It’s easy make a big batch of these little vegetarian black bean tacos in the oven for a party appetizer or quick weeknight dinner! They’re packed with flavor and drizzled with creamy chipotle sauce for little elote flavor.
I wanted to create a vegetarian taco that was full of flavor and didn’t leave you missing the meat.
I was partly inspired by an elote pizza we ate in Sedona last spring that had a garlic butter sauce, grilled corn, red onion, fresh cilantro, cotija cheese, mozzarella, and a spicy chipotle mayo.
*Swoon* One of the best pizzas I’ve ever eaten. Truly.
Black Bean Taco Filling
I added some black beans for protein and some diced zucchini because…. I had some I needed to use. And it filled my need to have some kind of vegetable in these.
(Unpopular opinion, but I don’t think corn counts as a vegetable. I said what I said.)
I sautéed the filling in garlic butter and some simple spices and added some crumbled cotija cheese.
I could eat a bowl of this filling alone. Seriously.
Making Crispy Black Bean Tacos in the oven
I used street taco corn tortillas — those itty bitty cute ones.
Just lay them on a sheet pan, add some black bean and corn filling with some shredded cheese (I used pepper jack.)
Since corn tortillas tend to split when they’re folded, put these under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until they’re soft enough to fold and the cheese has melted enough to act as “glue” to hold them closed.
Then put them back under the oven broiler for 4-5 minutes until they’re bubbly and toasty brown.
Look at that caramelization. Caramelized corn and cheese is one of the best things in life, don’t you think?
I loved these cute little crispy tacos topped with a sprinkle of fresh red onion and cilantro and a drizzle of creamy chipotle sauce.
Since I know you’re going to ask… here’s how to adapt these to different diets, if that’s what you need.
Adaptations for Crispy Black Bean Tacos
To make these gluten-free: Use corn tortillas
To make these grain-free: Use almond flour or another kind of paleo tortilla. If you’re avoiding corn, just replace it with zucchini.
To make these dairy-free: Use all mayo in the chipotle sauce and either omit the cheese completely or use a dairy-free alternative.
More Easy Taco Recipes on Perry’s Plate
If you like these easy vegetarian tacos, try one of these other taco recipes on my site!
Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Avocado Salsa
Tropical Fish Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Easy Crispy Chicken Tacos — Two Ways
The Best Instant Pot Shredded Chicken for Tacos
Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa Shredded Beef
If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Corn & Zucchini
It's easy make a big batch of these little vegetarian black bean tacos in the oven for a party appetizer or quick weeknight dinner! They're packed with flavor and drizzled with creamy chipotle sauce for little elote flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1-2 small to medium zucchini, diced
- 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 can of black beans, drained
- 1/3 cup crumbled Mexican cotija cheese or feta
- 24 small tortillas, street taco sized
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese
- Diced red onion & chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
For the Chipotle Mayo:
- 1/4 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 Tablespoon chopped chipotles in adobo sauce
- Squeeze of lime juice
- Generous pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the zucchini, corn, cumin, & salt. Cook until the zucchini and corn are soft and get some golden brown spots, 15-20 min.
- Meanwhile, stir together the ingredients for the chipotle mayo in a small bowl and set aside. Chop the red onion and cilantro, too, if you're using them.
- Add the black beans and cotija to the skillet, and cook for another couple of minutes until the beans are heated through and the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven broiler to high heat.
- Lay as many tortilas you can on a large rimmed baking sheet. If you can't fit them all and want to bake them all at once, use two pans and rotate them during baking.
- Put 2-3 spoonfuls of the black bean filling on one half of each tortilla and top with a little cheese.
- Place the tacos under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the tortillas soften and the cheese begins to melt. Remove the pan from the oven and close the tortillas with a pair of tongs, pressing the tacos together so the cheese "glues" them shut.
- Return the tacos to the oven and broil for another 4-5 minutes until the tacos have golden brown spots and the cheese is toasty.
- Sprinkle the red onion and cilantro over the tacos and drizzle some chipotle mayo over them. Or use the chipotle mayo for dipping.
Notes
To make these gluten-free: Use corn tortillas
To make these grain-free: Use almond flour or another kind of paleo tortilla. If you're avoiding corn, just replace it with zucchini.
To make these dairy-free: Use all mayo in the chipotle sauce and either omit the cheese completely or use a dairy-free alternative.