baking sheet with the remaining olive oil and coat a single tortilla in the oil on both sides. Then fill one half of the tortilla with 3-4 tablespoons of the black bean taco filling, folding the tortilla over and smashing it down so the taco is thin.
Continue coating the tortillas in oil and stuffing with the taco filling until all of the tacos are filled, coated in oil so they crisp when baked, and are arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet.
3️⃣ Step Three: Bake the tacos until crispy
Bake the tacos in the oven for about 18-20 minutes, flipping once throughout to bake evenly on both sides.
4️⃣ Step Four: Garnish and serve tacos
To serve, simply place taco on a plate, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, sprinkle with salt, and serve with avocado slices. You can also serve with your favorite salsa or hot sauces.
❓ Recipe questions + quick tips
Soft flour tortillas are usually best because they become the crispiest when baked, without breaking when they dry out like corn tortillas will. Gluten free flour tortillas work well, as long as they are made from a soft flour and the tortillas are not firm or easily break when folded.
Coating the tortillas in a small amount of oil before baking means they will get crispier when baked. You can also cover the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave them for 30 seconds before filling and baking to make them softer when folding.
🧊 How to store and reheat
- Refrigerator storage: Store leftover tacos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezer storage: Freeze in a freezer-friendly bag or container for up to one month. To thaw, remove from the freezer into the refrigerator for 24 hours before reheating.
- Reheat instructions: To reheat, cook for 10 in in the oven to keep the tacos crispy or 1 minute in the microwave.
👉 More plant-based taco recipes
Want more vegan taco recipes recipes? Try Chili Lime Cauliflower Tacos.
NOT SURE WHERE TO START WITH PLANT-BASED EATING?
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Crispy Green Chili Black Bean Tacos
Equipment
- 1 large pan
- 1 baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 1 small white onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 4-ounce can green chilies
- 2 15-ounce cans black beans drained
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 pinch salt and pepper plus more for finishing tacos
- ⅓ cup vegetable broth or water
- 8 medium flour tortillas 6-inch or 8-inch
- 3 whole limes cut into wedges for serving
- 2 whole avocados sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (about 200 degrees Celsius) and prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Cook taco filling: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chopped 1 small white onion and cook until it begins to soften, about five minutes. Add 2 cloves garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more until it begins to brown. Then add the 1 4-ounce can green chilies and 2 15-ounce cans black beans, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 1 pinch salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the black beans begin to soften and become mushy. Then add the ⅓ cup vegetable broth, and stir the mixture until the liquid cooks down and the black bean mixture is very soft (without being watery).
- Fill tacos before baking: Drizzle the prepared baking sheet with the remaining olive oil and coat a single tortilla of the 8 medium flour tortillas in the oil on both sides. Then fill one half of the tortilla with 3-4 tablespoons of the black bean taco filling, folding the tortilla over and smashing it down so the taco is thin. Continue coating the tortillas in oil and stuffing with the taco filling until all of the tacos are filled, coated in oil so they crisp when baked, and are arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake tacos: Bake the tacos in the oven for about 18-20 minutes, flipping once throughout to bake evenly on both sides.
- Serve tacos: To serve, simply place taco on a plate, add a squeeze of limes from the 3 whole limes, sprinkle with salt, and serve with slices from the 2 whole avocados. You can also serve with your favorite salsa or hot sauces.
These black bean tacos were delicious! We loved the addition of green chile in this recipe. Half of our tortillas were wheat, and half were corn. The wheat tortillas definitely cooked better than the corn ones (the wheat ones turned a nice toasty brown). We used half of the vegetable oil in step 2 (1 Tbsp instead of 2 Tbsp), and that was plenty. We also added taco sauce. It was tasty, and we’ll definitely make it again.