Need an easy, flavorful dinner idea? Try these black bean tacos! They’re topped with tangy pickled cabbage and a delicious cilantro lime sauce.
These black bean tacos are a really easy, SUPER flavorful dinner. They’re packed with a delicious combination of simple ingredients: black beans, pickled cabbage, cilantro, jalapeños, and Cotija cheese. A hefty drizzle of my cilantro lime crema takes them over the top.
I love the balance of textures and flavors here. These black bean tacos are creamy AND crunchy, earthy AND bright. The component that really makes them pop is the pickled cabbage. It adds a burst of sweet, tangy flavor that, if you’re me, will keep you piling on more and more.
I recommend prepping the pickled cabbage ahead. It’s super quick to make, but the flavor gets better and better as it sits in the fridge. Once you have it on hand, throwing together this black bean taco recipe on a weeknight is a breeze. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Black Bean Tacos Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Black beans, of course! Because I generally make these tacos on weeknights, I tend to use canned beans in them. That said, you can totally cook dried beans from scratch if you want to! For instructions, check out my Instant Pot black beans recipe or my guide to how to cook black beans on the stovetop.
- White onion, garlic, and diced jalapeño – You’ll sauté them to add fresh, savory flavor to the beans.
- Avocado oil – For cooking the beans and veggies. Feel free to use another neutral oil or olive oil if you prefer!
- Taco seasoning – Use store-bought, or mix up your own using my taco seasoning recipe. I also like to add a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat, but you can skip it if you’re sensitive to spice.
- Fresh lime juice – It gives the beans a bright, zesty kick.
- Tortillas – Any kind you like! 100% corn tortillas are a great gluten-free option. My homemade flour tortillas would be delicious here too!
- Pickled cabbage – The real star of these easy black bean tacos! Feel free to make it with red or green cabbage. Prep it at least 2 hours in advance.
- Cilantro lime crema – This creamy, zesty sauce is easy to whiz together in the food processor. Get ahead by making it up to 3 days in advance.
- And fun fixings like cilantro, jalapeños, and Cotija cheese. These fresh, flavorful toppings really make the tacos pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Cook the Black Beans
I’ve made plenty of vegetarian tacos where I’ve added black beans straight from the can.
That’s not what we’re doing here.
Instead, the beans are lightly refried, cooked with aromatic veggies, spices, and a little bean cooking liquid to make a creamy, flavorful taco filling.
It only takes a few minutes! Here’s how I do it:
- First, DON’T drain the beans! Measure 1/2 cup of the liquid in the can (or the bean cooking liquid, if you cooked your beans from scratch). Set it aside before you drain and rinse the beans.
- Next, sauté the aromatics. Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Season with salt and cook until the vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning and cayenne and cook for another minute.
- Then, add the beans and 1/4 cup of the reserved bean liquid. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are totally soft and the black bean mixture is thick. If the pan becomes too dry, add the remaining bean liquid.
- Finally, mash some of the beans to make the black bean filling lightly creamy.
Stir in the lime juice and season to taste before assembling the tacos!
Black Bean Tacos Variations
This recipe is delicious as written, but it’s also super flexible. Feel free to change it up! Here are a few variations to get you started:
- Make pinto bean tacos by replacing the black beans with pintos.
- Add a roasted veggie like roasted sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower, or roasted butternut squash.
- Use pickled red onions instead of pickled cabbage.
- Make a quick cabbage slaw with shredded cabbage, a drizzle of oil, fresh lime juice, and salt if you haven’t prepped the pickled cabbage ahead.
- Or swap the sauce. This avocado sauce would be fantastic, and my chipotle sauce would be delicious too. In a pinch, simply top the tacos with a scoop of sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice!
Let me know what variations you try!
Serving Suggestions
We often enjoy these tacos for dinner on their own. But if you’re craving a larger meal, you have plenty of side dish options! They’d pair perfectly with any of these recipes:
Don’t forget the margaritas to drink!
Black Bean Tacos
Serves 3 to 4
These black bean tacos are an easy, delicious dinner! To make them quick to assemble on a weeknight, prep the pickled cabbage and cilantro lime crema in advance. The cabbage keeps well for 2 weeks in the fridge, and the crema keeps for 5 days. If you like, you could even make the beans ahead and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ medium white onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1½ tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
- 3 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed, reserve ½ cup bean liquid
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
- 6 to 8 tortillas, warmed
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Heat the avocado oil in a medium pot or large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, garlic, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until softened.
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Stir in the taco seasoning and cayenne, if using, and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and ¼ cup of the reserved bean liquid and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are totally soft and the mixture is thick. If the pan becomes dry, add the remaining ¼ cup bean liquid.
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Mash some of the beans with the back of a wooden spoon to make the mixture lightly creamy. Stir in the lime juice and season to taste.
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Assemble tacos in the tortillas with the beans, pickled cabbage, crema, Cotija cheese, jalapeños, and cilantro.